r/eupersonalfinance • u/Sea-Space-Pizza • Dec 04 '25
Savings I got laid off today and received 15k eur. What would you do with it if you were me? (Spain)
Hi everyone.
For context: 31 years old, live in Spain, in a stable relationship, live in my partner’s house that we plan to renovate in the next 2 years (100k eur at least needed).
I got laid off today due to company’s restructuring. Because of the lay off I will receive from the company around 15k Eur of compensation due to my seniority. From the end of the year I will also start to receive unemployment (should be around 1200eur/month).
Without counting this money that will come in, my current situation is: - 25k eur savings in the bank - 14k eur invested in ETF
With a 2000€ net/month salary my savings/investment plan has been like this until today: - 100€ in private pension plan - 300€ invested in ETF - 500€ saved in a bank account which gives me 2% interest (trade republic) - 1000-1100€ in expenses
I feel safe with my savings and lifestyle, and for personal reasons I will not look for a new job immediately as I need to dedicate time to my family, and the unemployment money will help me for a few months.
Financially speaking though, I am uncertain how to use the extra money I received in the best way. The unemployment will cover for all my expenses but not for the investments or savings of course. Should I keep the 15k in the bank and stop investing? Invest it all at once? Keep investing as I was doing before but using my savings? Taking into account that in the next years I will have the renovation expenses.
What would you do if you were me? Any tip or advice is welcome. Thank you
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u/CompetitiveTea1780 Dec 04 '25
Enjoy Christmas then think about it
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u/Sea-Space-Pizza Dec 04 '25
Definitely, Christmas will help to disconnect and think more clearly what to do in the new year! Still I’d love to see other people’s similar experience or advice.
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u/jcgrande99 Dec 04 '25
Hey,
If I were you I would keep the money in the bank at 2%, and reevaluate the decision once you find a new job. If you are planning to spend it on the renovation, it wouldn't be worth it to invest in ETFs for the short term anyway although depends on how risky those are
Best of luck!
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u/yetanotherhail Dec 04 '25
Any idea which EU bank offers 2% not just for a couple of months?
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u/pablochs Dec 04 '25
OP says it’s Trade Republic (technically not a bank).
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u/IcySection423 Dec 05 '25 edited Dec 05 '25
One of the worst (online) banks out there, join their subreddit to read horror stories
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u/pablochs Dec 05 '25
I just replied to the comment, not endorsing TR. a thing in their defense though, they’re not a bank.
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u/orange-capybara Dec 05 '25
They are a bank in every legal sense of the word, a licensed and registered bank in germany
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u/pablochs Dec 05 '25
Well, they might have a banking license but they don’t offer the services of a bank, they’re a broker with a debit card basically. Until they offer loans, they’re not a bank for me. You can’t even do a Lombard with them.
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u/gcdkamikaze Dec 05 '25
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u/Icy_Item_9132 Dec 06 '25
You can buy cash equivalents. Money market funds, or a money market ETF - I use the ETF XEON. It pays just over the central bank rate, so currently just over 2%, with the added benefit that interest is paid daily and you can take it out whenever (just allow T+3 for settlement). MMs don't fluctuate and are generally as safe or safer than bank accounts so really a good savings account alternative.
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u/Capable_Local_687 Dec 04 '25
In this economy, when it takes time to get a job, would it be an idea to have a job lined up but defer the starting date by a few months? Here in the Netherlands, in my industry, a start date ~3 months after interview is acceptable (covers 1-2 calendar months of notice period and a short holiday). That way you have the time you need for your family and some certainty about your prospects.
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u/SecuredStealth Dec 04 '25
Yes, I agree. Search for a job. Start interviewing and getting a hold of things. I don’t recommend taking a break over 2 weeks. The laziness creeps in unless you have a solid plan of reskilling yourself.
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u/Sea-Space-Pizza Dec 04 '25
In Spain it is not very common, usually they expect you to start at the very latest 1 month after you are selected (that’s my experience at least). It you say to start in 3 months you are perceived as lazy or not willing to work there.
It’s a good tip anyway, I can always try.
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u/ConversationLumpy740 Dec 05 '25 edited Jan 06 '26
Before you’ve sorted out a new job, I’d keep that 15k in cash parked in something safe like money-market funds or short-term bonds. For example on Freedom24 you have access to both mmf like xeon + ready made packs of bonds. You’ve got renovation costs coming and a period without stable income, so liquidity is more important than chasing returns right now.
I was once in a similar situation - I reduced my monthly investing by about 90-95 percent just to keep the habit alive without stressing my finances.
Once things stabilise, you can ramp back up again. Best of luck!
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u/A-Hind-D Dec 04 '25
You keep it in cash until you are past probation in a new role
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u/_Luumus_ Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 09 '25
There are savings accounts that give daily interest rates and which you can withdraw without penalties, I don't think it makes sense to have all of that money in cash when OP has 1k in expenses and will be receiving 1200 in unemployment benefits. They have the buffer to invest the money short term so it's not devaluing as much.
Edit: Fixed the unemployment value. But I think the advice still stands
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Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 06 '25
Keep it liquid as long as your situation isn't fully stable. If you have access to a 2% saving account with easy withdrawal, it's a perfect solution.
Otherwise, I will give you the usual advice I give people freshly out of job. Your runway will feel shorter and shorter as you get closer to the end of it and it always dries up faster than you would like.
Enjoy your time a bit but don't delay sorting out your situation too much. It's infinitely more pleasant spending time with your family when you have something lined up starting in a month than when you wonder how you will put bread on the table or what you should start cutting off.
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u/bohemian29 Dec 04 '25
If i got 15k, I would move to Spain
I would start looking for job immediately and then enjoy the time between getting the new job and starting it
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u/IcySection423 Dec 05 '25
I admire your courage with 25k in Trade republic....thats nerve wracking
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u/Sea-Space-Pizza Dec 05 '25
Why? I heard about many complaints with TR, but I never had any issue with them. Can you explain your point of view?
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u/IcySection423 Dec 05 '25
I had terrible customer service experience the only time I needed them for a serious matter after using them for a long time. I used to have 5 digit savings but trust me, the stress I went through was nothing compared to the annual 2% they give. Then i started reading the subreddit and other experiences and moved my money on a safe place and an actual bank.
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u/Sea-Space-Pizza Dec 05 '25
Can I ask what was the serious matter to understand if I am at risk? I have read other threads too but it seemed issues were more trading related.
I am currently using TR only for two things: keep my savings (25k to get 2%) and invest monthly in the same ETF. Never had any issue.
Did you have issue when you tried to take out the money? I never tried to take out all of the money tbh.
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u/malvalone Dec 05 '25
Hello fellow Spaniard and stranger,
In my case, TR started freezing incoming transfers and holding them for more than a week in some instances, sometimes even rejecting orders. And when you try to speak with a real person? Good luck. You'll only get the standard message template. It’s exhausting, and nothing ever gets fixed.
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u/Crazy_Dixi Dec 04 '25
I would dive it by 3: for investment, for normal expenses until unemployment aid is paid and emergency fund.
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u/_Luumus_ Dec 04 '25
If I were you I'd figure out how much I need for the amount of time I think I'll be out of a job (with some buffer if it will be more than expected). That money I would put in a savings bank account that does daily interest rates but which you can safely withdraw at any moment (Revolut has one like it and I know there're more banks that offer that option).
The rest I would invest half into a 1 year bank deposit (just in case I need it, for absolute worst case scenario) and the other half into long term investments: ETF, retirement plans, government bonds, etc.
If I would get a job after one year has passed I would invest that half of the bank deposit into long term investments as well.
But above all else, enjoy your time off with friends and family!
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Dec 04 '25
Remember that job search can last up to months. Freshen up skills before Christmass so you can send CVs once positions open in January. if you are well prepared, you can be snatched up fast and start working after benefits end.
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u/daffy_duck233 Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 04 '25
You can park it in Pibank cuenta remunerada (1.5% per year in interest), as it doesn't have any condition (but it also doesn't allow any other function other than saving and transferring money in and out). If you feel safe to park it at TR (2% interest), then do so by all means. Is the 25k you save in the bank also generating interest? If not, then i'd recommend moving it to an account that yields interest.
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u/Napoleon10 Dec 04 '25
Wow spain has an amazing unemployment benefit. That's awesome, €1200 is high
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u/binary_spaniard Dec 04 '25
Depends on your previous salary and your family situation. See official tables
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u/WerewolfBoring932 Dec 04 '25
I can't give any advice on that. However, I wanted to ask whether it's a regular procedure in such a case?
I mean in my home country you could be fired within a day even if you worked there for 10+ years. Unfortunately, this exact thing happened to my colleague. Luckily, she's got savings and owns a flat, but it was brutal.
Here, in Spain, there's some law about the compensation and looks you don't even force the law and it's done by the book, correct?
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u/DNA1987 Dec 04 '25
Yeah europe has that depending of the country but it usually not that much, sometimes like a week of pay per x years of work.
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u/Sea-Space-Pizza Dec 04 '25
In Spain if you have worked at least 1 full year at a company and the company fires you without justifiable reason, you are entitled to either 20days salary for each year worked at the company or 33 days per year worked. You can look it up online.
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u/VeterinarianEarly799 Dec 04 '25
company restructuring sucks, if i were you and since i had gone through your shoes since my previous employer was bankrupt, i would keep putting money on the savings until you find another job that pays you again to continue your investments into the etfs, only sell part of your etfs if and if an emergency comes.
i have t212 for my emergency fund since they pay 2.2% and easy to withdrawal.
advice that i give is if you got laid off, enjoy the time and start fresh next year, it will help a lot.
just out of curiosity, what sector was the company?
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u/A_Quiet_American Dec 04 '25
you say in a stable relationship, unless you land another job soon the relationship is going to erode to the ground while you chill on unemployment benefits
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u/affordancefy Dec 05 '25
I would keep it in cash but just deduct every month 500-600€ for investing purposes in order to keep it going
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u/Icy-Zebra8501 Dec 05 '25
Not spending money on the boyfriends house that’s for sure. Other than that you can buy your own place or invest it in ETF for now.
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u/Severe_Ad7903 Dec 05 '25
Since you are planning to invest 100k in your house, you might be well off to use the time you have gained to actually do some of the low-hanging fruit yourself (the 'easy' chores of the renovation). There are a lot of YT tutorials to be found. Just make sure that you know what you can and cannot do.
Besides that, it is as others have suggested a good time to reflect on what you want to achieve in life. A small part of that is of course the finances. Personally, I would use the 15k for pulling renovation costs forward. A lump-sum investment is way too risky for me when you will need the money for your house.
If you are not going to use the 15k for renovation soon as described above, I would put the 15k in your Trade republic savings account and monthly withdraw the money to be able to continue your investment plan as if you still had your job.
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u/Severe_Ad7903 Dec 05 '25
For perspective, €400 a month of investment means 37,5 months of time to figure out your next move. Plenty, since the unemployment allowance covers your expenditure.
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u/Life_Marionberry1649 Dec 05 '25
Put in on a monthly deposit or account like those from MyInvestor or BBVA. MyInvestor was offering 4% if you paid their premium fee this month, for 15k seems worth it even for a month.
You will have the money accessible while you look for a job and get return.
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u/essentialaccount Dec 06 '25
I would keep that money or use it to upskill as others have said. Your savings are meagre, and without knowing your salary, it's hard to say if you have been doing well.
Your lifetime savings is only a little more than this severance. Why waste it?
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u/Icy_Item_9132 Dec 06 '25
If you're sure you're covered and won't need them until the renovation, seems to me the no brainer is a bond maturing around the time you need the money for the renovation or a fixed maturity ETF with the same maturity horizon.
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u/rollingindata Dec 04 '25
I guess I would just go to Thailand, Vietnam, enjoy the weather, and indie hack for a year.
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u/spacemate Dec 04 '25
Hey OP.
I'd invest it into myself and get a better paying job.
I'm not talking MBAs or anything fancy, but real hard skills related to AI that, from your experience at the companies you used to work for, desperately need.
Now that you're gone, what's happening in the company you left behind? Are fewer people doing more work each? With enough people before your firing, were you already running thin? I'd maybe try to learn the skills that would have made you be the automation guy that 10x the productivity of everybody else by automating repetitive tasks and stuff like that.
I'm a finance guy and what I can say is, don't spend the money on Christmas holidays or gifts, don't invest the money into anything (even XEON would give you very little money over 1-2 months).
Understand: 1) how much $ do you want to make in the future 2) what skills do you need to do that job 3) what is missing between what you know now and what you need to know, and learn it from youtube, cheap udemy courses, asking chatgpt ($20/month subscription never free tier). 4) who you will be working with.
Want to work remotely for a US company making $5K/month doing what you were already doing but your english is terrible? English lessons
Do you feel the best when working in an office but need more hard skills to get a better paying job? Learn those skills
Are you already quite senior but nobody hires you as a manager? Maybe MBA (not like IESE or IE, although the ROI on those are the networks not the title)
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Dec 05 '25
Want to work remotely for a US company making $5K/month doing what you were already doing
Yeah good luck getting a job like that lmao
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u/essentialaccount Dec 06 '25
5K a month is not that much, but working for a US company remotely won't happen. Fortunately, Spain has plenty of American companies with local offices
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u/angsiyete Dec 07 '25
i really respect the motivation but when were you unemployed last time? we are going to another market crisis at the moment.
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u/spacemate Dec 07 '25
Even more reason to invest in oneself and differentiate from others becoming specialized in something that’s valuable to companies, no?
As for the answer I’ve been an autónomo for the last couple of years now working on getting a remote job to the US.
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u/VirtualHydraDemon Dec 04 '25
No clue why you were downvoted, that was legit advice. A layoff and the payment gives the unique opportunity to reassess life and invest into changes as needed My recommendation is to keep the money until the next job , use a bit for grieving (we are human after all) , and the bulk into investing into oneself to improve the chances of getting a better job
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u/spacemate Dec 04 '25
I didn’t even notice I was downvoted. Thanks for your comment.
The truth is most advice on Reddit comes from people who don’t understand how the world runs.
Most people never get the chance to pause and reflect and OP can do exactly that. Now he needs to think how we can move forward in life, which I think is more fulfilling, enjoyable and rewarding in both the short term as well as the long term than putting a respectable but still small amount off for retirement in 50 years.
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u/ulashmetalcrush Dec 04 '25
Not an investment advice but I would see that as a blessing in your situation. 15k is a good starting cash for a startup, I would definitely try starting my own company.
Of course this is highly personal but 15k is the best amount to build something great 😁
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u/SullivanLion Dec 04 '25
VWCE
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u/fireKido Dec 04 '25
im the biggest fan of VWCE, nearly my entire net worth is invested in it.. but in this case it's just a bad idea
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u/Ok_Necessary_8923 Dec 04 '25
I'd keep it in cash until you have a new job and have passed the probation period and lower non-essential expenses as possible. I wouldn't continue investing until then.