(Ed. Note) The Inbox 405 is our chance to hear from you.  It’s your chance to do the writing and we do the reading! Join our previous and current discussions here.

With unemployment comes many decisions, many of which are financial.  What are you really missing since you’ve been jobless and therefore lack your normal income you’ve been so accustomed to? Or, maybe it’s not financial at all — perhaps the only thing you miss is the camaraderie of the office, the silly banter and basic interaction with others on a daily basis?

Let us know — we would love to hear from you in the comments section.

This is tough to admit, but I just “celebrated” my 8 month canniversary aka downsizing this week.  If you would have told me 8 months ago that I’d still be unemployed 8 months from then I’d say you’re crazy.  But here I am, on my 8th month and still on the hunt.  Things have picked up considerably, but the grind continues.  I guess the heart of the recession may not have been the best time to change fields from radio promotion to digital marketing, but then again it did inspire The 405 Club which has been an amazing experience for me both for broadening my social media/digital marketing skill set and as a support network because I too am unemployed as you know.  Cue the “I’m not only the president, I’m also a client” Hair Club for Men jokes.

At this point in my hunt I’ve got a fairly set routine so I wanted to share my daily schedule and perhaps you would be so kind as to share yours as well in the comments section.  I’ll specifically share my Thursday schedule as today is Thursday and the day I wake up the earliest, thus I’m most proud to share. So here goes nothin’…

5:50am: Alarm ring-a-ding-dings. Wow it’s early.

5:51am: Girlfriend who has a job rolls over and wonders why the hell I wake up so early when I’m unemployed (she has a job and gets up a half hour or so later).

6:15am: Meet gym buddy/405 Club co-founder Jose on the corner and walk to the gym.

6:30am: Boxing Class at gym.

7:30am: Boxing class ends — hit the showers.

8:00am: Breakfast time (sometimes at local diner with coupon — other times come home and make breakfast/eggs/eggos/cereal that was on sale this week.

9:00am: Turn on the computer, check emails, check The 405 Club sites for comments and make sure the post of the day is up on the site.

9:30am: Pray to The Job Gods via thejobgods.tumblr.com.

10:00am: Check twitter and tumblr for @the405club replies, new followers and dm’s.

10:30am: Catch up on news via my Google Reader - Mashable, Tech Crunch, AdAge, Daily Beast Cheat Sheet, MediaPost, CNET and more.

10:45am: Whoa whoa whoa! Have Hoda and Kathie Lee been on this whole time? What channel is Sportscenter again?

11:00am: Check task list on Google Calendar - send follow up emails to promising job leads, make calls if needed.  Do research on interesting companies… Once again, pray to The Job Gods via thejobgods.tumblr.com.

11:30am: How did Martha Stewart get on my tv? This is what happens when you’re not really watching - it’s just background noise AKA taking the place of former colleagues yapping all day.

1:00pm: Lunch time. Make a sandwich, eat some chips — whatever was on sale this week at Gourmet Garage which is somewhat surprisingly the most inexpensive grocery store around me in the UES.

2:00pm: Time for some fresh air.  Pack a bag with a snack and my laptop and head back to the gym, this time to the rooftop terrace.  No, I’m not laying out and relaxing.  With fair skin I’m under an umbrella utilizing the “free” wifi the gym offers.  At this point I’m scouring the web for interesting companies and jobs via Monster, LinkedIn and some niche sites like MediaBistro.  This leads to revised cover letters, resumes and filling out online resume info for the umpteenth time.

4:45pm: Wrap up any loose ends, follow ups, update task list, etc.

5:30pm: Food shopping for dinner.  With a lack of storage space in our apartment bulk food shopping is not a luxury we have so I frequent Gourmet Garage to say the least.

6:30pm: Tidy up the apartment so my girlfriend doesn’t come home to the glasses and plates I’ve left around the computer.  Maybe throw in a load of laundry around this time?

7:00pm: Make dinner with the girlfriend. OK, that’s more or less a white lie.  She cooks, I may help, but I mostly just wash the dishes, pots and pans she dirties while cooking.

8:00pm: Dinner time at the table.  We’re pretty old school - dinner at the dining table with a full place setting is part of our at home ritual.

9:00pm: Check the DVR list and catch up on missed shows.  MadMen and Project Runway are starting very soon! Don’t lie, if you’re a guy I’m sure you like Project Runway.  I’m not afraid to admit it.

10:00pm: Set up post on The 405 Club for the following day and check The 405 Club Ning Network for new members and recent activity.

10:30pm: Read a bit in bed — Currently reading a fantastic book on behavioral economics (what shapes the decisions we make) by MIT professor Dan Ariely called Predictably Irrational.  I highly recommend it.

And that’s my Thursday schedule… more or less.  Of course it’s not the same every Thursday but that’s a fairly accurate summary.  I’ve heard so many 405ers say it and it’s true, “it’s amazing how busy you are while unemployed.”  So let me know what you’re up to.  Am I crazy? Should I be spending more time doing something else?

-By Garrett Dale, Founding Member, Online Marketing Expert, Music Industry Professional and actively seeking employment opportunities.

Janet Raiffa’s Recessionals: A satirical, witty and informative column by a laid-off recruiting manager in New York.  Follow her experiences as she takes on the world of unemployment one $8/hour job at a time to keep herself busy between sending out resumes. Prior columns are collected [here].

Notes From A One-Stop: A social commentary documenting Gloria Schramm’s experiences as a One Stop Career Counselor. Perhaps some of the more serious pieces of literature on The 405 Club blog and an equally inportant addition to the collective blog. View all of Gloria’s One-Stop notes [here].

The Hardworker Says…: Excerpts of job advice for those on the hunt in need of simplified instruction in an overwhelming world of advice. Find these helpful tips atop the homepage, below the header.  Updated weekly, with the full posts found [here].

Ask HR: Now’s your chance for full access to the Human Resource Department! We have enlisted some of the finest Human Resource Directors from top companies who are ready to answer your questions.  With this Q&A feature you can ask them anything you’ve ever wanted to know - they’re here to help! Submit questions [here].

Sunday Blog Brunch: Not only is Sunday the day to claim your weekly unemployment benefits, but now it will feature a personal sit-down will fellow recession/(un)employment bloggers and friends of The 405 Club.  Take a seat at the table and enjoy some brunch and conversation with us [here]. Coming Soon!

Inbox 405: This is your chance to talk to us.  We get to ask the questions and you do the talking/writing! We’ll keep it fairly clean, we promise. Check out and join our previous and current discussions [here].

Jobr Jobs Board: Pronounced like Yobr-Jobs, this is the exclusive Jobr board for The 405 Club.  Human Resource reps and recruiters can post jobs here to reach our network of skilled downsized 405ers. Real jobs that are really available, now. This can be found on the left sidebar of The 405 Club & The405Club.ning.com, which links to the main site [here].

The 405 Club is always growing… stay tuned for more great features and hey, if you’ve got an idea for a new feature, let us know! Contact us [here].

Dear 405,

Ever since I got laid off I have become the queen of supermarket sales…  now that i have some time on my hands I’ve really gotten into it!  Most people think that it’s hard but it’s really not.  First thing first….  You have to sign up and get the newspaper.  Dont worry this is considered a tax deduction just save the subscription receipt. The Times Herald up in Orange County ran an awesome promotion for a paper on Fri-Sat-Sun for only $8 bucks a month.  So far I have saved $100 a month in my food shopping.  Not only from using coupons but from actually reading the supermarket circulars!!!

Every week I see what’s on sale, and then I look to see if I have a coupon for something that is on sale.  I spend about two hours doing this every saturday night…my husband used to make fun of me but now he “gets it”…  Only buy the meat when it is on sale… Last night I made my husband BBQ spare ribs for $6 bucks!  He’s got about three nights of leftovers.  TRUST ME…READ THE SUPERMARKET CIRCULARS!!

There are alot of things that go on sale.  Rite Aid also gives stuff away for free and it’s fun to go on the scavenger hunt!!  I’ve got a box of free toothbrushes/toothpaste and deodorant.  At least you know we still smell good over here!
Regards, The Queen of Supermarket Sales p.s. tonight we are having pork chops and salad for dinner…  total cost: $4.50 for a family of four!!!

We love to hear money saving tips from you all - keep them coming! If you have any questions on how to do this let us know and The Queen would love to help you.  She vouches that it’s extremely easy and has completely changed the way she shops for food. A big thank you again to The Queen!

-By Garrett Dale, Founding Member