Who would have thought getting fired would be such a good thing. First it really focuses your attention on how poorly well you manage your money. Second, for those that are overly egotistically (like myself) it helps to orient your ego into a more accurate prospective. Third, you can find a better job.

I found just the size (small) & type (sucessful) of company I want to work for, and they hired me to manage software tools development (non-game related).