Social welfare or “the dole” was never meant for anyone to thrive on. It is all about survival and nothing more. In this blog post lets look at 7 tips to survive living on the dole and look at ways to budget within your means until you can get back on your feet.
7 tips to survive living on the dole
- Check that you are in receipt of all that you are entitled to.
- Make a list of your essential bills and essential living costs.
- Write a realistic budget, allocating every euro a job.
- Sinking funds are an essential and should be treated as a bill.
- Aim for zero food waste.
- Charity shops and free cycle sites for clothing and other non-food items.
- Ask for help if you need it.
Check that you are in receipt of all that you are entitled to
To check that you are in receipt of all that you are entitled to speak to someone in your local citizens information office or look online on the citizens information website. It is also worthwhile to speak to someone in your local social welfare office for clarity on any benefits you believe you may be entitled to.
Make a list of your essential bills and essential living costs
Take out a pen and piece of paper and write down every single essential bill. I’m not talking about Sky and Netflix. I mean car insurance, electricity, heating, phone etc. Be cut throat with it. Now the same thing with your living costs such as food, fuel and housing. You need to know what they are, what they cost and how often you need to pay.
Write a realistic budget, allocating every euro a job
Go further, give every cent a job. To keep your head above water you need to take writing a realistic budget seriously. Surviving on the dole is hard but surviving on the dole and adding debt is a recipe for disaster.
Pretend your rent is €73.49 per week. Instead of rounding that number up or down to an even number you should write that number exactly as it is into your budget. A few cent here and there don’t seem like much but they could mean an extra loaf of bread or another litre of milk.
Sinking funds are an essential and should be treated as a bill
Sinking funds will save your bacon if you are diligent in filling them. Getting by on social welfare usually means you can’t leave it ’til the last moment to save for big expenses like home heating and Christmas. Where would you pull the money from? It just wouldn’t work.
Instead you need to know what large expenses you have coming up. Then set aside regular amounts (sinking fund) in order to have the money to pay for that expense.
Aim for zero food waste
Cut out any food items from your shopping list that tend to make it to the bin. Make a meal plan based on what you already have in the house and then make a shopping list based on that meal plan.
Consider going meat free or reducing your meat intake for some of the week. Cutting down on the amount of meat you consume will greatly reduce your food budget. Be sure to include protein alternatives such as peas, beans and lentils!
Buying own brand products is a massive money saver and will help your food budget go further.
Another simple way to reduce your food waste is batch cooking. Preparing meals in advance reduces the chance of you buying expensive convenience foods and it will also help keep your electricity bill down.
Charity shops and free cycle sites for clothing and other non-food items
Clothing can be expensive. A simple solution to avoid the big price tag that comes along with new clothing is to shop new to you (charity shops and online market places) or to use clothing from free cycle sites.
Baby things, toys, furniture, household items etc. can all be picked up for nominal sums of money. The trick is to make a list of the things you really need and set a budget for them. Then keep an eye out for them. Don’t get side tracked and pick up items you don’t really need.
You don’t need to live a spartan life or go without to survive living on the dole. You do need to be aware of what money you have available to you and spend it prudently.
Ask for help if you need it
Ask for help. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that someone else needs the help more than you do. You will know when you need help, make sure pride doesn’t hold you back from asking for it.
People to reach out to would include..
- local charities such as St Vincent De Paul
- citizens information
- your local community welfare officer.
Additional support
This could be the time to look at doing a course to upskill or retrain.
Springboard provides courses for both people in and out of employment. Courses may be subsidized or in some cases free of charge.
Further Reading
If you found this blog post useful you might also be interested in..
Frugal Mama Ireland 