I'm really sorry to hear that, though it sounds like you knew it was coming for a bit now. When I was laid off due to budget issues, they didn't fully lay me off, instead they cut my hours in half with the promise they "might" hire me back full time (it was actually a bit more complex than that, but too long to post about in a comment). It wasn't livable in my situation and I had to look for something else. I spent a lot of time and went to countless interviews before finally landing where I am now. Adjusting your standard of living is one of the big things. I didn't and ended up in a bit of debt for a while. I also settled for the first place that offered me a full time job and while it might not have been the smartest play, I have been here 20 years now and I met my wife here, so it hasn't all been bad! My buddy runs his own business and I know he wishes he had taken the leap a lot sooner. Most of the stuff that kept him from doing it ended up being non-issues for him. I wish you the best of luck!
That sounds like a very difficult situation, neither one thing nor the other.
It looks like it worked out okay :)
Yeah, it totally did. I remember how shocked they were when I told them I couldn't afford the gap insurance. They were like you aren't taking insurance? Duh, you are the ones that cut my pay in half, don't act so shocked!
There was a "slim outside possibility" if under certain circumstances. However, this isn't under those circumstances, so it was a bit of a surprise.
What would have been the thing you would have scaled back on financially back then?
I am looking forward to the challenge in some way, but also know that since the stroke, my motivation is a little different than before. I don't have as much drive as I did when I originally started - it dropped off a cliff over night. Still, there is the "gotta do what you gotta do" situation.
I'm really sorry, I can't even imagine having to start over, even if you do have a bit of a head start. I was with someone besides my wife back then and we did a lot of social things that cost money without really thinking about the impact.