I've lost my job - now what?

On October 10th, out of the blue, I lost my job.  I had transitioned from my job as a church secretary to a full-time job as a human resources specialist.  It wasn't my ideal job, but it put food on the table and payed the mortgage.  Now what?  This has not been my year for jobs, that's for sure.

It happened the day before I was leaving for a camping trip to South Carolina.  I went camping and had a great time.  While hiking through the mountains of South Carolina, I was able to work through all the emotions of losing my job and the conclusion that I came to was "Thank You, Jesus!"

So, I feel good; I feel at peace; I'm ready for the next phase of my life, whatever that may be.  If you've just lost your job, take a deep breath, cry, get angry, whine, feel sorry for yourself, and then, pick yourself up off the floor, straighten your shoulders, and look unemployment right in the face.  It's not the end of the world; some days it just feels like it.

Here's my plan for prospering until my next job comes along.  Notice, I said, "plan."  If you don't have a plan, you're not going to get through a job loss, or any other economic crisis.

1.  Review your budget; if you don't have a budget, now is a really good time to find out where your money is going every month.

2.  Decide where you can cut back.  Take a hard look; cable TV is a luxury, not a need.

3.  Check to see if you are eligible for any benefits, like food stamps or unemployment.  This will be a last resort for me.

4.  Update your resume;  this is not something that I've done and I wish that I had.  My friend Amy says that your resume should always be up-to-date.

5.  Keep on saving and keep on giving - how?  I'm not sure, but I know that generally, we are more blessed than we realize and it doesn't just involve money.

6.  Figure out if there are ways you can make some money until you find a full time job.

7.  Christmas - losing your job right before the holidays doesn't mean that you have to cancel Christmas.  There are a lot of ways to cut back and still give gifts.

My Job Is What?

Going part-time.  But don't worry.  It's not effective until April 1st.  That should be plenty of time for you to either find another full time job or another part time job.  Oh, by the way, you're going to lose your benefits too.  Any questions?

Questions?  I'm still trying to process the fact that I'm losing half my income and my benefits.  This was supposed to be my "gold watch" and retirement party job.  Here I am, almost through February, and I'm still trying to figure this out.  Plan, I need a plan.

Why I Stockpile

A friend asked me, "why do you stockpile food?'  I replied, "I'm preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse."  But what I'm really preparing for is something that I didn't think I'd ever have to worry about again.  I found out recently that my full time job is becoming a part time job on April 1st.  I am going to lose half of my income and my benefits.  Problem is I still have full time expenses.  So glad that I have a stockpile - one less thing that I have to worry about.

Chili Dog Casserole

This is another recipe from Pinterest.  I made it the other night and it was delish!  If you like chili dogs, then you'll like this recipe and it's easy to make.

Chili Dog Casserole

2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans (I used one can Hormel Hot & Spicy and one can regular Hormel)
1 (16 oz) package beef frankfurters (I used angus beef Ball Park)
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas (the fajita sized ones)
1 (8 oz) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans. Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pepperoni Pizza Spaghetti Casserole

So I came across this recipe on Pinterest.  If you click through, it was featured on "Skip to my Lou."  It's a combination of two foods that I like - pepperoni pizza and spaghetti.  It's also easy to make.

 

Pepperoni Pizza Spaghetti Casserole

 

12 oz uncooked spaghetti

1/2 tsp salt

1 (1.2 lb) hamburger

2 ounces pepperoni, sliced in half

1 (26 oz) jar pasta sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (8oz) packaged shredded Italian three- cheese blend

 

Instructions

Cook spaghetti with 1/2 tsp salt in water according to package directions (cook to al dente). Drain and place noodles in a lightly greased 9X13 pan. Set aside.

Cook hamburger in a large skillet until cooked through, drain and set meat aside. Wipe skillet out with a paper towel. Add pepperoni slices to pan and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally, until slightly crisp (about 4-5 minutes).

Cover the spaghetti noodles with hamburger then pour pasta sauce over the top. Sprinkle half of the pepperoni slices evenly over the pasta sauce. Top with Parmesan and Italian cheeses. Arrange remaining pepperoni slices evenly on top of the cheese.

Lightly spray one side of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the dish with sprayed side down. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and starting to brown.

 

 

The original recipe used whole wheat pasta, turkey burger and turkey pepperoni, but I used what I had in my fridge and in my pantry.  The only time you'll find turkey in my fridge is during the holidays or maybe after a trip to the deli.  I also will use more pepperoni the next time I make this, but it didn't stop me from digging into it.  It's another keeper.

Southwestern Burgers & Mud Pies

Last night for dinner, we had the most amazing burgers; the burgers were better than I have had in a long, long time.  Interestingly, it wasn't anything that I added to the hamburger.  It was the sauce - oh my, it was sooo good!  The recipe was cut out of a Spring 2006 "Cooking for Two" magazine.

Southwestern Burger Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs. spicy brown mustard
1 tbs. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Prepare your burgers as you normally would; add cheese if desired.  Spread the Southwestern Burger Sauce on the two sides of your bun, and start eating.  Believe me, you won't need any other toppings.

For dessert, I made mud pies for two - so easy and so yummy!  The recipe is from "Taste of Home" magazine.

Mud Pies for Two

1/3 cup Nutella
2 individual graham cracker tart shells
1 cup of coffee ice cream
whipped cream

Divide the Nutella and ice cream between the two tart shells.  Add whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate syrup (if you want to).

These were so cool and creamy after the Southwestern burgers.

Easy to prepare on a weeknight!

Crumb Coated Ranch Chicken

I found this recipe in "Taste of Home - 5 ingredient recipes" magazine.

Crumb Coated Ranch Chicken

2/3 cup ranch dressing
2 cups coarsely crushed corn flakes
1 tbs. italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 boneless chicken breasts

Pour the ranch dressing into a bowl.

In another bowl, combine corn flake crumbs*, italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Dip the chicken in dressing, then coat with crumb mixture.

Place in a greased baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

*I didn't have any corn flakes, so I used italian bread crumbs instead.  I still added the italian seasoning and garlic powder.

The chicken was very flavorful.  This is a recipe that can easily be halved for two people.

ENJOY!