Does your husband hate his job, but you need the money? Here are 10 ways to be supportive when money is tight, but also some tips on how to trim your budget down.
Offering support to your husband in ways like money management and moral support will help the hard days be less stressful, while making small strides to cut back on overtime, or change jobs entirely.
#1 Support your husband by evaluating your budgets must haves
Take a look at areas the household is over indulging, and see if you can do any cutbacks or cheaper alternatives. When budgets get tight the first thing we as adults tend to blame is eating out.
But there are many other options to save money. The biggest budget buster you can do is write down all the under $20 purchases. You will be amazed at how those add up, and may be the cause for financial stress. One you have identified the purchases, ask yourself if they were a must have.
#2 Identify your core expenses
Core expenses are the non fluctuating bills such as rent, mortgage, insurance or phone bills. These bills are areas you have little wiggle room to reduce, but are worth taking a closer look at.
Many insurance companies recommend shopping around for your car insurance every 6 months. Some power companies offer a flat rate billing one you have 12 months of history so you have a consistent electric bill.
Evaluating your big ticket bills can be a good way to reduce the stress, and cost that is keeping your husband from leaving the job he hates.
#3 Make a plan to change jobs
Now that you have a good idea of the small and big expenses in your household, you can begin making a plan to do a job change. Sometimes the right job is not always the highest paying.
Many times the jobs we are the happiest at are not about the money, but the people we work with, hours a s benefits. If you are working ungodly hours to keep afloat, and missing out on living, your job may not be a good fit. No one should ever feel their finances are being dictated by working overtime all the time, for the rest of their life.
#4 Be a daily reminder of motivation
Remind your husband why he is doing it all on hard days, or during the job hunt, your husband needs help remembering what’s most important. Of course family and making a living is why any one works, but it makes a mountain of a difference when you tell him.
Let your husband know how much you appreciate his sacrifices of sleep and wear and tear on his body. There’s a reason it’s called The daily grind.
Make sure you tell him how much you appreciate him. This gratitude will go farther than you know, as men are motivated to provide for their families.
#5 Have a designated time to vent
Set aside at time for your husband to unload all his frustrations about the job he hates, but also have an end time. A great way to give your husband time to speak freely is during his car ride home.
He can have as long as the community takes, but when he steps inside, it’s family time. Another method is by setting the timer, going somewhere away from the kids, family or others, and letting your husband talk about his day.
#6 Show your support by cutting back
When you’re on a tight budget be sure to never cut things out completely. This tends to lead to overspending. But instead identify areas that you all can cut back on when it comes to spending.
If you are an Amazon shopper, take the app off your phone to eliminate mindless shopping. If you really enjoy eating out, just cut back to making meals one to two times a week to help keep the budget on track so your hard-earned dollars stretch the farthest.
#6 Always keep stocked pantry or fridge
It may sound silly but whenever you feel like there’s no food in the house you will eat out more often which can be an expensive habit. But when you keep A well-stocked pantry and fridge of food you’ll actually eat and enjoy, you can help reduce the amount of binge spending.
Be sure to grab your household Staples and snacks that you can’t wait to devour during your lazy days or when you’re so hungry.
#7 Give a zero budget a shot
Zero budgeting is where you track every dollar spent so you can identify potential savings or splurging areas in your finances. If you want to get your husband into a job that is less hours, or just get him home more by eliminating the need for overtime, give a zero budget a try.
Simply track all the money coming in and spending going out for a month to give yourself an idea of where you can improve.
#8 Have a savings to matter what
Regardless of your budget and the amount you put in savings, you should always have one. If you ever want to get out from your paycheck to paycheck living you will need to find areas to cut back and create a savings for the cushion.
If you want to make a job change so that your husband can move from that job that he hates, you’ll need a backup plan as the pay. Even if you can only spare $10 a week or $20 a week, save what you can.
#9 Make days off matter
When you have a husband that hates his job and seems to always be working it can be hard to stay strong as the wife. However there needs to be a healthy balance on his days off of help around the house but also time relaxing as a family.
A hard-working example as it is relaxing and time to reset before another work week. Be sure to give yourself and your husband the break needed to rejuvenate. Whether that is Sunday afternoons or letting them sleep in a little bit, be sure to promote rest.
When your husband hates his job, but you need the money it can feel very restricting and hard to say yes to things that cost money. While it may require some ingenuity, being supportive goes beyond financial contribution. Your husband’s hard days will be a lot easier to bear when he can come home to a family that is working equally as hard at money management.