I Was Laid Off 10 Months Ago — Here’s How I Still Pay My $2,800 Mortgage

From CNBC Make It.

Symone Austin, 33, was earning $131,000 annually as a UX designer when she lost her job in January 2025, not long after she had purchased her house in North Carolina. Here is how she has managed to pay her $2,800 mortgage and her student loans for the past 10 months despite the loss.

Check out Symone’s YouTube channel here: @lifeandnumbers

Produced and Edited by: Raffi Paul
Senior Managing Producer: Eric M. Clark
Camera: Nate Berry
Reporter: Jennifer Liu
Animator: Alisa Stern
Additional Footage: Symone Austin

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I Was Laid Off 10 Months Ago — Here’s How I Still Pay My $2,800 Mortgage