AS you come to terms with redundancy, it is important that you make some adjustments in your social life.

This will require a dramatic alteration to your lifestyle. You may need to consider the following:

. curtail or completely eliminate visits to nightclubs, cinemas and or restaurants;

. sell your spanking new sports utility vehicle in favour of a more affordable car;

. rent an apartment/house in an “ok” area instead of a town house in an upscale area;

. cancelling the multiple credit cards and stick with one;

. consolidate loans and settle with one creditor (bank);

. manage utilities, such as telephone and electricity;

. shop around for the best prices for supermarket items and gasoline; and

. avoid the impulsive buying.

A word to “womanisers”

The practice of dining and wining all the ladies you come in contact with may have to be curtailed as the redundancy money can disappear in a flash. You may have to settle with one girlfriend and hope she will not put any pressure on you to maintain her.

A word to the spouses of displaced employees

Exercise restraint in terms of financial demands on your spouse and demonstrate love and understanding. Remain faithful to your marriage vows “for better for worse”, and avoid the unnecessary quarrelling. The desire for lovemaking may wane and so the spouse must appreciate this probability and not ascribe other motives. For those who receive child maintenance money on a scheduled basis, this obligation might be affected, so please have some patience. Sit and discuss the way forward with your partner. Investment in a small business or further training. Be supportive; men in particular tend to feel a sense of inadequacy and can take the occurrence personally.