Preparing for or dealing with job loss

After reading and listening to a story about a recent Northwest Airlines “severance package” there were several things I thought of.

The main story deals with 60 laid-off employees of the bankrupt airline who received a tip sheet on “101 Ways to Save Money.” All of the tips are sensible ways to save money if you're employed and enjoy frugal living, meaning that you save money because you choose to, rather than because you have to.

In the context of a layoff, though, these tips come off more as new burdens for your unemployed situation. A few, like taking shorter showers (#18) and dumpster diving (#46), are insulting. It's #46 that incensed some people and especially humiliated those who were laid off. As an added bonus, it gives thrift in general a black eye by associating it with unemployment and poverty.

Overall, the list was generic and disorganized. It's a mishmash of insurance tips, do-it-yourself tips, freegan practices, frugal living practices, energy-saving techniques, and so on. (Note: I haven't seen the booklet myself.) With that caveat in mind, just about any personal finance blogger on the left sidebar — and most that aren't! — could do a better job than these guys purportedly did.

Related: 5 tips to reduce the hurt of a lay-off and 10 tips for dealing with unexpected job loss by Life: personal, business, social