What to Do When You’re Unemployed

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to service your community, but I want to hit on the more selfish reasons to volunteer:

1. You'll get to meet new people.
2. You'll get out of the prison that becomes your living room.
3. Volunteering provides some sort of schedule to stick to, thereby, limiting the number of late afternoon wakings.
4. Giving your time when you have no money is a great way to feel some kind of purpose.

Spend More Time Outdoors

Working on your tan provides Vitamin D and scares away the debt depression. You can also take this time to prioritize getting in shape. The world can be your gym! Look up what services are offered by public parks in your area. Find hiking and biking trails near you.

Trade in Traditional Cable for Netflix

Cable can run up a bill over $50.00 a month. Netflix instant streaming is $7.99 a month. Ditching traditional cable free up some cash flow. And, as a bonus, with Netflix you watch what you want when you want to. You can take an afternoon to watch an entire season of Veronica Mars, or fill up on Mel Brooks movies.

Don't Carry Cash

After I turned 18 and opened my first bank account, I stopped carrying cash on me. My Gram thinks this is a bad idea and that I should have "emergency" money on me just in case. Personally, I don't trust myself to believe an adorable widget on sale isn't an emergency. So, I don't carry cash (or most of the time any sort of money). If you don't carry money, you cannot spend money. Ergo, your savings are left to pay ever surmounting bills.

Invest in Family and Friends

Now that you have free time, you can catch up with old pals and build a relationship with your mom that you might not have had before. Make a point to speak to the people you value in your life on a regular basis. I feel that the people who care most about us are neglected under the pretense that they'll always be there.