Try to have a house (with a clear titleor no costs) to live in
save to have a buffer quarters expense in all fields and costs for One recurrency/ reissue of licence.
Get the missus to take a job (if at home)
Try to study while employed to be better qualified in other fields as well
Maybe try to get an open rating..
When Laid off/furloughed
1. Ask you Ex employer for a Reference/ testimonials.
2. Ask for what likely dues will be paid and by when?
3. Ask to be given preferences over direct joiners should the trend reverse
4. Ask whether they could arrange your recurrent training , (incase the company owns the sim) or get you prefrential pricing for recurrent training on your airline type.
5.Tell every one It helps you cope with the loss plus puts your needs to people who might be able to help you go through. esp any body in upper levels of management.
6,Try your hand at teaching Flying to anyone wanting to learn. will enable you to keep skills up to mark and Licences current. ( I would do this even for free.. just ask the guy to keep my licence current) This is where the open rating helps.
7.Shape up your resume to One Page and email to all airlines and agencies in the world., especially the bush operators. More Demanding than ILS to ILS flights but good money as well.
8.Keep in touch with your ex company lot even if the people change vis if Ryan laid you off, keep in regular touch with HR even if the guy who worked when you were there has been replaced.
9. Stay out of trouble and be legal at all times. Difficult it may seem but keep cheer with the things which could have been worse but are not.
And if it is the pits,
Then things can only improve...