Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - what worked for you?

I have been out of work for 9 weeks and feel pressure to accept less. Any experience at all would help. I looked up ranges in Chicago and they vary a lot. What did you say?

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.

Asking about the range for the role first worked for me. Some recruiters share it.