Income just dropped

The goal for the next month is simple. Slow the money going out, get every benefit you are owed, and protect the essentials.

Do first

Today

1Write down today's cash on hand and the exact bills due in the next 14 days.
2File for unemployment benefits the same week. Waiting only delays the first payment.
3Pause every non-essential subscription and automatic payment you can cancel in ten minutes.

Next 7 days

This week

1Build a bare-bones budget: housing, food, utilities, transport, insurance, minimum debt payments.
2Check what happens to health coverage and pick a replacement before the current plan lapses.
3Call each lender or landlord before a payment is late and ask what hardship options exist.

Next 30 days

This month

1Set a weekly job-search rhythm with a number of applications you can actually keep up.
2Tell two or three people in your network specifically what work you are looking for.
3Decide in advance which savings you will draw down first and in what order.

Common traps

High-interest borrowing used to cover normal monthly costs.
A gap in health coverage between plans.
Skipping a payment without talking to the lender first.

Go deeper

See where this leaves your household

The five-minute check scores your household across money, health, housing, emergency readiness, and support, so you can tell which of these steps matters most for you.

Take the check