That year, we'd already had two shutdowns under the presidency of Donald Trump, but they'd been brief. When we received the latest warning, I submitted the related paperwork (again) and waited to see what would happen.
On December 22, 2018, part of the federal government shut down due to a dispute over funding for Trump's border wall. Agencies that already had been funded were unaffected. But in my office, the shutdown meant we were furloughed alongside hundreds of thousands of others. We could not report to work or receive pay; meanwhile, other federal employees had to work without pay.
I never imagined the shutdown would extend for more than a month, into 2019, and become the longest federal shutdown in history. You'd think I would have been worried about the situation, which was beyond my control, but I felt fine. As it turned out, the furlough was helpful. When I think about it now, as the economy shifts, here's what it confirmed for me.
An emergency fund reduces stress
A major reason I remained okay was my emergency fund. As our furlough stretched on, I could pull from my savings to pay living expenses.
Before the shutdown, I had built my savings fund, in part, by thinking as if the money I put aside didn't exist. But when I finally needed to use it, it was there. And it helped.
Side work offers a safety net
If you're up to it, a furlough or layoff can be a time to hustle legally, of course. Back then, I decided to pick up freelance work while we waited for the furlough to end. I'd previously worked as a magazine editor, and had continued my freelance writing, so I saw no reason to stop. In fact, the hustle gave me another way to fill my newly vacant hours and bring in money to save.
As I freelanced, news headlines revealed other employees were doing the same thing. (Remember the furloughed cheesecake sisters? ) This proved to me that when we hustle even during urgent situations the effort can pay off.
Some expenses can be axed
I liked to shop, travel, and eat out hello, city life but continuing these things at the same level would have been super irresponsible. So I cut discretionary spending way back during that time, even stopping some activities.
Though people around me were buying gifts and going to holiday parties, setting boundaries wasn't that hard. People kindly respected mine, and no one expected me to be buying $500 bottles of bubbly. (Not that I ever did that anyway.)
Habit changes make a difference
I would often cook for myself, but in my quest to cut expenses I almost exclusively did. And I used low-cost ingredients. (There was lots of rice, as I recall. Not a bad thing.) I also did more free activities, like exploring local museums, and took time to recharge instead of staying on the go.
Back then, it was totally my choice to be low-key. These days, we've been advised to stay home to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this homebody life can bring savings. And those savings can then be funneled to bills, an emergency fund, or something else financially beneficial.
Mindset matters
When the longest federal shutdown in history finally ended and I went back to work, I viewed the time away as an opportunity. Federal employees were lucky; in the end, we kept our jobs and received back pay. And while I appreciated both, my mindset didn't depend on it.
Successfully managing that furlough also proved to me that I could walk away from my staff job to work for myself. So later that year, I decided to leave and make my own way as a writer, editor, speaker, and coach.
In the end, the furlough confirmed for me (like other things in my life) that many events can help us grow. And even things that seem bad for us at first can be helpful. At least ... they've been helpful for me.
