Salary expectations: how do you answer? after 9 years as a software tester

I have been out of work for 18 weeks and feel pressure to accept less. There are 9 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I do not want to price myself out.

Check several sources for pay in Birmingham, then pick a range where the low end is one you can live with.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.