The reason the stories of the JetBlue flight attendant who quit by sliding out of the plane and the hoax about the girl who quit her job with an email picture blast were so popular is they acted out job-ditching fantasied we all share.

Kiplinger throws a wet blanket over such fantasies by tapping you on your shoulder and reminding you that you really should cover your financial bases before you leave your place of employment in a huff. Some advice from a how-to post:

*Build your emergency fund. It could be a while before you land a new gig, so save up at least what you’ll burn through in three months.

*Manage your health insurance. Unless you get yourself fired for gross misconduct, your COBRA will give you 18 months of subsidized insurance. Kiplinger recommends you quit early in the month to give you a few bonus weeks of coverage.

*Sap your flexible spending account. If you don’t use money you’ve placed into a flexible spending account meant as a tax shield for health expenses before you quit, you’ll lose it forever. So hurry up and break your ankle or get that MRI you always dreamed of.

*Decide where to stash the 401(k). Tax penalties mean cashing out is for chumps, so find an IRA in which to roll over the funds.

OK, enough with all the good advice. What’s the craziest way you ever quit a job?

Quit Your Job the Smart Way
(And Save a Fortune) [Kiplinger]
(Thanks, Laura!)

Previously: JetBlue Flight Attendant Curses Out Passenger, Uses Emergency Slide To Exit Plane And Run Away
Dry-Erase Board Quitter Reveals Herself As Hoax

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