Employed!

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks. No, scratch that--a whirlwind month. I met someone, then got laid off, then had a great party with several people I hadn't seen in years, then got a new job making more money. Yes, folks--I'm officially employed again, exactly two weeks to the day I got laid off. I'm doing the exact same thing I was doing, at a different company, making more money. The offices are nicer, the people are great, I get lots more free food and sodas, and I have a 30-story view of Central Park. Oh, and I'm making about 15% more. So suck it, former employer!

I've had several friends remark to me that I must be the most amazing person in the whole world, to spring back into the Land of Employment so quickly. I don't know about all that, but I'll freely admit that I can pull myself back up by my bootstraps when I have to. God knows I've done it often enough. So here is Jenny's Guide to Being Suddenly Unemployed, in the exact order I did things:

1. Don't cry. Don't say anything. Gather up everything at your desk and go home.
2. Circle the financial wagons. Transfer all your liquid savings into your checking account, file for unemployment, put all your student loans on forbearance, alert your credit card companies, and do the math. How much money do you have with your final paychecks/any severance? How long do you have before you starve or go homeless? You may also want to consider cancelling cable/Netflix/gym memberships/magazine subscriptions/switch to a prepaid cell phone, etc. Get as much financial wiggle room as you can.
3. Update your resume. Start sending it out. Send it out to placement agencies, too.
4. How long will your health insurance last? Make a bunch of doctor's appointments/refill all your prescriptions while you still can.
5. Make a grocery run for non-perishables. I already have a fully stocked pantry--if pushed, I could eat for two months without shopping once. But if you don't have a pantry full of canned goods/pasta/rice/beans etc., consider filling it while you still have a job.
6. Alert family and friends. If you need to borrow money to survive, they'll be your first line of defense.
7. Go through your closets and bookshelves and look for eBay gold. Designer clothing, handbags, DVD collections, books, rarely used kitchen or sports gear, all these things can bring quick cash.
8. Go get drunk, preferably by having your friends buy your drinks. The next morning, start pounding the pavement.

When you don't have any financial wiggle room, every second counts, especially in this economy.

And speaking of the party, it was awesome. My most favorite thing in the world is hanging out with my nearest and dearest, with good food (that I've fixed) and good wine/booze. I discovered a great barbecue sauce recipe completely by trial and error--sorry, folks, I don't think I could replicate it if my life depended on it--and the pork was a big hit. Best of all, I spent a grand total of maybe $20, and fed 20+ people. My sister and brother-in-law will be visiting in a couple of weeks; I'm considering the infamous Lamb Ragout with homemade papardelle.