People who quickly cut living expenses after a job loss are better off long-term. But research shows that many people who suffer suddenly reduced income don’t reduce family living ex-penses soon enough, says Sharon Danes, family economist with the U of M Extension Service. Unfortunately, this may put them in danger of losing their home, getting evicted from their apartment or putting creditors on their trail. Not reducing living expenses is part of a natural “denial” syndrome, Danes says. She has just revised a 17-part series of fact sheets titled “Getting Through Tough Times,” which is available at http://outreach.che.umn.edu/toughtimes.html. The fact sheets cover making financial decisions with less income, dealing with stress, figuring out how to make do with less, and children and tough times. The University of Wisconsin and University of Illinois Extension Services developed much of the core material for “Getting Through Tough Times.” Danes recently adapted and localized the fact sheets for Minnesota residents. For example, a fact sheet on “Looking for a Job” has links to a number of Minnesota-specific agencies. The Web site is a partnership between the U of M College of Human Ecology and U of M Extension Service.
