11 Tips for Surviving Your Spouse's Unemployment

This is as broke as I have ever been. We just went through both my husbands 401ks. There is no more money in them, my health insurance is over $1500 a month. We have had to live on our credit cards and we are deeply in debt. The house we have lived in almost all of our married lives, we cant afford anymore. Until I reach 65 and qualify for medicare, there is nothing that can be done. I hate to lose my home with less than two years until I am 65. Nobody wants to hire my husband, he is 69 and on social security. He lost his job early 2007. I think I can pay my health insurance this month, and pray some money or a job will come for the house payment. People are so stressed, it seems like they are just dying instead of fighting to survive. I get $739 a month social security. They wont allow me to make over a certain amount, so Im between a rock and a hard place, everything I make goes toward my health insurance. There is no way I can earn money for important things like food. The whole system is crazy. My excellent credit will be destroyed next month unless there is a miracle. I wont be able to get a very important surgery I need, if I cant pay my insurance. Yet how many people who arent citizens do we take care of medically in this great country? The boomers arent the burden, they paid in plenty to social security.

I'm out 2 years. I'm going to be 61. Luckily my wife works and I'm covered under her health insurance (got issues that would render me uninsureable otherwise). Trying to hang on to 62 to take early SS benefits. I feel for the younger ones with kids. One thing they should do is drop that onerous 10% penalty on 401k/IRA distributions for those under 59. In this economy, most unemployed people are worried about surviving, not their retirement years. They need the money now.

I lost my job (layed off)this past Febuary 09. i'm almost 60yrs old. My wife still has hers, thank the LORD. ive been a Driver for over 30 yrs and a good one. then worked on call 4 then 3,2 days a week. then it got to 1 day. then no days. lost all ins. coverage. then i took a a decent driver job i thought, but got beat out of money week after week. paychecks got smaller every week after. you try to resolve it but no one cares or has time to listen so i resigned. got on unemployment in august, takes a little while,if you resign. i can live with that. but its hard when you loose that job that is 50-60 % of total income.i never in my life (once) ever thought this wouldn't or couldn't happen to us, but it did. and i CAN relate to who ever has lost there job, because it is very devistating. we are barely getting by, (not a lot of overhead) bills, but we are just getting by. and i want to say hat i DON'T FEEL GOOD AT ALL not being able to bring in my share. but till i can find something i can do at my age and health, i keep looking.. i pray everynight also that the economy will turn around soon. i hope who ever you are, male or female, you get more mental support than i do. i'm still looking for a decent job...........

After a year of badgering and emasculation, I've decided it is easier and preferable to find a new wife than a new job. We have no kids so it's an easy decision for me. AMF!

I have been unemployed since friday the thirteeth...in march 09...it has been hell at home...since I am only w2 worker and stuck on new yorks unemployment 160 less per week then new jersey a mistake nobody can fix...we sought out marrige counselling at reduced reduced rate..and thats all that saved our marriage....I am no good not working and every venture I tried has failed including doing a 180 from tech work and gettinng insurance license to sell life and health..with AFLAC...well whose buying when they are broke and when Big Government is sticking nose into insurance drying up most potential....I am deep in credit card debt again and went through over 20,000 I had in savings...to keep house..I still have excellent credit never missing a payment....on Thanksgiving I prayed to God for help....I was at the end of money...motivation....and hope.....well yesterday 11-30-09 I just got a job in Manhattan very low salary but now I can also get part time on weekends to suppliment..I couldn't before cause it was less then unemployment and not worth losing.. Hope is coming back...but if I didn't ride a bicycle 12 miles a day in sandy hook park I would have self destructed and given up.. Persevere and do whatever it takes..this job I just got isnt what I would have chosen its 30 grand less but 2times unemployment...so I will give it my all and maybe it will lead somewhere I can't see yet or at least ride out the storm...DON"T give up..BUT DO WORK HARD LOOKING stop by companies in person all they can say is no....but you never know.,,think out of the box...you ARE worth it if you need help ask..YOU ARE NOT ALONE...there is light at end of tunnel and learn lessons along way. I have.. I didn't appreciate my last job...I could have given them my all and I didn't.

My husband was laid off last April. It has been a strain on our relationship because he is not feeling good about himself while he is not supporting his family. Even though we have been ok on his unemployment and my salary, it still ads a huge element of stress because my job is also shaky. Plus, sometimes we resent one another - he resents my career success because it is hard on him emotionally, and I resent that he gets to stay home with the kids while I have to slave away at work. But most of the time we just count our blessings and are glad that we can make it. We both know that the roles could change any day, and so we try our best to put our feelings aside and treat each other like we would want to be treated. We feel blessed to still have our home, our kids and a fairly good life.