There’s nothing more dispiriting than losing your job. Not only is our job where a majority of Americans draw a sense of identity and purpose, but on a much more fundamental level it’s our only real way of bringing in money. To suddenly be bereft of it means that all the things we take for granted like food or bills or rent are suddenly thrown in danger.

Luckily, if you find yourself suddenly without a job we have a way of hanging on to all of those while you search for a new one: a title pawn. There’s a reason that ‘where are title pawns near me?’ is such a common search term in the state of Alabama.

Title pawns are a fast and convenient form of short term lending that use the value of your car to secure loans of up to $15,000. They’re perfect for bridging the gap that yawns open after you lose your job (the answer to ‘where are title pawns near me?’ by the way, is that you should take a look at our our many convenient locations throughout the state.)

Unemployed? Here’s What To Do

Being fired or laid off is a traumatic experience, and often in the wake of it we’re not sure how to handle it or what the next step is. But the steps are actually pretty simple.

• File for unemployment benefits. This should be your first step upon being fired. The process can be long and irritating, so it’s best to start as soon as possible on getting the paperwork out of the way. Unemployment may not shell out that much money and only lasts for around three months, but it is, essentially, free money. You may feel right now like you won’t need it, that you have plenty of savings, but let’s be honest: in today’s economy you could be out of a job for as long as a year or more, and at the end of that time you’ll very much wish you had taken the free income when you could’ve.
• Get back out there. One of the mistakes many people make is to take a prolonged break after they become unemployed. And while that’s understandable, it is a potentially traumatic event after all, not having a set structure after so long can cause people to lose focus and discipline. The best way to combat this is to immediately throw yourself into finding a new job. Spruce up your resume, and start applying as soon as you can. After all, you have no idea how long it could take you to find a new job.
• Draw up a budget. This doesn’t have to be fancy, but even a simple budget will do you worlds of good when you’re unemployed. The key thing to identify and isolate is what your monthly expenses are, and what your savings are: those two numbers will dictate how long you can stay unemployed before the money runs out and drastic action is called for.
• Search ‘title pawns near me.’ Even if you don’t need to take a title pawn right now, it’s good to know where the nearest title pawn store to you is as a back-pocket kind of thing for when you do. After all, one of the most common reasons for taking out a title pawn is an emergency. And financial emergencies are something you’re going to become more and more susceptible to the longer you’re unemployed.

How to Bring In Money While Unemployed

While you may not have a full time job, it’s still possible to bring in money while you’re unemployed. It may not be enough to cover all of your expenses, but every little bit helps and it’ll abrogate the problem.

• Yard sale. This is the simplest and easiest way to get a little cash in your pocket. We all have stuff hanging around our houses we don’t truly need, and a yard sale is the best way to liquidate it while still making a pretty penny. Often afterwards you won’t even notice its loss. One note of caution: for certain items like books or collectibles, you can generally earn more from them by selling them online like on Amazon or Ebay, so check what similar items are selling for on there to see if it’s worth the work of selling them there too.
• Do gig work. It’s been said that we live in the gig economy, which is a grandiose statement, but not entirely untrue. There are a huge number of job out there for which you don’t need to sign a contract and work nine to five. The easiest are driving for Uber or Lyft, or doing freelance work on sites like Fiverr or Upwork. In many ways they’re superior to a normal job, and because you only work the hours you want, you’ll still have plenty of time to job hunt.

To learn more about handling emergency expenses, read our other financial emergency articles.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.