# Furlough Days: Could you survive 10 in the next 3 months? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632 "2010-03-24T15:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632/41 "2010-03-25T06:58:43Z")
20% loss of income, and I’d foreclose on the house and move into a cheaper rental or apartment. That’s probably the only major sacrifice I’d have to make in order to keep my family’s head above water. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632/42 "2010-03-25T13:50:48Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > This is why I have emergency savings and live beneath your means. You live beneath\*\* melody\*\*'s means? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632/43 "2010-03-25T13:56:58Z")
We would have it rough, I’ll admit that: but we would survive okay. The worst part for us is medical bills, and I have that taken care of with my FSA and insurance. It’s hard on a one income family. We’ve cut corners quite a bit already. > [@NinetyWt](#): > > You live beneath\*\* melody\*\*'s means? > > 😉 And does **melody** ’s means know someone is living beneath them? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632/44 "2010-03-25T14:37:49Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > This is why I have emergency savings and live beneath your means. > [@NinetyWt](#): > > You live beneath\*\* melody\*\*'s means? > > 😉 > [@Juliana](#): > > And does **melody** ’s means know someone is living beneath them? 🙂 No, I didn’t know someone was living beneath my means! I would much prefer they are living beneath my happies, but y’know . . . 😃 Thanks everyone for your input! We have now found out that instead of 10 furlough days, my SO is going to get 5-20% salary cut across the board. He won’t know what percentage for a few days, so it’s hard to create a permanent budget. An interesting side note: one of our friends who was originally on the layoff list may now have his layoff rescinded but his pay cut. He has informed us that having a job at a reduced salary would be worse to him than a layoff. I’m confused by this - because even at 20% reduction - it’s still more than unemployment . . . ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632/45 "2010-03-25T14:58:12Z")
It’d be a pretty dire situation for us, as we’re living fairly lean at the moment. It’d mean cutting meat out of our diets, not going out at all instead of the once per month, canceling our cell phone plans if we were unable to reduce them (cheapest minutes + mandatory data plan ATM), going to the farmers’ markets religiously, cancel the husband’s health insurance, and supplement the vegetables with BOGO specials at the grocery store. The dogs would also either have to be switched to a homemade diet or suffer the ordeal of soy-allergy-induced rashes from cheaper food. The current reduction in hours at my husband’s job is definitely taking its toll on our budget, and the near-constant looming threat of layoffs at my job (also in a public library) doesn’t make it easier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/furlough-days-could-you-survive-10-in-the-next-3-months/533632.md?page=2)