Here’s your to-do list to help salvage your finances until you get back on your feet This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org.

Almost two million people in the U.S. get the bad news every month: they have been laid off. Whether they are retail clerks or rocket scientists, their bosses have decided that the enterprises will be more efficient without them.

Being on the receiving end of a pink slip is, naturally, stressful. Paychecks stop coming and each month a new crop of jobless bankers, chocolate makers and other redundant workers scramble to support themselves and their families until they can line up a new position.

More: ‘Anxiety-inducing’ layoffs are scaring many U.S. workers. How worried should they be?

They all know instinctively that being smart with money is vital after a layoff, but they do not all know the best moves to make. Here are the fundamentals from Next Avenue.

1. Secure healthcare coverage. Maintaining healthcare for you and your family is an important financial task. So don’t delay.

“Assess your healthcare options immediately,” says Sean Lovison, a certified financial planner at Purpose Built Financial Services in Moorestown, New Jersey.

“If your former employer-provided health insurance, consider (paying for) COBRA to continue your current coverage, although this can be expensive,” he adds, “or explore the marketplace for alternatives. (Affordable Care Act coverage could be a more affordable option.)

“Health care expenses can be significant and ensuring coverage is critical.”

One good option may be to change over to a spouse’s health plan.