Suppose you found out that today was going to be your last day of work for the foreseeable future — maybe even for a couple of years. Would you panic, celebrate, or something in between? (Financially speaking, that is.) While you may not be planning on leaving your job today, that kind of situation is […] The post Surprise! Today Will Be Your Last Day at Work appeared first on JackieBeck.com.
Suppose you found out that today was going to be your last day of work for the foreseeable future — maybe even for a couple of years. Would you panic, celebrate, or something in between? (Financially speaking, that is.)
While you may not be planning on leaving your job today, that kind of situation is exactly what happens to many people each year due to layoffs or other circumstances. Which makes it smart to think about what kind of shape you’d be in if it happened to you.
The short-term impact
Short-term, of course, you’d probably be under some emotional stress. Even if you hate your job or had been planning on quitting it anyway, it can be stressful to actually receive the news that you can no longer go in to work.
Things are always easier when they’re your decision instead of being forced upon you. Recognize that you’ll probably feel at least a little bit lost or disconcerted — even if you’d been secretly daydreaming about what things would be like if you didn’t have to go to work any longer. And if you actually like your job or are totally surprised by the news, it can be very emotional.
That’s another reason it’s good to have a financial contingency plan in place now, while your point of view isn’t colored by sudden emotions or shock. If you do already know how you would handle things money-wise, the first thing to do would be to give yourself a few days to adjust to the situation. If you don’t — or if you’re forced to quit due to something like an accident — you might not have that luxury.
The long-term impact
The long-term impact of job loss, especially one that you’re not able to quickly recover from can be financially devastating and stressful. To minimize that potential impact, start by taking stock of what your minimum required expenses are now, while you still have a job. See what you can cut, if need be, and how quickly you would need to make those cuts.
This is where using the zero-based budgeting method can really help, especially if you prioritize your spending. Many people realize there are areas they could cut back on if they really had to, but don’t actually make the cuts in a timely manner. They keep telling themselves that they’ll be back to work soon, but bleed cash in the meantime. Better to make some cuts now, and set a schedule by which you’ll make other cutbacks.
Of course, having an pile of emergency cash that’s readily accessible is an excellent idea. If you don’t already have an emergency fund, make building one a priority. (See how to build a $1000 emergency fund for ideas.) We’ve all got to start somewhere, so any amount that you can set aside will help, but speaking as someone who ended up being unemployed for years, it can make a huge difference if you’re able to make that fund stretch for a long, long time.
Pursue other income sources
Pursuing other income sources is another thing that’s good to do now, especially passive income ideas. Why do it now, while you’re able to work and aren’t seeing any issues on the horizon? Well, because you can, and because it takes time to get a passive income flowing. Do it now while things are going well, and best case is that they will only get better.
Cover all the bases
Make sure you’re investing, and that you have adequate insurance. (And if you’ve gotten laid off, see if you qualify for COBRA, get signed up for your spouse’s insurance if you’re able, and/or get an individual health plan going via HealthCare.gov.)
Plan ahead, just in case
In other words, today is an excellent time to make plans for how you would handle an unexpected job loss. Don’t forget to include things like making sure a trusted relative or friend could temporarily take over your finances if need be.
Planning ahead for the worst won’t make it happen, but you’ll be glad you did if you do need to put your plan into action. And if it doesn’t, you’ll be in that much better shape financially. It can only help you to do so.
The post Surprise! Today Will Be Your Last Day at Work appeared first on JackieBeck.com.
