How to Control Your Finances After You Are Laid Off

You might not be able to control what’s coming in (for right now), but you have absolute control over what’s going out. And reconsidering how you buy things will put you back in the driver’s seat of your life, without significantly changing your lifestyle—unless, of course, you have to sell the yacht at a loss.

Finding ways to save money is actually a source of immediate gratification, says Greg Karp, author of Living Rich by Spending Smart: How to Get More of What You Really Want. He breaks it down like this:

• Magnitude: You get to keep more out of every dollar you save than every dollar you earn. (Don’t forget the taxes and Social Security.)

• Speed: Cutting spending is much faster than earning new money. You can start seeing results immediately, ...