Back in the summertime, my now fiancé decided it was time to finally finish his bachelor’s degree.

He’d previously been accepted to a local college, but now had the financial aid in place. He’d asked his boss, weeks in advance, for permission to leave early a couple of days a week so he’d make it to class on time. The boss dragged her feet, and by the time she got around to denying his request, it was too late to withdraw from school. He had to make a choice: stay employed or go to school.

Since the unfinished bachelor’s degree had been looming over him for years now, he was eager to complete it, thereby closing that chapter of his life. I wholeheartedly supported his decision to return to school, as having a college degree would be a solid step in establishing not only the career he wanted, but also financial stability for our future family.

But as much as I supported him, I knew we couldn’t survive for long on one income, my income. The thought of paying all the household bills out of my thoroughly stretched bank account made me nauseous.

In the 11^th hour, he said he wanted to go to school, and he was willing to leave his job to make that happen.

“But you have to find something else…quick,” I said.

“I know,” he replied. “I know the economy sucks, but I have faith. I’ll find something soon.”

“I can cover everything for one month,” I told him, although I knew most job searches average 12-18 weeks. “After that I don’t know what we’ll do.”

It doesn’t suffice to say that what happened was a blessing. Quite literally, when the money ran out, my fiancé found a job. Only six weeks had passed. It was a lesser-paying job, but a job that allowed him to go to school and allowed me to keep the lights on. Prayer works.

It was a special blessing, given what had happened during those six weeks. It was painful to watch. Most days, I came home to a man who was teetering somewhere in between despair and anger. He put out resume after resume, called in favors and reached out to old friends. Day after day, he’d sit in that excruciating silence, waiting for a phone call that may or may not come. Or click on the mouse time and time again, seeing only an inbox with no new e-mails.

It was definitely wearing on him that he couldn’t provide. Trying to remain upbeat was wearing on me, especially when my bank account was screaming for help. So for the brief time he was unemployed, we definitely made some changes. We mostly didn’t do anything that wasn’t essential to survival. The purchase of beer and liquor was pretty much the only “extra” thing we did, and at that point, having a drink was definitely essential to our survival as a couple.

But once he was employed again, we took the opportunity to completely reevaluate our finances. It’s something we probably wouldn’t have done, but after we went through the exercise, we realized we should’ve done it way before he quit his job.

Here’s some tips on how to make your money stretch if your significant other loses his/her job:

• Familyeducation.com offers some great suggestions on reworking your funds, including figuring out exactly what income and debts you have, and talking to your mortgage company or landlord about your changing circumstances. It also suggests, which I believe is a good idea, to discontinue any automatic payments so you have more control over what’s coming out of your bank account.

• Rachel Haig at Morningstar.com suggested scaling back on items such as home phone service and cable packages, but to keep my dues in professional organizations. It’s those connections that may lead to a new job. She also suggests maximizing tax deductions—much of what you do in job search can be deducted.

• If you’re out of work for a long time, you may start to feel that the mountain of debt is insurmountable. Experts say to make bankruptcy a last resort. Before you go that route, try some of the suggestions from the Financial Planning Organization, which include contacting your creditors to discuss alternate payment plans or considering tapping into the equity in your home.

Thankfully, our bout with job loss actually strengthened our relationship and focused our finances, but some don’t fare so well. If you’re still employed currently, start saving now. Having a nest egg can help you weather difficult times, so if that day comes, you won’t have to worry where your next meal (or rent payment) will come from.