Layoff Survival Calculator: How Long Until You Run Out of Money?

Losing your job is one of the most financially destabilizing events you can experience — and the first question most people ask is: how long can I survive on what I have? The honest answer requires more than dividing your savings by your monthly expenses. It requires accounting for severance timing, COBRA health insurance costs (which most people underestimate by 3–4x), unemployment benefit eligibility and timing, the difference between essential and discretionary spending, and the compounding effect of months without income on retirement accounts and debt. This calculator models your full post-layoff financial picture across four scenarios: surviving with no changes, surviving with moderate spending cuts, surviving with aggressive cuts to essential expenses only, and the break-even income level needed to extend your runway indefinitely. It shows you exactly how many months you have at each scenario, flags critical decision points (when to start withdrawing from retirement, when debt payments become unsustainable, when COBRA coverage expires), and generates a week-by-week action plan for the first 90 days. Whether you were just laid off, are expecting a layoff, or want to know whether your emergency fund is actually sufficient for your job and expense level, this calculator gives you the specific numbers you need — not generic advice about "three to six months of expenses" that does not account for your actual situation.