Millions of people lost their jobs as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year hasn’t been easy. If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say that you or your loved ones were among the millions who lost their jobs due to Covid-19. It must have been a difficult time for you and your family. Many people who have been reinstated are thinking of how they can avoid such a problem in the future. In this piece, you’ll learn what you can do if you were among those who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Step One: Declutter Your Home
You might be wondering what clutter has to do with anything. Well, it’s one way to keep your mind busy for a while but that’s not the main objective. Sort through all your belongings to gather everything you no longer need and put it aside. It doesn’t matter if the item still works or is in good condition. As long as you’re not actively using it, it’s better to get rid of it. When you’re done with removing clutter, the next reasonable thing to do is host a yard sale. Sell things you’re no longer using at an affordable price. There will always be people in your community interested in buying useful items.
Step Two: Consolidate Your Cash
After selling all the things you don’t need, you need to consolidate your cash. Take an inventory of all the cash you currently have in your possession. It doesn’t matter if it’s your savings in the bank, your home piggy bank, or anywhere else. Take account of all the cash you have so you know exactly what you’re dealing with and how long it will last while you’re without any new source of income. If there is anyone among your family and friends who owe you money, ask them if they can pay and add the money to your total cash at hand.
Step Three: Restructure Your Monthly Budget
Most households run on monthly budgets. This isn’t unusual. So, if you typically work with a budget, it might be time to restructure it to reflect your new reality. When you’re analyzing it, get rid of unnecessary expenses like the money kept aside for luxuries. If you usually budget $300 for eating out, and $200 for visiting the cinema, strike those things off your list. You’ll have $500 for more important things on your budget. How much food do you waste monthly? Try as much as possible to stop wasting food. It might be a good idea to reduce the amount of money you spend on groceries and stick only to the most essential items.
Step Four: Apply for Unemployment
If you’ve done everything you can to reduce your monthly expenditure and you still don’t have enough cash to take care of your daily needs, it might be time to consider applying for unemployment benefits. Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, the bar for qualifying for unemployment benefits has been lowered. People who didn’t initially qualify can now apply. You can apply if you’re unemployed through no fault of your own, or if you’re a self-employed person whose business was affected by the pandemic.
Step Five: Learn a New Skill Online
Without your regular employment, you’ll have a lot of time to fill on your daily schedule. Rather than wasting this time feeling sorry for yourself, consider learning a new skill. Right now, almost all the high-demand skills are computer-related. You can take an online course in coding, or go for something more specific like web development, web design, or any other software-related skills. There are many opportunities for software engineers. You can also learn to become a freelance writer or sell other services in the gig economy.
Conclusion
Always remember that you’re not alone. Millions of people across the globe are in the same boat. As long as you’re alive, there is always hope that you will get another job. Try as much as possible to take care of your mental health while you use the available resources to look for a new job or an alternative source of income. With luck, you’ll be able to wait out the Covid-19 storm that is currently shaking the world.
Also Read