For those that missed the Axe!

Given the current state of our economy it is inevitable everyone will experience some sort of brush with the axe of a layoff. Be it your husband or wife, parent or child, friend or even yourself; it's coming and it's going to hurt!

Fear starts to settle in throughout the office. The gossip mill has been swarming and everyone knows the layoffs are coming. Names start to leak out, people you have worked with for years, closed huge deals with, and finished a few long nights at the bar celebrating a promotion or a hard day. The names flying around though hushed phone calls and secret text messages. So many they start to sting, these people are no different than you. What if the rumors are wrong, or they just forgot to include you in the list? When the dust settles you're sitting in the same cubical you've been in for years, watching as our co-workers file in and out of the HR department; first, in with fear, then out with an empty hallow expression.

Some of these people you expect, the hairy guy that hasn't done anything other than finish off the goodies left after every pointless meeting or the old hag that has been hanging on to her job for way too many years doing just enough to get by but not smart enough to get herself promoted. Then you start to see co-workers walking towards the HR department you never would have believed. These people you have become close to. You even consider some friends. You've met their wives and kids. You know about their new home or boat, the student loans they are still paying, or the up coming wedding you've been invited to!

At first, you may not know what to do or say. What's going to happen to them? Will you see these people again? Is it right to say good bye, tell them it will be ok? That they will be better off. Are they going to resent you for missing the axe? Coming from someone that has felt the blade fall on him like a ton of bricks I would say the best thing to do is simply offer your assistance and ask them to call.

That's it. There is no reason to prolong this emotional and horrifying experience. The moment when you are let go, for any reason, you feel as though all the work you have done just got thrown back in your face and a huge part of your identity was just torn away. It takes a little healing time to realize what happened, take note that you are more than just a job title, and get back to what is important to you. I personally can barely remember what happen the morning I was let go other than I was disappointed I didn't go out in a blaze of glory!

Now that I have healed from the blow that axe welding a-hole dealt me (really, I'm totally over it!). I've realized I have some good friends from my time in the office. It's only natural that I wouldn't hate a few of those people I spent so many hours with chained down to my desk. It has taken a few months but I've started getting back in contact with a few former co-workers, some that still are stuck in the white shirts and some that have also freed themselves from it.

While I have enjoyed the reunions I have been able to have thus far, a few things have stood out from my encounters. Why is it that given everything in life we can bond over does work always become the topic of choice? I understand this is were our mutual bond was formed but is this all that brings us together? I think it's hard for former co-workers to understand so here it is. Once you are out...you're done. Yes, of course we are concerned about you and our other real friends from work, that what friends do. But the daily rumor mill no longer satisfies us. Please don't be offended when this happens. It's simply we have had to move on and jump into a whole new world, one where I don't care who got promoted or was "running tight!" last week.

I know this all seems a bit harsh but some tough love will help everyone in this crazy transition. While the unemployed will appreciate not having to relive the horrors of corporate jargon and the accomplishments of people no longer known in our world. The employed will realize work is only a small part of your life and not a common denominator of friendship. Coming to this realization for the employed will make their inevitable lay off more bearable (it will happen someday to everyone, guaranteed!) as well as help them find a more enjoyable work life balance and some much needed sanity.

During my time in the corporate prison I have really made some great friends. I realize this now that I've escaped. I really worked for some great people, with some up and comers, and hired some fantastically talented people. I've also been forced to deal with some real dumb folks too...if you would like to know where exactly you fall just call, if I answer or call you back you'll know where you lye!

Why you should be happy in the unemployement line!

It's easy to get into a rut when you have been out of work for a while. There are all sorts of blogs and books that refer to the simple slide into depression for all sorts of reasons; lack of purpose, loss of identity, the feeling of hopelessness when those rejection letters start rolling in....wow, now I need a drink.

While all this will most likely be true for the vast majority of us at one point or another, it's not worth falling down that path. However, when you do start to feel that tug into the darkness of depression check this out!

Ten best things about Unemployment in no particular order!

1. The Mid Afternoon Cereal Snack!

It's like being back in high school...around 3:30pm you just need a bowl of cereal. Think of it as starting the day all over again!

2. Tuesday Wine Tasting!

Wine tasting at noon on a Tuesday...you won't be alone! Best of all? If you want to have a good time the folks pouring love the fact you are there! Find that friend that's still part of the wine club and start drinking for free!


3. Never Being Tired!

Seriously it's fansastic. You never have anywhere you just must be so sleep in, take a nap, or go to bed early. You have no reason not to and who knows when you will be able to do it again.

4. Going to the Gym when No One Else is There!

Hate the fact that 24hr Fitness seems more like 6-8am and 5-8pm Fitness? Nothing beats walking up to a treadmill without another soul in sight. Except for that potential hot mom trying to get back into shape!

5. Happy Hour!
After years of missing happy hour times it just feels good to sit around at 4pm and start getting your drinks for a bit cheaper... 'cause we all know you've been drinking since more like noon!

6. DVR'd TV!

Worried about missing our favorite TV shows due to all the drinking and going out? Never fear! Record it and spend the next morning working off the hangover while catching up on how Jack Bauer is saving the world this time.

7. Lunch with Working Friends!

Nothing will make you feel better than walking up to a table full of suited up friends while wearing your most comfortable cloths. It also helps to know you aren't the one picking up the check!

8. Afternoon trip to the Strip Club?!

Have you been to Sassy's at 2pm? You should!

9. Not Showering or Getting Dressed!

I'm not one for bad hygiene (nor is the lady friend) but having the choice is pretty great! It's also fantastic waking up tossing on the robe not to worry about it until 11:30 when you need to put on some pants and head off to lunch.

10. No Need for White Dress Shirts!

Now any well dressed man (I will put myself in this category for these purposes) needs a few white shirts. They are like a black suit or well worn pair of wingtips, you just have to have them in your closet. But for me and a few fellow former co-workers the white shirt is a sign of oppression! For 5 years it was all I could wear 6 days a week! That's roughly 1560 days of WHITE SHIRTS! 11 hours a DAY!!! Honestly it wouldn't have been that bad except for during those 11 hours a day, at least 4 were spent washing cars! Have you tried to wash a car in a suit and white shirt? Let's just say I was sending Christmas and Birthday cards to my dry cleaner by the end! For me it's the white shirt I love not wearing anymore, for many others it's the uniform. Be it covered in grease and oil or splattered with toner from that crappy fax machine, casting aside the forced upon wardrobe ushers in a whole new life!

If my list of greatness isn't good enough to break you from the funk of unemployed depression make your own list! Really take this time to figure out what is important to you and find the joy in it. We are all more than our jobs, employed and unemployed. The faster you figure this out the more enjoyable this period of your life will be!

The art of unemployed networking

While hanging out what appeared to be a relaxing coffee shop,
Sip & Kranz, I was looking forward to enjoying a double cappuccino and leisurely observing passersbys. Unfortunately I was violently jerked from my mid-day meditation due to the shrill screams of some bastard child being forced into the shop by his 45-year old, dressed like a 25-year old yuppie mother!


For a brief but memorable period I entertained the idea that working might not be the worst thing in the world...employment at a crappy job sure tops listening to that kid all day!


Then it starts to wash over me...however crappy a job may or may not be, I still should probably find one. The resume thing has been done, the online search engine thing has been done, I read on CNN about someone who gave out t-shirts with their resume printed on them. If you want a job in this world, you've gotta step it up a bit. I had no intention of making my resume into t-shirts, but it seems like today every person in the world knows someone looking for work or is desperately seeking employment themselves. If you found a job posting, so have thousands of others. Congratulations! You just applied to become a pile of resumes on someone's desk about to meet the recycle bin! If by some fate you do get to the top of that slush pile, how do you compete with the overwhelming amount of former CEO's and CFO's for that middle management gig that offering less than the one you just left? It's a nutty rat race out there. I predict you will end up a bloody wreck with no more than a thousand generic rejection letters and a hatred for everything but 40's of Old E and shopping carts.



During those brief seconds of thought I had a revelation about finding a job, all while staring at this screaming rug rat, (random I know). Every job I have obtained and lost previous to now I got because I knew someone. I knew someone at Enterprise. I knew everyone at Delta Sigma Phi. I always knew the right people in college. So that's what it comes to! You can have a great resume filled with all kinds of euphemisms and impressive descriptions of your background and what makes you the impressive catch you are, but if you do not have an ear with someone actually inside it, you are just another piece of tree.

So, my advice for you?

Start with your closest network, your friends and family. Call everyone you know and make sure they understand exactly what you are looking for, and make sure they all have a copy of your resume saved on their hard drive. You will not find anyone with a more vested interest in your well-being than these folks. Next? Go to every social event you can. Be it an Elks pancake feed, country club meals with your girlfriend's grandparents, or drinking with some old buddies. You have nothing to wake up for in the morning so get out! But it is imperative that you make sure everyone else is having fun. This is key. Not only will it bring more attention to you (in a good way, please) but they will remember you as "that fun outgoing guy that is currently looking for a new career." Just don't overdo the drinking or you will be "that drunk guy that needs to find an AA meeting" and people will need to help you for the wrong reasons.



You are your best advertisement. A real life resume, (hopefully without the t-shirt). Don't be afraid to talk about your unemployedness! Don't forget that your working buddies love to hear about all the great things you get to do now and they most likely envy your life. Maybe even so much they want you to get a job in order to rain on your good times and draw you back into their miserable working world!



If after a few months of getting out in the world and meeting everyone you can doesn't land you some leads, two things might be wrong. For starters, you could possibly smell like sweaty feet....this might be why you are unemployed to begin with! Shower and use deodorant. Or maybe you just aren't the having-fun type? Hell, I don't know? I am still unemployed after 3 months and I think I am pretty fun! However, working the rounds of my network has found a me few leads in addition to getting me closer to some lost friends, and has presented the opportunity to meet new ones!



Well, now little Timmy or whatever that devil child's name is has stopped screaming and I have returned to drinking my PBR and starring at passersby....



If you know of any opportunities out there for us unemployed to meet new people and do a bit of networking please let us know by posting the dates/time/location here. It's better than a screaming brat devil child!

March Madness Baby Yeah!

For those in the know...which is every sports loving person in the world...it's March Madness time!

Every year since walking into the University of Oregon campus there have been three weeks beginning in March as important as spring break to me. Now, I'm not a huge basketball fan or anything. Honestly, I couldn't tell you anything about basketball other than what I learned playing in the Boys and Girls Club league when I was like 10. But, once a year millions of people around the world become basketball fanatics! Days full of back to back to back college hoops shining on multiple TV's being beamed in from 8 states across the country.

What person in the world wouldn't love this stuff!

Sadly, every year since graduating I've been chained to a desk. Like so many other poor souls, unable to catch but mere glances of a game during long lunches or a stray cell phone.

That is, until this year!

I began the day prior to the first round gathering TV's, arranging couches, and stacking up enough supplies to never move from the couch while filling out every cash prize bracket I could find. With brackets in hand and beer on ice I wait. I also invited everyone could to stop in and watch as much of the fun as they can; partly to have some company, partly to rub it in a bit.

Waking up at 8:45am I shuffled up stairs and fell into the couch not to move again until 12:30pm. By 2pm I had killed a 18 pack of delicious Pabst Blue Ribbon, some mini corn dogs, and a few bags of chips all while watching my bracket perfectly executed! If I could go all the way 100% correct I would win $100 million!

As I killed a few more Pabst's and a few more snacks, I pondered what I would do with the cash. Who if anyone but an unemployed nice young man such as my self would be perfect to win this grand prize! I would never work again, I thought! I would buy a new house somewhere close by in NW, get myself a rad car, and never ever work for some stodge corporate middle management a-hole again! Then as quick as those thoughts came they were crushed. In a haze of golden PBR I saw Western Kentucky tear down my dreams and crap all over them.

Waking up the next day, my dreams smashed into pieces, I came to a realization. I am living a dream 90% of the working world has once a year. Sitting on my couch with a huge bowl of cereal I know how lucky I really am and how next year I may be wishing for this very thing again. So here is to the dreams of so many out there. I will live it up for us all!

However I am running out of beer...feel free to donate to the cause by dropping off your beer well wishes to my front porch. Your gift of a beer will last a life time or until mid-afternoon. And if you really want to there is always a spot on the couch for a friend or a stranger with booze and food!

Beannachtam na Femle Padraig

On this momentous day I quickly wanted to remind the unemployed of the world of our responsibilities today.

The working folks you know and rely on for free meals want you to enjoy today...they need you to enjoy today!

It is essential to their well being.

Our friends trapped in cubicles, typing endless T.P.S. reports, and sifting through an abusive amount of dull and unnecessary emails look to us in order to make it through their day.

It is our responsibility to get out on this St. Paddy's day and live it up! Call our friends at 10:30am to tell them how great Kell's Irish Pub is and how we've made it through breakfast and our first 5 pints of Guinness. Make them meet us there for lunch so they can pick up the tab and see us in action. Then continue through the night until they can meet up with us there...it would be a good move to have an Irish car bomb set up for when they walk in if you want to continue the free ride for the rest of the night!

To those of you out celebrating this great holiday, cheers! To those trapped in your cube I am drinking for you, cheers! And to those still waking up get a pint in your hand and do your duty, cheers!

I drink to your health when I'm with you,I drink to your health when I'm alone,I drink to your health so often,I'm starting to worry about my own!

When money's tight and hard to get,and your horse is also ran,When all you have is a heap of debt,a pint of plain is your only man.

Here's to women's kisses,and to whiskey, amber clear;Not as sweet as a woman's kiss,but a darn sight more sincere!

Seo sláinte an tséitéara, an ghadaí, an trodaí, agus an óltóra!Má dhéanann tu séitéireacht, go ndéana tú séitéireacht ar an mbás,Má ghoideann tú, go ngoide tú croí mná;Má throideann tú, go dtroide tú i leith do bhráthar, Agus má ólann tú, go n-óla tú liom féin.

Day in the life of the unemployed.

For my friends in the working world, I would like to share a snap shot of the fantastic life led by the unemployed. Many people might assume we loaf around in pj's eating over-flowing bowls of children's breakfast cereal while watching the Today show and shopping for tubas on the Internet. ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T47M1C/).


While most of that is true...I don't watch the Today Show. I watch CNN, The Food Network (love Alton Brown!), and the Travel Channel We unemployed folks tend to do a bit more...not everyday but sometimes!



So here is a breakdown of an average day for me:

8:00am- Wake up cause Gen does, then promptly realize it's way too early and go back to sleep.
8:45am- Roll out of bed with no bad feelings for sleeping in.
9:00am- Pour huge bowl of the cereal of the week and make coffee.
9:03am- Turn on CNN
9:05am- Change channel because I have seen everything on CNN already.
9:07am- Contemplate taking a shower. Some days I might even shower as well.
9:46am- Check up on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, email, ESPN.com, and enter to win every sweepstakes online I can find.
10:15am- Sweep Gen's computer for spyware and viruses from all the sweepstakes I entered.
10:22am- Call around looking for someone to take me to lunch, that has a job and can pay.
10:34am- Search usual job boards and company websites, return job search related emails, follow up on leads.
12:00pm- Head out for free lunch.
3:00pm- After letting someone feel good for feeding me, I may walk around and people watch.
3:12pm- Find coffee shop and refuel. Catch up on gossip mags and local news. Pretend to be an important author by opening laptop and staring at the blank blinking cursor.
4:30pm- Return home and make a drink. Spend quality time with couch. Check Facebook again.
4:42pm- Bad time for TV. Watch recorded shows or take a nap depending on how strong the drink was.
6:18pm- Hang out with Gen for a bit after she gets home from work. Try to not make her too jealous of my day.
7:00pm- Go to gym. Stare at people trying to work out while I spin the wheels of an exercise bike, rocking out to some new songs on my ipod, that I did not pay for of course.
8:20pm- Meet up with friends for dinner and drinks. Contine trend of not paying. Or have friends over for party and drinks that Gen bought.
9:56pm- Drunk. Cause I can and it's free.
12:45am- Eat Man-cake at the Stepping stone; still drinking, still free.
2:36am- Pass out at home without turning on an alarm. Why, 'cause I don't have to work in the morning!

I hope this gives you a better appreciation for the unemployed folks in your life. It's not always fun and games. At times it's down right hard work keeping up the lifestyle, and finding new creative ways to entertain yourself for free. But somebody has to make you working folks feel superior. For now, I am good with being that man.




**Check out the Stepping Stone Cafe...perfect place for the unemployed, cheap and good! http://www.steppingstonecafe.com/**

Go to the Library and other free stuff to do!

Being unemployed can totally cramp your style.

Nothing in particular to get out of bed for, no cash flowing in, and that pesky crushing social pressure to be gainfully employed...it can be downright rough! Coupled all this with the terrible Oregon weather it can be crippling.

After spending the honeymoon period of my unemployment hitting up everyone holding a non-maxed Visa card for lunch, coffee, drinks, and happy hours, I have ended up with my ass parked on the couch so often it's started to tingle. The thing is, I really didn't know what else to do! The novelty of not having to work has worn off, and I am at a loss for what to do with my surplus of time and my cash deficit.

I could easily spend my mornings looking for a new gig; working on my resume, downloading....stuff, maybe going to the gym, eating two bowls of 1.99 cereal for breakfast, watching hours of The Food Network, and poking around on Facebook. Problem is, by about noon everyday I don't have shit left to do, nor do I have any money to do it!

So I headed out my front door to discover what-the-shit I could get myself into...oh did I mention I kinda have a car? By kinda I mean I have two options; 1) walk everywhere or 2) wake up way too early in the morning and drop my girlfriend off at work, then stay sober enough to pick her up at night. Given those options, I walk most every day...my sleep is pretty important to me, and more often than not I am obligated to drink in the middle of the day! It's my way of paying respect to all the schmucks that still have to work; think of it like pouring out one for your homies, but pouring it into my mouth instead.

So what to do with no cash? Start checking off this list!

1. Get yourself a library card. Did you know they give out books for free?


2. Find a coffee shop with free refills and newspapers. Someone might think you're smart.
   
3. Volunteer. You can tell people you are doing something good for years after you stop.


4. Walk around town and learn something new about your city...there's got to be something. For inspiration, check out Girl About Town!http://genevieveabouttown.blogspot.com/ (shameless plug)


5. Find a park and people watch. Plus...squirrels don't go through recessions and layoffs.


6. Walk someone's dog for them. That someone will owe you, and chicks love dogs!


7. Go to hosted networking events. Free booze is never bad.


8. Don't ever miss a friend's wedding. Again, free booze is a good thing!
   
9. Keep in touch with old co-workers. Make them pay (stay tuned).


10. Use the free wi-fi everywhere. It's so much better than sitting at home, mainly for your roommates.


11. Make friends with the guy that belongs to the wine club. At least until he gets canned too.


12. Go to the gym. It may not be totally free, but it's a really cheap place to shower if you get evicted and hot girls go to the gym, or at least aspiring hot girls. Plus hot tub and sauna, good stuff.


13. Head out to First Thursday, Last Thursday, and whatever other days stores give out free booze. You can even use it as a date...they will think you are artsy!


14. Hang out at the mall and watch the street performers. Maybe they will give you a job.


15. Spend some time with your local day laborers. Make some friends, and maybe a couple $!
    

I would love to see this list expand...mainly 'cause I've run out of shit to do. So either give me a job, or add to the list. I will know if you didn't add to it, and then I will come looking for my new job. Consider yourself warned. I've got the time to find you.

*It is still really fun not working just in case you wondered...really, really fun!

Get yourself some government cheese!

Go buy some nice brie from Zupan's with the help of Uncle Sam!

Free cheese is not in the government stimulus package, so don't check your mailbox. But if you are in the real tough spot, not unlike myself, you may qualify for some help. Getting assistance from the government doesn't take much, it's pretty easy. What comes a little harder is getting yourself to actually ask for the help.

As a kid I remember my parents using food stamps to buy milk and eggs at the store, but never thought much about it since. Then my cash flow pretty much stopped, not that it was the Nile of cash flow or anything but it was better than what I currently have trickling through. Even so, it took me a month to fill out the 5 pages of the 16 page application you need to complete in order to apply for food stamps. What was even harder, heading into the DHS office for my application interview.

From the years of working in corporate America I have been classically conditioned to dress up a bit when meeting anyone. So like Pavlov's faithful dog, I too obediently queued up and waited... What I didn't realize is no one cares when you are applying for food stamps!

As I walked into the front door of the DHS office it was pure chaos. People were everywhere, decked out in Goodwill's finest with no logical order at all. Bodies were filling space in a little front office, filling out paper work and staring at the front desk where no one sat. After a few minutes, I realized there were two sets of people there. One group was simply waiting to use the free phone, the other group was frantically filling out paperwork for the various services offered by the office. My guess is most folks don't do much preparation prior to stopping by the here.

I finally caught the attention of someone walking through the sea of cubicles behind the front desk and announced my appointment. It took a second for the person to fully comprehend that I was actually speaking to him. Once we were able to establish the fact that a conversation was indeed happening, I was told that if I continued waiting in the unorganized mess, someone would find me.

This didn't instill a large amount of confidence in me.

Eventually I was called forth behind the crowded desk into the vast sea of cubicles. At first, it seemed just as I expected, but as we wound farther and farther through the rows, embedding ourselves deeper and deeper into cubicle-land, I noticed something was a little....strange. Making the turn into the last bank of cubes, it finally clicked. I could only compare it to things I had seen previously in television sitcoms.

Trolls....Trolls as far as the eyes can see!

You remember those little plastic trolls with the crazy hair that every bingo playing grandma has right next to her ink doter? Within seconds I was surrounded! Trolls on the ledge of every cubical I pasted. This again did not instill much confidence in me at all.

Fortunately for me the cube we finally arrived at was free of the crazy hair vermin.

After my adventure through cubical-land things started to become a little more normal and I left the office with my new Oregon Trail Card.

To qualify for food assistance you really have to be broke. Make sure you know your finances and have all your paperwork filled out before venturing into the office...it's not that hard you just have to take the step and ask for help.

When the money's gone...

Okay, some people saw ax coming. Some people even worked for a company nice enough to send them on their way with arm floaties and a blow-up alligator so they don't drown in the abyss of financial disaster!

I've had to get a bit more creative...

One good thing about being worked like a mule is that you have no chance to use up all that vacation time someone told you about during the interview all those years ago.

On the day I was canned, walking out the door with the cash value of that mystery vacation time, I knew I was screwed. Being relatively new to the working game I never thought I'd need much savings. I was working full-time and moving up the corporate ladder with break-neck speed! Why would I need to worry about having a back up plan? Well I get it now...a bit too late I've been told.

While walking out the door I quickly took inventory of the assets I had, and the amount I would need to live for a while. I am an idiot! All I could think of was that robot on Nick at Night with flailing arms saying "Danger, Danger, Does not compute!" Of course, in my best robot voice.

....In short: I was fucked

The first thing I did when released from my corporate prison was crack a bottle of nice bourbon (and later champagne, it was New Year's Eve) and celebrated my independence. Next, I totally freaked out about my finances and start applying for unemployment...that didn't work out so well. Alas, that is another topic.

Fortunately it was tax time! Luckily my tax refund paired with my pathetic savings and vacation pay will get me through a few months. But what next???

It would be an understatement to say I was more than freaking out! I was totally panicked! I needed cash to continue the unemployed lifestyle I was starting to really enjoy! So I considered some options: I could be a drug mule, but I'm done with being worked in a mule-like fashion. Perhaps I could pimp out some Ho's? But the cost benefit analysis of managing Ho's far outweight the potential cash flow benefits. Even getting a part-time gig bagging groceries wouldn't pay the bills. Then it hits me...

Thank you 401k!

I know it's not a good idea to wreck my future financial stability but I look at it this way.

Do I fuck the future Deven or the present Deven? At this moment I vote for fucking the future Deven, He'll understand...

So here are a few tips I've learned along the way:

• Most company 401k plans have tons of clauses and regulations, so call them fast and get the scoop.

For instance, I was forced to wait 60 days after I ended my employment to change my 401k plan. Finally, once you this done, it can still take weeks to get everything finalized and get cash into your pocket. Here's some tips:

• Don't just cash out your 401k. Do a Rollover or Direct Rollover to a Traditional IRA to keep your tax umbrella.
• In a horrifying market like the one we are currently experiencing, think about an IRA savings account, instead of mutual funds or CD's. This will protect the savings you currently have left without loosing any of the principal. Just be sure to throw your money back into the market as soon as you can, buy low and sell high my friend.
• Move your cash somewhere close, convenient and easy to get.
• You've got 60 days to repay any withdrawl before being liable for the taxes. So replace what you took if you can.
• Only take out what you need.
• Learn all the ways you can withdrawl from an IRA without taking the tax hit...big ones? Paying for education! Paying for medical expenses while unemployed, first time home purchase and disability.
• Ask questions!

Go to your credit union or bank, call the company that manages your 401k or IRA, find a friend that works in accounting and pick their brain. Not only will you get some sound advice, but it will make you feel better knowing what your options are.

Now really, I don't have all the answers...seriously, if you've read any of my blog postings thus far you already understand this. I have a degree in Anthropology and Political Science which I have been using to push rental cars for the past 5 years....Finance is not my thing! These bits of advice are simply what I have learned along the path of unemployment.

If you have any suggestions that can help us young unemployed folks out please, toss them up...we can all use a bit of help!

**Need some financial advise and not sure who to go to? My advisor is Genevieve over at Advantis credit union. Give her a call at 503-785-2528 or 800-547-5532**