News >> Browse Articles >> General News
How One Woman Survived Unemployment: She Enjoyed It
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
September 15, 2009
During her eight-month jobless stint, Amy Tinsley of Houston may well have been the happiest unemployed woman in America.
Tinsley, a former marketing director for a local law firm, was laid off in December. It was the first time since age 16 that she’d been without a job. Unlike most of America’s unemployed, however, Tinsley wasn’t fretting about her down time. In fact, she welcomed it.
With a healthy severance package, she paid off her car note and used her savings to pay her other bills — a full year in advance.
“Knowing that I wouldn’t have an income, I just decided in my head that I would give myself one full year to find a job. So I paid all my bills up for a year. I just took whatever I paid in light bills, cell phone bills, my cable bill and just multiplied it by 12 and sent a check into each one of these places so I would be paid up,” Tinsley said. “At least I wouldn’t have to be stressed out about paying for my bills.”
With a year’s worth of bills out of the way, Tinsley used her unemployment insurance to pay her mortgage. And for the next eight months, Tinsley, 38 and single, relaxed and enjoyed herself while she looked for a job.
“Getting laid off was really a blessing,” she said. “I’ve had eight months of ‘me’ time. Eight months to really think about what kind of things I’m interested in and, if I decide to go into a new career, what that would be.”
Tinsley’s friends call her hiatus, a “no-job vacation.”
“Because that’s what it is,” Tinsley said. “I’ve visited friends I haven’t seen in years. I’ve read books that I’ve been wanting to get to. I exercise. I took salsa and belly-dancing classes. I went to Paris. I went to Egypt. And I go to bed at night knowing that I can actually sleep in in the morning, knowing there’s not anywhere that I need to be. It’s been fantastic.”
In addition to planning a golf tournament for a local nonprofit agency, Tinsley managed to put out more than 100 resumes during her “job search.”
After two months of interviews, a couple weeks ago she took a business development position with a New England computer software firm that specializes in e-mail marketing products.
Tinsley is ecstatic.
“This is a company I really wanted to work for, and it feels good that I’m getting the job I want. It’s not just a job I’m taking just to pay my bills,” she said.
And, she’ll be working from home.
© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. © 2009, YellowBrix, Inc. 
BoudewijnUS
about 1 month ago
2 comments
Seriously!? Let me ask you, do you guys have your audience in mind when you write/post this stuff? Most of us didn't come out of a Marketing Director position, and most of us don't get substantial severance packages. I am faced with paying off college and university loans, paying monthly bills such as rent, electricity and phone bills. I can't pay my bills a year in advance - I don't even know how I'm going to make rent next month - let alone taking trips to Egypt and Paris.
I came from your article on "How to Work with a Recruiter" to this. Nice going...
bjmge1017
2 months ago
2 comments
Severance pay? Many companies do not pay severance when laying-off employees.
neelamaniam
2 months ago
12 comments
Good articles, nice picture…wish I was that lady...down in the grass....and looking up in the sky without no worries in my head.
Nevertheless, how many of us can do that?
Therefore, we should have all our financial planning a head then others.
Make it a must to bank in minimum 10% of your salary into your saving account.
With all the proper planning’s, one can see them self-being in the same situation as about.
Good Luck everyone…I’m planning for early retirement ;-)
staceycland
2 months ago
4 comments
Well congratulations, If I had $20k sitting in my savings account I might do this too, not all of us planned this far in advance to be fired. How about a realistic advice article?
dorothylcain
2 months ago
82 comments
Not everyone can do what this woman has. . I exhausted all my savings and severance looking for work the first year and a half. I did temp jobs that did not pan out into permanent when I was told they would. I finally found a temp to hire job and it lasted for two years and I was laid off because of lack of work. It has been frustrating. Now I'm out here again looking and not seeing any of the opportunities to just get a temp job now. I realize I am in for a very rough ride like so many others. I hope we all find what we are looking for in these difficult times.
SabrinaFaire
2 months ago
38 comments
Well pin a rose on her nose! I wonder how much money she lost in interest by not having her bill money sit in an interest bearing savings account with auto-pay enabled. I'm glad someone is enjoying this economy.
rrijal
2 months ago
2 comments
In the present times of hard hit economy and unemployment, reading about Tinsley's optimistic approach really renders much needed support and provides with a different outlook to things and events happening to you and around you. I identify a lot with Tinsley's work history, and like her I too am facing unemployment for the first time since high school. While I have enjoyed the enormous me time and family time these last six months, I can't contradict the fact that I am missing my work.
I also cannot afford to have a relaxed outlook to my present state as I have kids and keep wondering if staying out of job market for a year or probably more would really put me in a back seat when it comes to professional skills and competition. During this phase I am investing time in reading articles based on my work to keep up to date with the trend, and learning a foreign language however wonder if it is enough to compete in the job market.