According to the news recently, nearly 350,000 federal employees were furloughed for 35 days due to the United States federal government shutdown starting on December 22, 2018. A job in the United States federal government is normally regarded as a good and reliable job. An official job, especially a government worker's job, is supposed to provide enough financial support to pay your monthly bills like credit card statement and utility bills. If the United States federal government can’t guarantee you that, no one can.

If you work for the United States federal government, the furlough is hardly mentioned in the past. Right now, it is happening and will happen again in the future. Nobody wants that to happen or wants to be a part of it. These government workers might have faced financial hardship and pay the loan on time without any paychecks. It’s an unwilling and unpleasant experience for anyone involved.

You can get mad and go crazy about it. What else can you do after that? After you simmer down, it is a good time to think about how to go through this tough time. You have no idea that how long it takes. You cannot predict how it will be next week or next month. What you can or what you can be sure is to face the whole situation with your wisdom. It is not easy, I admit. However, there are truly some tips to help you or anyone who is on furlough. Here are more details to show you how to manage your money well without getting broke:

1. Establish a budget
Everyone should have his or her own budget to understand the whole financial situation. Is it good or bad? If you do not have any income, how long will you get broke? What resources or loans can you apply? What backup plan do you have? You are the one to control all your money. You should know it better than anyone else. Nobody can do it for you. You have all the expense details to see how you can reduce the unnecessary cost. Stick to your budget for this period of time.

2. Save more money on the everyday expense
While you are on furlough at home, you would not have to drive to work and eat out at noon. You would need to buy a cup of coffee in the morning to wake you up. That means that you can save more money on daily consumption like gas, coffee, and lunch. You save at least hundreds of dollars a month.

3. Cancel your membership and unsubscribe
I believe that anyone of you would subscribe to the streaming video. Or you are a member of the Gym. Or you subscribe to a magazine. Or your monthly cell phone bill is high. Since you face a special situation and make less money, you certainly need to look at all these monthly bills. Whether are these memberships and subscription really necessary? Or are they just for your convenience and entertainment? Do you really have so much time to use them all? If the answer is no, then you should pick up the phone or send them an email to cancel the service. To dip into saving and to spend less are much easier than you think.

4. Reduce the unnecessary cost
This is a special and tough time. You need to focus on reducing the unnecessary and unimportant cost so that you can move on. For example:
 If you seldom watch TV or you are used to watching videos online, just go ahead to cancel the cable or satellite services to save regular fees.
 You can borrow books and e-books from the library rather than buy plenty of books.
 If you want to buy theater tickets, try to find any discounts from the Credit Card Company or marketing emails. Or they'll have great discounts of unsold tickets right before a show.
 You can cook at home rather than eat out at a fancy restaurant. It is not only cheaper but also healthier.
These minor living habits can help you save hundreds of dollars a month. Maybe you are even more creative and find out more ways to save money. Your expense is the key to the answers. Ask yourself if you really need them. If you do not have those services, what is your life going to be like? If no major difference, it is wise for you to start to take action.

5. Save money on groceries and food
There are many ways to help you with,
 Make a list before you go to the supermarket and buy food. It would keep you away from more shopping.
 You can compare several similar products to find out which unit price is cheaper.
 You can buy special clearance Items including products with a limited shelf life, dented cans, and damaged packages.
 You can collect coupons to see which item is on sale.
 You can buy the store brand product to have the same quality with less money.
 If you want to purchase something, check if they have cash back or other reward programs like Swagbucks and QuickRewards.
 Prepare more meals at the same time to save time and money.

6. Apply for any possible loans and assistance programs
Due to the massive impact on the workers, there are certain loans and unemployment compensation that you can apply for. Or you can search for any assistance programs from credit card companies, lenders and loan servicers. Therefore, you can try to see if you qualify for any of them to help you pay your bills on time.

7. Make extra money from home
While you are on furlough, try to make good use of it to find another way to make side hustle income. From Work From Home Jobs $100+ Each Month:
 You can fill out the questionnaire online.
 You can complete opinion polls & daily goals.
 You can be a freelancer or virtual assistant.
 You can clean your house and have a yard sale or garage sale.

8. Start a blog/website
You can think about having your blog to share your hobby, opinion, and professional knowledge. It is really something I have to share it with you. You can another side income. It does not only help yourself but also help who needs it. Blogging is quite cheap and everyone can afford it. Here are blogging-related posts you would like to know to show you can how to start a blog easily.

 9 Benefits To Start A Blog
 5 Tips to Boost Blog Topic and Make A Pop Blog
 8 Steps To Start A Wordpress Blog
 How To Start A Blog On Siteground
 Best Free WordPress Plugins

Right now, no one or no company can promise you anything, including the government. If you face unpaid leave, make good use of these tips to survive on furlough. And if you do not face furlough, keep them in mind and prepare yourself for it. Remember, it is time for you to review your expenses and establish your budget. It is time for you to start to save money and have an emergency fund. It is time to develop your another career to have extra income. It is never too late to start.

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Author's Bio: 

Hello and welcome to my personal balance of life blog https://www.balanceoflife.xyz & read my article!

My name is Madolyn.

I would like to keep track of my progress so as to help me understand the deep inside me and to improve the balance of life. Besides, I have great passion and enthusiasm to share and hopefully to help readers improve their balance of life along the way.

Sincerely, hope you all enjoy yourselves and get what you want.