Goal planner

Surviving a Layoff

The paycheck stops. The bills don't. This page works out how long your runway actually is — counting savings, severance, unemployment benefits, side income, and the lower expenses you might cut to. Whether the layoff is hypothetical or happened this morning, the math is the same.

1

Total bridge income

Severance + unemployment + side income. The money you actually have coming in while you don't have a job.

— total non-savings income

Severance lump sum

—

Total UI

—

Side income over runway

—

2

Runway at current spend

If nothing changes — same lifestyle, same bills — how many months before the savings hit zero?

— months at —/mo

Money runs out

—

Effective monthly burn

—

3

Runway in lean mode

If you cut to the bone — minimums only, no eating out, freeze everything optional — how far does the same money stretch?

— months at —/mo

Extra months bought

—

Effective lean burn

—

4

Job-search timeline check

BLS pegs the median job search at 14 weeks (about 3.5 months); tech and senior roles often run 4–6 months. Are you covered?

— vs the 3.5-month median

3.5-month bar (median)

—

6-month bar (senior/tech)

—

Worst-case daily cost

—

✓

The plan, at a glance

—

What's next?

Q …can I bridge with freelance instead? ↗ …cut debt to stretch runway further?

The five expense triage

The fastest way to add weeks to your runway is to cut recurring expenses, not chase income. The classic order:

  1. Subscriptions — streaming services, gym, news, software you don't use weekly. ~$50-200/mo back instantly.
  2. Eating out + delivery — easy 30-50% reduction; biggest variable line item for most households.
  3. Insurance shopping — auto + renters/home rates are competitive in 2026. 30 minutes of quotes can save $50-150/mo.
  4. Health insurance — if income drops to $0, ACA marketplace plans can be ~free with subsidies. Often cheaper than COBRA.
  5. Negotiate fixed bills — internet, cell phone, even rent. The worst they say is no.

Things this plan doesn't model

  • Taxes on severance — taxed as supplemental wages at ~22-25% federal + your state rate. The $X in the input is the gross figure; net is lower.
  • Taxes on UI — yes, unemployment is taxable income. Make sure you elect federal withholding (most states let you).
  • State variations in UI — eligibility rules, waiting weeks, partial-benefit reductions vary wildly. The number here is the simple model.
  • 401(k) early withdrawals — 10% penalty before 59.5, plus full taxation. The "Rule of 55" lets you draw from a 401(k) penalty-free if you separated at 55+.
  • Selling assets — taxable account, home equity, RSUs that just vested. Real options if savings runs out.

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