Patience and persistence paid off: Kyle is starting on a good new job this week. He and Veronica will begin regular deposits into an emergency fund (set aside 3-6 months of living expenses or 9-12 months if likely to be laid off, Scottino advises), then resume contributing to their retirement plans.
In the meantime, they've learned a life lesson.
"We now approach every expense in terms of how we can save, and everything we have in terms of how we can get the most value," they said. "If our son leaves five potato chips on his plate, they go right back in the bag. If we have three errands to run, we run them together to save gas."
As to things around the house, "if we don't love it or haven't used it in more than a year, it goes on eBay or Craigslist or is given away as a tax-deductible donation." They have sold outgrown toys and games and kids' clothes, unused kitchen gadgets and a designer purse Veronica never carried, netting almost $850.
Altogether, including a bartering arrangement with their sons' piano teacher, they've saved $1,950. "We came away with something even more important, a true understanding that we can get by with less," they said. "We'll keep that knowledge the rest of our lives."