> Wild take lol, I was recently unemployed and once I started facing the very real possibility that I'd have to go work at the local sawmill (or UPS) for $20/hr I was

My hot take is that if you're an unemployed software dev now, it could last over a year easily, and it's way better to spend that time actually working at the sawmill or UPS if you're lucky enough to get those jobs. Work on your skills and selectively apply in your off hours, spend conservatively, reduce expenses as much as possible. At the very least, it'll remind you to be humble.

Independent contract work. Form your own LLC and smooth over the employment gap on your CV.