Sorry to be a blog hog. The first I posted was for advice. This is just dealing with it.

SO was laid off (effective June 3rd) and I'm terrified! I've been telling him for a long time we are living beyond our means....that if he lost his job I could not pay for our lifestyle myself, and it happened.

I am trying to put up a brave front for SO, but inside I am terrified. I keep telling him it will be OK, we will get through it. He is very employable, the problem is that he is 50 and was making mid-high 6 figures. It may be hard to get that back. We are also in a one-trick-pony city of Charlotte, and he was just laid off as an exec from the bank here. It is likely we will have to move back to the northeast (NY or Philly). I hope Philly, since that is where all of my family is, and I don't particularly want to live in expensive and crowded Manhattan.

SO is semi-excited about the move, as we've both wanted to move back north. The plan; however, was to move in 4 years or so when SD15 and SD13 were heading off to college and well into finishing high school. Our timeline may have gotten pushed up. We told the girls about everything. They were very loving and supportive. They would love us to live in NY or close so they could visit there instead of "boring old Charlotte", but they will miss us. And their mom BM1 will be very upset. She has raised them alone in NC for 8 or 9 years when SO lived in the midwest, and now that we have been in the same city for the last 4 years it has been a huge help for her. She loves having EOW to herself, and Thursdays, and help at school events or for carpool. Her and I get along very well and co-parent along with SO all three of us as a team. It will be VERY hard on her and the girls if we have to move.

We just have to see what happens I guess. With very careful cutting of our expenses, I should be able to cover the whole mortgage once his severance runs out if he is still unemployed. He will have to file for unemployment which will help. Luckily, I am in a job where I can live anywhere between Virginia and Maine and still be employed (my territory) and I make about $100k. I have enough for our house and its expenses (utilities, car payments, etc) if we're careful, but can't (and won't) pay child support. I could *maybe* give each mom $100 but that's it.

Life just got a lot more stressful for this 27 year old