If you’ve ever had to navigate involuntary unemployment, you know that it’s one of the most challenging experiences you’ll ever have.
There are so many emotions attached to wanting to utilize your skills when it seems like no one wants to hire you. One of the feelings I’ve been ruminating on quite a bit lately? The loss of financial freedom. That sudden absence of monetary normalcy.
For some people, being suddenly downsized doesn’t mean much, financially speaking. Maybe they’ve saved chunks of their salary over the years to accumulate a decent nest egg or even a rainy day fund. Perhaps they have a partner upon whom they can rely on picking up the slack with little consequence to their bank account. Good for them!
But for the rest of us, an unexpected loss of income can be a game-changer.
I have frequent flashbacks to the time when I could sit down at my laptop, log onto Amazon, and order whatever I felt like buying on a whim. When I could spend my lunch break at a clothing boutique and spend hundreds of dollars on trendy outfits without even glancing at the price tags. When I had standing appointments at spray-tan outlets and enjoyed biweekly massages and facials.
In other words, I had been able to self-indulge quite a bit. I was spoiled and — dare I say — entitled.
