By Emily Simnitt
Gannett News Service

Working isn't what it used to be. A shaky economy with its resulting layoffs, pay cuts and general uneasiness has made for hundreds of stressed-out families.

Take Trevor Everson. The father of three young daughters worked at Hewlett-Packard for 10 years and was building a house when he was let go in 2003. An electronics technician by trade, he now works at SCP Global Technologies in Boise, Idaho. He's making two-thirds of what he made at HP, but he's getting by.

"It's not the end of the world," Everson says. "There's work out there. It might not be exactly what you want, but don't give up hope."

For Cathy Leamy, change was a choice. She left the corporate world to start her own mortgage banking business five years ago. A single parent, she wanted more time with her son Ryan, now 11.

Leamy's first year wasn't easy. She took home less than before she became self-employed. But she tightened her budget and now makes more and sets her own schedule.

There really is light at the end of the tunnel.

Money worries can be controlled. Here are a few ways to take back control of the checkbook:

•  Ask an expert. Leamy says she consulted her accountant on both her business and personal budgets before striking out on her own. "Get a professional to look at your numbers and ask them how you can tighten up," Leamy says.

•  Cut the cord. We're talking cable. For Leamy, it was one of the first things to go during the first year of her business, along with movies at the first-run theater.

For cheap entertainment, visit your public library. You can't beat the selection of books, and there's an increasing number of videotapes and DVDs you can take out for free. Or opt for a show at the discount theater.

•  Reevaluate transportation. Pay off your car or put a new car on the back burner - or use your bike.

•  Eat smart. Tawra Kellam, publisher of www.LivingOnADime.com, says you can save more than $7,000 a year on your grocery bill by keeping just a few items out of your grocery basket. For example, put back the bag of potato chips to save $104 a year and a box of cereal each week to save $208 a year.

•  Rethink your insurance policies. When you're on a tight budget, it's all about monthly spending. To cut back on monthly expenses, Leamy refigured her insurance so she had the highest deductible, which meant the lowest premiums.

The Consumer Literacy Consortium recommends you talk to your agent about raising deductibles on collision and comprehensive coverage to at least $500 or, if you have an old car, dropping this coverage altogether.

•  Avoid temptation. Gregory Thomas writes at www.savingsecrets.com that you can save hundreds, even thousands a year, by simply avoiding the mall or Target.

"I didn't spend money I didn't have to spend," Leamy says.

And take those credit cards out of your wallet if you can. Paying with cash means you won't have to pay finance charges if you can't pay off your balance each month.