How long could you go without a paycheck?

[geekender]

They say that the average American is 2-3 paychecks away from bankruptcy. I know if I lost my job I could probably go a month....maybe two without serious damage. But with a mortgage, student loans, car payments, credit cards, etc. the bills would add up quickly. Especially with the way the job market has been the past few months, a lot of us have been sitting on pins and needles wondering if our positions would evaporate.

What about you? How many weeks could you go without a paycheck?

 

[iamwiz82]

about 6 months, maybe more. That is if i stopped unnecessary expenditures, like a 27" flat screen tv, which i just bought

 

[minendo]

I could make it three months max.

 

[pulse8]

I haven't gotten paid in 6 weeks. Money's thin, but it's easier to do when you don't have many bills and you know that you have money about to come in.

 

[yakko]

I don't know because I would have a job again in a week.

 

[royaldank]

Just bills alone, I think I could last about 6 to 10 months. However, I'd have to probably stop playing Golden TEE and drinking beer a couple nights a week.

 

[Mutilator]

Right now... about 2 weeks thanks to the IRS. :|

 

[notfred]

I haven't gotten paid since january, but I'm broke now. I'll be getting my first paycheck (at my new job) in a little over a week, which is just soon enough to pay my bills for this month.

 

[GeSuN]

If I quit the university I could make it around 8 to 9 months.

 

[Electric Amish]

Not very long.

amish

 

[fastz28]

Wow!

I would have to cash in my investments, but I can go for 5~6 years. :Q

edit...and that's to maintain my current lifestyle. If I lower my std of living and become more frugal, probably 10 years.

 

[GiGoLo]

i quit my job in december and had $227 in the bank as of jan.1... so far i've gotten by until now by selling computers to friends/family/other students, tax return, selling stereo equipment, stuff like that... but now i'm running out of things to sell

*edit* and i too have close to 26k in student loans + credit card bills and stuff... isn't easy

 

[SinNisTeR]

if im living at home.. forever

 

[StageLeft]

Since i'm only 24 I'm still getting life and money in order but now I'd say that if I had to dip into savings and credit cards I could get at least half a year - this assuming that my family totally dissapeared, I got no unemployment insurance, etc. Of course if it happened I'd immediately for for an increase on all credit cards which would let me go even longer

 

[StageLeft]

<< i quit my job in december and had $227 in the bank as of jan.1... so far i've gotten by until now by selling computers to friends/family/other students, tax return, selling stereo equipment, stuff like that... but now i'm running out of things to sell

*edit* and i too have close to 26k in student loans + credit card bills and stuff... isn't easy >>

Do u regret quiting?

 

[GeSuN]

if im living at home.. forever

Yeah well, throw me on a south island, and i'll stay forever there... But I need a volley ball with me as a friend... WILSON!! Where are u???

 

[Capn]

Let's see, I worked till august last year, then I got my job March, so that's about 6 months, I could probably go longer than that too, maybe a full year. Though most of that time I wasn't paying my housing costs only food.

 

[b0mbrman]

Yeah...I'm pretty good w/savings and I've got quite a bit invested in different places so I could go a pretty decent amount...

 

[BigJohnKC]

This question scares me...when I think about it I could probably get by for 3-4 months before going completely bankrupt. Scary thought, maybe I should start saving some more money...

 

[wyvrn]

If I cash investments, 1-2 years. The only debt I have to pay is student loans and cell phone, everything else can be cancelled. Plus part of our student loans are in deferrment because I am still taking classes.

 

[StageLeft]

<< This question scares me...when I think about it I could probably get by for 3-4 months before going completely bankrupt. Scary thought, maybe I should start saving some more money... >>

You should - you could easily find yourself out of work for months on end. I was out for 6.5 months last year alone. In actual fact I could stay unemployed for years on end just living at my parent's place or let mrs. skoorb cover the difference

 

[Hammer]

About 4 months from savings. If I cash investments, I'm not sure how long. A while though.

EDIT: Maintaining my current lifestyle of course.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

<< I don't know because I would have a job again in a week. >>



Yup.

 

[hooj]

not very long at all

 

I can survive for eternity if I lived at home.

If I didn't though, I can probably last without a paycheck for 6 months?