It’s never a good time to get laid off, but when Symone Austin got the dreaded email notice from HR in January, it was an especially tough time to lose her six-figure income.
Austin, 33, was less than a year into homeownership in North Carolina, which came with a $2,800 monthly mortgage and credit card debt she’d accumulated to furnish the space on her own.
As she worked through the feelings of shock and concern, Austin tells CNBC Make It she quickly got to work cutting her budget down to the basics. She estimates she spends $1,000 less per month now, compared with before the layoff.
Cutting $1,000 out of her monthly budget
First, Austin went through her expenses line by line to determine what wasn’t valuable to her that she could cut out entirely: entertainment, subscriptions, shopping just for fun.
With what was left, she drilled into how she could get the things she valued for cheaper or for free. For example, she swapped paid yoga classes for free videos online. She’s leaned into free or low-cost hobbies, like borrowing books from the library.
This year, my brain has been rewired around how I see money.
In some cases, she’s tapped into her network to get things at a discount. Austin has been a member at a local Pilates studio for a while and in 2024 started doing virtual assistant work for it; she’s built that relationship over time and now earns $300, plus free classes, for 10 hours of work per month with the studio.
Austin says her biggest money-saving tip is to change where you shop. Instead of defaulting to brand-name items, look for dupes or cheaper alternatives. “I used to shop at Sephora for beauty things, and now I’m an e.l.f. girl,” Austin says of the budget beauty brand.
She no longer buys in bulk and only gets what she needs, when she needs it.
She also recommends getting creative and shopping in places you’re not as familiar with. For example, Austin is now a regular at her local farmers market after she learned of a deal where she can buy a bag filled with produce for $25.
“This year, my brain has been rewired around how I see money,” Austin says. “Even when I do find a full-time job again, a lot of the habits that I’ve developed for saving money, I’m going to carry that into my next chapter in life.”
How she went 10 months without tapping emergency savings
In October, Austin spent around $4,400 to cover her basics: housing, food, minimum payments on her credit cards and student loan balances, health insurance, a car repair and gas.
After being laid off in January, Austin’s final paycheck included payouts for accrued vacation time; she also received her last bonus and a small severance package.
She immediately filed for unemployment and qualified for 12 weeks of benefits, paid at $600 per week, for a total of $7,200 in jobless aid.
The bulk of Austin’s earnings this year have come from her YouTube channel, where she posted a now-viral video reacting to her layoff; the clip has racked up over 700,000 views on YouTube and 1.6 million on TikTok.
Her YouTube channel, Life and Numbers, has helped her bring in over $21,000 via ad revenue, sponsorships and brand deals, and another $3,000 for digital products like a job-search tracker and physical merch like sweatshirts.
Austin says her newfound income streams, as well as focused budgeting, mean she didn’t touch her $40,000 emergency fund for the majority of the year, and she hasn’t racked up any new credit card debt.
“I’ve learned that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was,” Austin says. “Throughout the year, I’ve still felt a lot of anxiety, and sometimes depression, but I’m still here.”
Want to give your kids the ultimate advantage? You teach them to read and ride a bike, but often skip money management. Sign up for our new course, How to Raise Financially Smart Kids, and learn how to build healthy financial habits and prepare them for real-world milestones. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 30% off. Offer valid from Dec. 8-22, 2025. Terms apply.
Take control of your money with CNBC Select
CNBC Select is editorially independent and may earn a commission from affiliate partners on links.
