How One Government Worker Prepared for the Shutdown

LaChelle Johnson is used to stretching a dollar. Growing up, her mom struggled with money, and Johnson vowed to provide more stability for her own family when she had one. She and her husband got jobs working for the federal government and pursued side hustles in their spare time. But their learning curve was steep, and they wound up overinvesting in their own business ventures. When the government shut down in late 2018, it was a moment of reckoning: Johnson and her husband had three young kids, owed $40,000 in consumer debt, and couldn’t keep up with their bills. They had to move in with Johnson’s in-laws to get their expenses under control. Since then, they’ve dedicated themselves to becoming — and staying — debt free. When the government shut down in October, Johnson’s colleagues panic