Being unemployed means dealing with money basics. You will need to sit down and think about what you will need to give up to keep moving forward while unemployed. Finances become harder when non-essentials are in the mix. But, what do you give up? More important is the question of what NOT to give up.

Basic Needs

• Housing
• Food - both for the body and soul.
• Health - physical, emotional and mental health.

Basic Concerns

Human survival needs from the above categories can be listed within five groups. If you find yourself unemployed, money - or the lack of, will not stop the need for the items in these groups.

• Physiological needs - food, water, sleep and air are in this list
• Safety needs - shelter, a stable environment and keeping healthy.
• Esteem needs - self respect, status, a sense of accomplishment, skill.
• Self actualization - self determination (what you do to help you)
• Sense of belonging - support from others or support of others (both emotional and physical support)

All items in the five groups can be achieved while unemployed, with very little or no money. If you find yourself unemployed and low on finances, there are support systems set up to help. Most of what you need for human survival can be accomplished by just having the willingness to go find it.

Other Important Needs

Outside of having the basic necessities while you're unemployed, money for items that help keep those necessities is also important. During your period of unemployment, finances for these few items must be considered as next in line after food, rent and utilities are paid.

• Health and Life insurance - your life is more important than the money. Keeping these policies in place helps insure you and your family aren't burdened with financial disasters because of health issues.
• Homeowners or renters insurance - the need to keep coverage in case of emergencies is even greater while unemployed when finances can't cover them.

Savings plans - keeping the 401K or savings even with a small deposit each month helps plan for possible unseen problems. Education - if there are children involved, they must continue their education. Learning new things also helps you with gaining new skill and abilities.

• Lifelines - these would include lines of communication be it a pre-paid phone or a phone card or access to a neighbors phone.

When you become unemployed, cutting finances takes careful consideration. It will seem easy to think what you can do without and cut out too much. You must have the ability to consider what you can not live without before cutting anything out. Remember while unemployed, money needs to be placed where it can help keep you safe, stable and healthy.