How the Dole Could Get You Out of Debt

In Northern Ireland, in every town, there's what is known as the dole office, where inside is small cubicles, lots of chairs filled with people with one thing in common. They're unemployed and looking for work or claiming benefit because they are unable to work due to health reasons, pregnancy, and disability.

These people claiming contrary to popular belief aren't uneducated, lazy bums of society spending taxpayer's money. Even people with degree's which would make a huge contribution to society if they had a job are claiming benefit.

The Government says that a single person can live on a budget of around £60 per week. It is possible if you learn how to budget and just spend money on the basics such as food, electricity, diesel or petrol, bills and heating.

How to survive
The best way to manage to live, is to get a piece of paper, a calculator and a calendar and sit down and add up all the things you need such as food, electricity, bills, heating oil or coal and with the rest of the money that's left per month should stay in your bank account just for those unexpected times that you need the extra cash.

Set up Direct Debits for things such as TV Licensing, car insurance or anything that can be paid through your bank account, and put the dates into your calendar or mobile phone. That way the money will be in your account and bills paid.

Food Shopping
Start shopping for food at supermarkets which have special offers on food such as bread with the sell by date ending in a couple of days.
Before going shopping, write down what you need by going round your kitchen cupboards and fridge and have something to eat before you go, that way you're less likely to impulse buy thing you don't need but you want.

Pay with cash and withdraw an extra £10, so you avoid the whole standing in a busy line when the cashier gives you the total and while you pick yourself off the floor and thinking I'm going to have to pick things to put back. I've been standing in line at a supermarket and having to choose between buying milk or bread with people behind me and having to put things back.

Avoid loans, finance and credit cards like the plague.
When you turn on the TV or radio there are ads for car finance, 0% credit cards and unsecured loans to get us out of debt and drive the car we want for a small payment. If you really need a car because your car is falling apart, making strange noises and people don't want to go in it, then look in your local car magazines and newspapers for decent cars. At least then, it's yours, you don't owe money on it and it can't be reposed if you can't afford to keep up the payments. If you look at the interest rate which is around 19.9% to 29%
If you think you need a credit card, then go for a debit card or prepaid card. That way you can't spend what you don't have. It works the same way as pay as you go mobile phones.
If you find something that you really must have and can't do without, start putting money in a different bank account and put payments into the account that you would have paid to the company. That way you avoid damaging your credit rating and stop credit companies from being your new best friends if you miss a payment.

Bills and credit cards
Phone up the credit companies and come up with an agreement to pay back the money you owe. It is advisable to make an appointment with a professional that can give you all the information and your options before you ring them. These bills needs paid and having a bill drawer and ignoring them won't make them go away.

Avoid on line scams
When your broke and in desperate need for money, if you type on line work from home, there are so many pages of companies that promise to make you a millionaire in a few months and all your money problems will go and you will have the life you deserve and all you have to do is send in $49.99 for doing nothing. If your having severe financial problems its time to bite the bullet and get a 9 to 5.

The other option is to set up your own business, pick something your interested in and have a passion for and you can sell either on line, at markets or through advertising. If you have spare cash around and want to gamble then spend time researching legitimate work at home jobs and the scams, just take everything with a pinch of salt.

Even in you don't live on welfare, but you are in debt, the golden rule, is only spend what you have at the time on things that you really need to live.