Budget after a layoff: what did you cut first? - 14 weeks in

We are a household of 7 and need to cut costs quickly. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I am nervous about the credit card minimums. What helped the most?

I called the landlord and the card company early. Both offered a short payment plan, which I did not expect.

A simple budget with three columns, fixed, flexible and optional, made decisions faster.