Start with this week.
If your income just stopped, you do not need to begin with a savings challenge. Begin with the money actually available, the next essential expense, and one useful phone call.
Confirm final-pay and severance details with your employer. Check your state unemployment process through USAGov; eligibility and the effect of severance vary. Do not count an unapproved benefit or an uncertain payment date as cash in hand. [5]
If job-based health coverage is ending, check your options and deadlines promptly. HealthCare.gov explains Marketplace enrollment after coverage loss and COBRA as another option. Compare actual costs and effective dates. [6]
Protect food, housing, necessary transport, health needs and required obligations. If a bill cannot be paid, contact the provider and ask what arrangements exist. Use consequences, not the loudest reminder, to guide the conversation. [3]
- What must be covered before my next confirmed income?
- Which office or provider will I contact first?
Write on the downloaded worksheet or in your own notebook. No written responses are collected here.