Furloughed? Here are 5 things you should do right away

"To add insult to entirely preventable injury, the current administration has indicated that it may not provide the legally mandated back pay to these workers once the shutdown is over. Considering the fact that getting another job during the furlough may require the government employee's agency approval (and wouldn't help critical employees working without a paycheck), the shutdown could be a personal financial disaster for hundreds of thousands of Americans."

"Only 1.8% of all American workers have Uncle Sam for a boss-but that doesn't mean the other 98.2% of us are exempt from furloughs, sudden income loss, or bizarre grandstanding from unrelated departments that lead to you coming in to work for no pay for weeks on end. (Well, maybe not that last one.) That's why it's so important for all workers to know these financial strategies that can help you safely get to the other side of income loss:"

"If you haven't done so before your income loss, sit down and figure out your baseline monthly expenses. These are the expenditures that are essential for maintaining your life, such as rent or mortgage payment, utility bills, groceries, transportation, and childcare. Generally, this is a relatively easy number to calculate. Start with your fixed expenses, like your rent and childcare, and estimate your fluctuating expenses like groceries and utility bills, by calculating the average cost over the past six to 12 months."

Approximately 900,000 federal employees are on furlough and another 700,000 are working without pay during the shutdown, with the administration indicating it may withhold legally mandated back pay. The shutdown can become a personal financial disaster for hundreds of thousands, especially since finding outside work may require agency approval and won't help critical employees working unpaid. All workers face risks from furloughs and sudden income loss. Workers should calculate a bare-minimum monthly budget by listing fixed expenses (rent, mortgage, childcare) and averaging fluctuating costs (groceries, utilities) over six to 12 months. That baseline guides sustainable living while income is paused. If carrying debt, contact creditors.

Read at Fast Company