You might remember from Part I that one of my colleagues was recently laid off. Today, I found out that two more colleagues had been let go.
Now, you're probably thinking - geez Consumer of None, you better get your ass in gear and start applying for jobs. And I've certainly been doing my share of resume polishing and sending out applications. However, the thing that took me most by surprise was that the company isn't actually doing all that bad. They're also creating new positions in other departments, despite removing positions in others. What this made me realize is that the workforce rules have changed, even from five years ago. Companies are lean and fast moving, and just growing is not enough to satisfy them. One month you might be valuable, and the next, not. One of the people who was cut just came back from mat leave with her third baby. On top of that, she was the only spouse with benefits as her husband recently started his own business. You'd think there'd be a second thought to cutting someone in that position who had worked for the company for several years. Nope. Believe it or not, I'm not saying this to freak you out. There's no point in going to work everyday petrified that you'll be fired. There's things you can control - your performance, being a pleasant person to work with - and things you can't - the economy, your boss's/the company's whims; and there's no point worrying about things you can't control. The important thing here is to keep this reality in mind when making financial decisions. Lately, I'd been wondering if I'm too tight with money. Maybe we should move on to a house. Maybe we don't travel enough. Events like these make me realize - are you kidding?! The greatest gift you can give yourself is to establish a life you enjoy that: - keeps expenses and responsibilities low - doesn't require a long commute Once you've done that, you realize that they can't touch you. If you can learn to live simply and enjoy the little things, guess what? Not only do you end up with lots of money in the bank (even on a small salary), but you are also prepared for difficult situations that may come your way. If I got laid off tomorrow, I'd be depressed about it, sure. But I also know that I could go almost 2 years unemployed - and could pay my expenses with a minimum wage job if it came down to it, with few changes to my lifestyle.
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