We have purchased limited copies of a book, Surviving a Layoff: Your Guide to a Soft Landing and a Smooth Re-entry, by Henry Dahlstrom.

It suggests that people who have a loss of employment, or reduction of income, should lay out their goals. The book also offers guidance on how to handle the bad news, how to tell your family, how to avoid being angry and to plan to survive the situation.

To survive financially, now might be the perfect time to break down expenses into categories, such as rent or mortgage, utilities (heat, light, phone, cable, Internet), food, clothing, insurance, taxes, auto loans, credit cards, medical, transportation, entertainment, etc., so you have a record of where your money is going. When you review this record, you may find that minor adjustments may help increase your disposable income during this period.

The book also gives you some helpful hints on looking at the type of work you might want to get into next, the cost of health insurance, how to send a cover letter and resume, how to respond to newspaper "help wanted" ads, and how to best use the Internet.

Members may request a copy of Surviving a Layoff, free of charge, at the following locations: Binghamton (Upper Front St.), Endicott (24 McKinley Ave.), Lockheed Martin (in-plant office), Owego (Route 17C), and Vestal (Town Square).