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Unread June 10th, 2010, 08:01 AM
Ghost of AtlanticVamp Ghost of AtlanticVamp is offline
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Lightbulb Preparing for the Fallout: Your Survival Guide to Exiting Blockbuster

As the Company continues its downward descent, firings and store closings are becoming the rule rather than the exception. A number of IHBB members, myself included have shared their stories of woe here, and the shared experiences have inspired this thread. It's not to rail against Blockbuster; this is for the people these events affect most: the employees. Use this thread as a guide to what you need to do, or as a checklist to see if you've already done it and what your next logical step should be.

If you're still employed by Blockbuster, but feel secure in your situation:
*Go ahead and write or update your resume anyway.
*Start accounts with Monster.com, Yahoo! Hot Jobs, or employment service of your choice. In order to protect your position, make your resume unsearchable, and only send it to people you're truly interested in working for. Making it unsearchable prevents someone "stumbling across" it and reporting you to your supervisor.
*Keep your eyes open for firings/closings in your area, so you'll know if the shit it indeed beginning to hit the fan.
*Cut your expenses. I wish I'd done this, because I was still paying for Blockbuster Online when I got fired! (Literally, BBO charged my debit card and the next day, I was fired.) Make it apply to your situation: don't cut off your internet service if you use it everyday. Bundle services if you can.

If you're already getting the message that your job is in jeopardy (especially SL,SAM, SM):
*Read the above advice and add---
*Start cutting back your eating out. I used to frequent the McDonald's by my store, and it ate up (no pun intended) a lot of money. Use the money you save to take a sandwich, and for the next step:
*Stock up. Sure, your grandma or greatgrandma has lots of stories about the Depression, but this is the closest type of "depression" we've had since the 1930's. Therefore, if you are living on your own and Blockbuster is your main source of income (as it used to be mine), start looking into laying in a stock of your most-used products (TP, for example). Don't get stuck on one thing, however. You're going to get sick of Top Ramen and/or Mac'n Cheese. In my case, I used a favor and got a lift to the Sam's Club (also: grocery discounters like Save-A-Lot or Aldi's) in the next town about a month before I was fired, used some of my tax refund to load up on non-perishible groceries. In my house, coffee, ketchup, BBQ sauce, Sweet n' Low (my folks are diabetics), and cereal were the most popular requests and they were used. Make your list, check it twice, and make it most useful to YOU and your family.
*Clean house. Got a bunch of games or DVDs you're not using? You can't eat them in the event you get fired. Something I did was trade them to my store for gift cards for Pizza Hut and Burger King. Those gift cards = non-perishible food source that requires little storage space. But that's just one idea. Have a yard sale, get your stuff on eBay, whatever you like to do, do it. Selling my stuff fed us for a couple of weeks, and kept my cell phone on for the job search. My eBay ended up being a sort of part-time job.
*Actively begin your job search. It's much easier to find a job when you still have a job. Make your days off count and try and schedule any interviews for those days.
*Check your benefits and see if you can transfer them or borrow from them in the event things do go bad. I didn't have much in my 401k, so I liquidated it, took the hit and got a check about a week after I applied. It paid the bills for a month and a half. There are also plans to borrow against 401k; check your plan and see what you have...just in case.
*Keep track of all your write-ups. We all have had at least one. If you're not hot-headed, you may even still have a copy of them. Either way, make sure you know how many you have, for what, and how long it's been in your jacket. Minor infractions expire after 180 days. Finals last 1 year. This can come in handy if you're fired for something that isn't normally a terminable offense.
*Know your state's labor laws. My state, Georgia, is a Right to Work state. However, it's not merely a situation in which they can fire you for any old reason. There are laws that prevent retailitory terminations, and the burden of proof is on the employer for why you were fired. Be prepared by going to your local Labor Department and picking up a pamphlet, or go online to your state's website.

So, you've been fired. Now what?
*Read ALL the above advice and add...
*APPLY IMMEDIATELY for all benefits you qualify for. If you have children, get to DCF/Family Services and apply for food stamps, medicaid, etc. You don't know how long you're going to be unemployed, so apply as soon as you get the word you're fired. Also, get to your local department of labor/unemployment office, and file there. Bottom line: get this done within the first week, as benefits can take up to 45 days to be granted, depending on your state. Don't wait.
*While you're at the labor department, go ahead and look into training and college. In Georgia, the HOPE scholarship covers job training, and you can apply for college* (*usually job-specific training) if your benefits are granted. Either way, you'll be preparing for a non-Blockbuster career.
*Find your freebies. I love freebies. This can be as common as using the local library for books and movie rentals; or as random as answering surveys for credit. I also am a big MyCokeRewards.com fan, and I get things like magazine subscriptions, gift cards, and other products for my codes. Either way, you won't be as depressed if you don't feel like you're deprived.
*Hit the food bank. There is no more tail-tucking-ly sad moment than lining up in a church, synagogue, or municipal building with a bunch of other folks down on your luck and trying to get food. However, you may need to do it while you're waiting for benefits to be granted, or waiting for your UE to come through. Suck it up and get there.

Feel free to add to this thread. We're all pretty much in the same boat, or will be. Good luck to us all.

Last edited by Ghost of AtlanticVamp; June 10th, 2010 at 08:10 AM.
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  #2  
Unread June 10th, 2010, 08:17 AM
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Find someone rich to hook up with....
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  #3  
Unread June 10th, 2010, 08:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zooworker View Post
Find someone rich to hook up with....
...but get them to put it in writing. Don't be a Basketball Wife!
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Unread June 10th, 2010, 08:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghost of AtlanticVamp View Post
...but get them to put it in writing. Don't be a Basketball Wife!
I aint no ones wife! Husband maybe.....
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  #5  
Unread June 10th, 2010, 08:34 AM
Ghost of AtlanticVamp Ghost of AtlanticVamp is offline
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Electrical Assistance

Another thing: definitely check your local charities for electrical assistance. Your power company usually has a list, so just ask.

Often churches and the United Way have help, too.
  #6  
Unread June 10th, 2010, 09:15 PM
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Use leftovers .... waste not want not.

Quit buying porn .. you can watch is for free online at youporn.com

Unplug everything you are not using and watch your electric bill go down.

Buy clothes at thrift and consignment stores. Those $5 jeans wear just as well as the $50 ones.

Take in a roommate or move home ... save money on living ...

Smarttalk phones at WalMart ... $45 a month for unlimited talk text and internet ... and it is powered by Verizon!

Get rid of your home phone.

Back later with more ....
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  #7  
Unread June 10th, 2010, 09:23 PM
Ghost of AtlanticVamp Ghost of AtlanticVamp is offline
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Freecycle!

Another thing that saves tons of money is Freecycle. Just enter it into Google and you be directed to the site, and from there to the local in your area. Mine in South Georgia is handled through a Yahoo! Group, and it's often just random stuff, but you can also post requests. Best of all, just like the name says, it's FREE!
  #8  
Unread June 10th, 2010, 09:41 PM
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Freecycle is really cool ...
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Unread June 11th, 2010, 10:56 AM
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lol i do most of those mom, but im a home owner and relized most of those real fast.

funny after a yr i thought about hey let me unplug stuff when not using . omg seriously my electric bill was down like $40 bucks. people should really do that 1.

same with clothes. saw a shirt at saks for $65. it was cool but i found a lookalike at target for $16 and all i needed to do was sew some patches on it and bam same look and great feel and saving galore.

been using just a cell phone for years basic plan. much cheaper than home phone.

and i have a new one i stumbled on to last yr that many are starting to follow now.

YOU DONT NEED CABLE TV PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As of now you just need a good internet connection, and watch all show and movies on there for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee( well internet bill) theres tons of sites, tonssssss..
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I dont know maybe i could go to school and become a civil engineer, Design septic tanks for playgrounds.
So little kids can take a shit!
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Unread June 11th, 2010, 11:05 AM
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I need my MTV, no I don't.
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