I Can’t Afford It
It’s OK — you don’t have to be embarrassed for me
I’ve been out of work for over a year now. It’s been more good than bad.
My office closed, and two weeks later, there I was. I was looking for a job for the first time in 13 years. Not getting all the jobs for which I interviewed for the first time. Oh, wait, maybe the second time. I had interviewed for one that I didn’t get one time. It was forgettable.
Yes, losing my job was a surprise, though perhaps it shouldn’t have been. It often happens in my industry (insurance/employee benefits). Many of my friends had lost jobs, and I had been fortunate to retain mine through those years.
The old notion “if you work hard and are good at your job, you’ll always work” doesn’t always apply these days.
I received severance and then collected unemployment. Going into this I had no debt other than my house payment. I also had some savings. I slowly started cutting back the unessential.
