Help Unemployment scare.

[old.Tohtori]

Was reading the other thread about UK troubles with unemployment and saw a lot of in there by people.

Wanted to create a thread to help out people who are falling into unemployment, or are expecting harder times. Anyone can contribute with experience etc.

First off i'd like to say that it's nothing to be scared of, with preparation and palnning, you can manage a nice lil life. So here's a few tips and tricks i've used/learned.

Start saving now, every penny counts when your pennystream ends. Do you need cheese on toast? Do you need that candy bar? Do you need that fast net?

Make a list of ALL expenses, jolt down all you buy and/or use money on, for a month. FE;

- Net 50 bucks.
- Bread (10/week)
- Candybar from tescos(that's a place there right? )

Then start cutting things out. You can save up a lot if you can save even a buck/day. That 30 at end of month is a lifesaver. Absolutely RAW basic things you need are as follows;

- Living (get as low rent place as you can, even renting a room from home works if you've got the stomach for it)
- Food (It's remarkable how little you can survive on, if you ignore your sweet tooth)
- Water (not really a cost issue)
- Net (To facilitate for your job searching. You can even cut that out if you have access to library computers etc)
- Phone (Switch to prepaid, kill MMS and net from phone etc. Go cheap basically. Keep contacting to a minimum, quickdial friends and let them call you back)

Job searching is about persistency, keep at it and don't fret. Even if it seems there's none around, openings come. Also helps to keep asking companies monthly/by-monthly for opeings as they "forget" your CV if you're not needed at that point.

Now then, being unemployed can easily be boring, but you have to remember that you can put that time into a lot of things. You're basically free 24/7. Hobbies, jogging, writing stuff, drawing, learning new things from the interwebs, all good ways to make best of your time and keep you sane.

Also keep a normal day rhytm, it's easy to fall into late nights, late mornings, but it does hinder your motivation and keeping a regular rhytm helps keep you focused when the job starts again.

Even if cutting costs etc is a big thing, do pamper yourself. Go out for drinks etc, but keep it in budget. Have a night out, cut it out of some other expense. Earn the right to have that extra stuff.

Also, you don't have to drink beer to have fun, just grab water at the bar, cheap and saves the hangover

Playing games might seem like a waste of time, but you have plenty to waste. The upside is that while you play, you eat less and thus, save up money again.

Set your pride aside, in all things, asking for help isn't shameful(human concept) and queueing for food at food lines is a regular day to many. You can be spot free when you get that job, feels better too to "get out of the dumps".

I'm not gonna get into the whole "this agency helps etc" since it's country dependant, but bet there's a few guys here who know about those.

All in all, keep your chin up, don't think you're a "waste of space", keep a clear head, cut costs and keep busy and out of boredom(free activities are abundance out there) and you'll be just fine.

EDIT: forgot to add this - Get things done today, not tomorrow. Every day you keep from setting up that dole(or what'sitcalled), or keep those bill senders waiting, or leave that CV untouched is a day missed. Just get it done, you can do whatever you're doing after, time, weekdays and such are meaningless when you have no job

 

[fettoken]

Would like to rep, but i can't unfortunately. Planning ahead when buying things, especially food is the biggest money saver i could imagine. What's your experience with that Toht?

 

[Thorwyn]

Very good post!

If I may add one thing: a HUGE aspect of finding a new job are social networks. Join LinkedIn (or the local equivalent of your country). It´s free, you can expand your network and get contact to headhunters etc.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Would like to rep, but i can't unfortunately. Planning ahead when buying things, especially food is the biggest money saver i could imagine. What's your experience with that Toht?

It's the thought that counts

After making a list of needed expenses(net, phone, living, etc) the rest is put in food.

So if i'm left with a 100 bucks, i allocate 25/week.

That in return gets split into different materials, for example;

5 packs of noodles 2 bucks.
Bread 1 pack 1 buck.
etc etc

I make a list of things i need, then allocate the cash to them, see if something needs to be cut out(if money is short) and see if i'm saving something.

If you buy something like rice, it can alst two weeks, which means you can set the rest away as "saved cash" for rainy days.

Best perhaps in example form;

Money for food next month(after expenses), 150.
Money per week, 37.5 euro.

List of weekly goods;

- Bread 3 euro.
- Cheese 3.5 euro.
- Noodles 3 euro.
- Margarin 2 euro.
- Drinks 5 euro.
- Meat produce 4 euro.
- Yoghurt 3 euro.

Total: 23.5
Saved: 14.

I take the list, go shop for things for the week, if i have some things left(cheese, margarin, meat) i can jolt that down to savings. Now if i had only 20 euro, i'd cut out meat produce or cheese from the list, or if i had savings from other weeks, i could use that.

Anything you save from your basic needs, like phonebill etc, gets put into savings and you can use that, well, basically for rainy days or morale boosting fun.

 

[- English -]

It maybe relevant to some or not, but I have been working hard for the last 5-6 days digging my own little patch in the garden. Its about 4m long, 1.5 wide, and I plan to grow some of my own vegtables. Ive never done this before, and i do have alot of spare time on my hands, as im only working 2 nights a week, but the prices out here in denmark are scary. Its keeping me busy and im enjoying it. But also it will bring some food in aswell . For the record, I shall be growing Strawberries, potatoes, onions, tomatos, peppers cucumbers to start, and when i get more confident/used to it all, i hope to expand into other fruit and veg.

Talking cost wise, ive spent nothing to make the bed, as its just soil, and it will cost a few bob to buy some stuff to plant and some fertilizer or so. But considering a pack of tomatos is a couple of quid, and stawberries can be anything upto £3-4 per handful, i expect in a year or so ill have a nice saving. Ofcourse if you wanna charge my labour for doing it, then you may be out of pocket for some time, but im classing it as fun/exerise.

 

[fettoken]

It maybe relevant to some or not, but I have been working hard for the last 5-6 days digging my own little patch in the garden. Its about 4m long, 1.5 wide, and I plan to grow some of my own vegtables. Ive never done this before, and i do have alot of spare time on my hands, as im only working 2 nights a week, but the prices out here in denmark are scary. Its keeping me busy and im enjoying it. But also it will bring some food in aswell . For the record, I shall be growing Strawberries, potatoes, onions, tomatos, peppers cucumbers to start, and when i get more confident/used to it all, i hope to expand into other fruit and veg.

Talking cost wise, ive spent nothing to make the bed, as its just soil, and it will cost a few bob to buy some stuff to plant and some fertilizer or so. But considering a pack of tomatos is a couple of quid, and stawberries can be anything upto £3-4 per handful, i expect in a year or so ill have a nice saving. Ofcourse if you wanna charge my labour for doing it, then you may be out of pocket for some time, but im classing it as fun/exerise.

YouTube - Old McBundy had a farm

 

[Larossa]

Some good advice there, particularly about being persistant about applying for jobs; I have a few unemployed friends who find this the really hard part when firms can't or don't reply to your applications. I would add - research the companies you apply to in case you get an interview and view each application as a rehearsal; if you get the job that's great but don't view being turned down for jobs as a personal thing. In game terms I guess it's doing a repeatable quest for a good drop that's a tad rare

 

[Lamp]

Great post, Toto. I remember years ago when I was looking for a job in a legal firm, just before I finished my post grad diploma. Took me something like 250 applications before someone offered me something. Persistence is the key as is having a regular sensible routine Monday-Friday. You need to make looking for a job your daily job.

 

[old.Whoodoo]

Ive always found theres plenty of jobs out there, just take whatever shite one you find to pay the rent and keep applying to agencies, job centers and directly to employers till the right job comes along. Sit on your arse and wait for a job to come to you, then you are asking to be in a pit of boredom and shame, employers want ppl who really want jobs, so look eagre to get one!

 

[Imgormiel]

Was reading the other thread about UK troubles with unemployment and saw a lot of in there by people.

Wanted to create a thread to help out people who are falling into unemployment, or are expecting harder times. Anyone can contribute with experience etc.

First off i'd like to say that it's nothing to be scared of, with preparation and palnning, you can manage a nice lil life. So here's a few tips and tricks i've used/learned.

Start saving now, every penny counts when your pennystream ends. Do you need cheese on toast? Do you need that candy bar? Do you need that fast net?

Make a list of ALL expenses, jolt down all you buy and/or use money on, for a month. FE;

- Net 50 bucks.
- Bread (10/week)
- Candybar from tescos(that's a place there right? )

Then start cutting things out. You can save up a lot if you can save even a buck/day. That 30 at end of month is a lifesaver. Absolutely RAW basic things you need are as follows;

- Living (get as low rent place as you can, even renting a room from home works if you've got the stomach for it)
- Food (It's remarkable how little you can survive on, if you ignore your sweet tooth)
- Water (not really a cost issue)
- Net (To facilitate for your job searching. You can even cut that out if you have access to library computers etc)
- Phone (Switch to prepaid, kill MMS and net from phone etc. Go cheap basically. Keep contacting to a minimum, quickdial friends and let them call you back)

Job searching is about persistency, keep at it and don't fret. Even if it seems there's none around, openings come. Also helps to keep asking companies monthly/by-monthly for opeings as they "forget" your CV if you're not needed at that point.

Now then, being unemployed can easily be boring, but you have to remember that you can put that time into a lot of things. You're basically free 24/7. Hobbies, jogging, writing stuff, drawing, learning new things from the interwebs, all good ways to make best of your time and keep you sane.

Also keep a normal day rhytm, it's easy to fall into late nights, late mornings, but it does hinder your motivation and keeping a regular rhytm helps keep you focused when the job starts again.

Even if cutting costs etc is a big thing, do pamper yourself. Go out for drinks etc, but keep it in budget. Have a night out, cut it out of some other expense. Earn the right to have that extra stuff.

Also, you don't have to drink beer to have fun, just grab water at the bar, cheap and saves the hangover

Playing games might seem like a waste of time, but you have plenty to waste. The upside is that while you play, you eat less and thus, save up money again.

Set your pride aside, in all things, asking for help isn't shameful(human concept) and queueing for food at food lines is a regular day to many. You can be spot free when you get that job, feels better too to "get out of the dumps".

I'm not gonna get into the whole "this agency helps etc" since it's country dependant, but bet there's a few guys here who know about those.

All in all, keep your chin up, don't think you're a "waste of space", keep a clear head, cut costs and keep busy and out of boredom(free activities are abundance out there) and you'll be just fine.

EDIT: forgot to add this - Get things done today, not tomorrow. Every day you keep from setting up that dole(or what'sitcalled), or keep those bill senders waiting, or leave that CV untouched is a day missed. Just get it done, you can do whatever you're doing after, time, weekdays and such are meaningless when you have no job

Confounding