cannot survive on dole money and cant get work

LegacyUser

ive being trying to get work since November when i got laid of from my retail job, ive had 2 interviews and none of them called me back, i spend half my life applying to jobs because i just cant live on the dole money ive 3 euro in my purse to do me until pay day on Thursday, every week its the same thing i scrape by just about and im left with coins i cant aford to even treat myself to decent food, i dont know what im doing wrong that i cannot get even a part time job

Ham Sambo

Hi ya, what exactly is your situation? the reason I ask is that depending on your circumstances the rate of payment differs dramatically.

carzony

I'm a student but get my 160 a week and i'm exactly the same, How people think dole money is great is beyond me. The last 3 weeks i'v had to live on 40 for the week.. I don't drink,smoke and the only real expense I have is the car..

I Hope you find work soon.

LegacyUser

i get the 188 per week, i just dont seem to have a penny no matter how many cutbacks i make, everything is so expensive in this country, i dont smoke i used to have a few drinks but at the price of it in the pubs there is not a chance i can afford it anymore, the thing is im willing to work and crying out for work, and cant even get a few hours work per week

macplato

If you spend half of your time applying for jobs, would you consider doing some voluntary work the other half of your time? I personally know a few people, who managed to turn voluntary positions into full-time paid jobs. One of them is an administrative assistant, another is a massage therapist, someone else is a gardener - they all started as volunteers, and got job offers within 2-3 months of starting their assignments.

Even if your voluntary work doesn't lead to a job offer, you may end up doing some useful networking that could land you a job somewhere else. If you prove to be a hard working, dependable volunteer, you may end up with great references, or even a strong recommendation, too.

carzony

if you'v no money to even buy food then volunteering isnt a good option.

Lux23

Plus the dole don't really let you volunteer.

Maura74

ivehadoo wrote: »

i get the 188 per week, i just dont seem to have a penny no matter how many cutbacks i make, everything is so expensive in this country, i dont smoke i used to have a few drinks but at the price of it in the pubs there is not a chance i can afford it anymore, the thing is im willing to work and crying out for work, and cant even get a few hours work per week

Do you not get children allowance as well... have you made inquiries about doing some training for work and you may also get some help with training ....have you any family or friends that may be able to babysit for you while training for a couple of house a day. Check all the relevant agency that may be able to give you some advice.

BTW the 188 a week, I expect is purely for day to day living expenses, if it is than that is not too bad they will not allowed for things like socializing.
Also, why not go to the library and get books out and read to your children that would be very helpful for them, you can have so much fun with your children now that you got some spare time to do so......
You need to get someone to help you with budgeting your finances and I expect that will be free for you.

Rachiee

Maura74 wrote: »

Do you not get children allowance as well... have you made enquiries about doing some training for work and you may also get some help with training ....have you any family or friends that may be able to babysit for you while training for a couple of house a day. Check all the relevant agency that may be able to give you some advice. Best of Luck.


BTW is the 188 I expect is purely for living expenses, if it is than that is not too bad they will not allowed for things like socializing.

??? She doesn't mention having children so i'm guessing she doesnt have any. The 188 is the total rate for a single adult. Its not pocket money you have to pay rent of 35 euro per week out of it (if on rent allowance) but most end up paying more to top up because rent allowance is too low for reasonable standards of accommodation.
OP are you getting rent allowance ? That should leave you with 153 or 148 if topping up payment for the landlord. Then if you can do a weeks shop for 60 euro. (do able in Aldi ) and put aside 10 euro for your phoneThat should leave you with 10 euro a day for travel/photocopy/daily expenses.
That is pretty tough alright. Maybe look at cancelling things like internet subscriptions (join the library). Its not your fault you can't get a job its a tough climate just hang in there and keep applying.
Do have a look at your budget though. You may be carrying bills from when you were working that are no longer affordable. Think most people on the dole run out Monday or Tuesday though and its still one of the highest rates in the world. Good luck

lollsangel

Maura74 wrote: »

Do you not get children allowance as well... have you made inquiries about doing some training for work and you may also get some help with training ....have you any family or friends that may be able to babysit for you while training for a couple of house a day. Check all the relevant agency that may be able to give you some advice.

BTW the 188 a week, I expect is purely for day to day living expenses, if it is than that is not too bad they will not allowed for things like socializing.
Also, why not go to the library and get books out and read to your children that would be very helpful for them, you can have so much fun with your children now that you got some spare time to do so......
You need to get someone to help you with budgeting your finances and I expect that will be free for you.

188 is the rate for a single person over the age of 25,(I dont know if stamps for under 25s pay the full 188), judging by this I reckon she has no kids. Op, when I lost my job almost 5 years ago it was a massive upheaval. However you need to go look at all your expenditure. Figure out what is necessary, whatis not! Also make sure you are claiming for your fuel allowance rent etc.
I would keep trying for jobs, dont get disheartened, I went onto a ce scheme, ut may not be for everyone but its work!

sligoface

Hi OP, not any easy answers for this unfortunately, and I know cause I'm in the same boat, so is my gf. Only luxury I have is the internet which is really more of a necessity nowadays, esp. when jobseeking.

Have you applied for a tax refund? I also lost my job in November, and got a few hundred back because of it. Contact Revenue, either get a PAYE pin and do it online or request the form over the phone, which is easy to fill out if you have your P45. They actually process them pretty quickly in most cases. Could get you some extra cash for the short term. You can also look into a rent relief tax refund if you've been renting since 2009.

Until you find work, only thing you can do is decrease expenses. But as I said, doing this in some cases, like cancelling the internet, will make it harder to get work. Ditto for getting rid of a car or moving to places that have cheaper rent, as they are usually cheap because their isn't many jobs around the place. But that's what I did, I have no car, I share a house that is within walking distance to Aldi and unless I get a job, I will just barely scrape by each week. Careful budgeting is important, but sometimes it just isn't enough, esp. if you have an unexpected expense and you don't know what else to do. I live in constant fear of getting a large ESB bill, needing dental work, etc.

In these times just do whatever you can to keep from going nuts, take walks or jog, write, draw/paint, read, clean, listen to music. It might not help you financially but when you are broke all the time you need to do stuff to not let depression set in. Find a cheap or free hobby you enjoy. My gf goes to a book club, she gets the books from the library. I know it won't pay the bills but finding cheap/free social activities will help with the blues that come with joblessness and lack of money. Learning a new skill or making something with your hands, any accomplishment at all, will help with the feeling of uselessness and helplessness.

Volunteer work might also be useful as a time/Cv filler and could be a nice social outlet or way to make contacts as well but I wouldn't suggest it for reasons other than that. In reality it won't pay the bills now or probably ever, though unfortunately it seems like the government, Bill Cullen, etc. have succeeded in brainwashing some members of the Irish public with this nonsense that working for free is the pathway to paid work. I don't want to knock volunteering, but I also don't buy this new phenomenon one bit. Volunteer work does not traditionally lead to paid work, it is usually something a person does for a non profit cause they believe in. Most people who volunteer do so because they are grateful that they are lucky enough to have a decent life as well as spare time and want to give back to society in some way. A person who can barely afford to buy food needs to help themself first.

The only thing that can keep you from being so broke is to land a job. But do slash expenses if possible. Look at things objectively and see can you configure your life expenses so that you can live a little more comfortably from your dole while jobseeking, in case you end up being unemployed for a while. The reality for many of us is that we are victims of an economic crisis we didn't cause, and are severely disadvantaged by the lack of opportunity in our present location. The cost of living in this country is high and keeps going up, jobs are scarce, and pretty much every type of social welfare support payments has been cut. This government can't create jobs so they want any of us who are unable to find work to either leave the country or go on some work for free scheme, either way they can take you off the live register and proceed to tell everyone that things have turned around when they really haven't, so they can keep their own pockets lined. It's infuriating but here we are.

It's not a great time of year for jobseeking, and even worse for retail, just keep trying and be patient. It is not unusual to not be called back, in this climate most jobseekers for entry level positions are not even going to get interviews because so many are applying for the small amount of positions available. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong. Don't give up.

TLDR: keep applying, be patient, keep busy with cheap hobbies, reduce outgoings and apply for a tax refund since you should be due something back. And most importantly, look after your mental health. Oh, and shop at Aldi/Lidl.

Grayfoxy

lollsangel wrote: »

,(I dont know if stamps for under 25s pay the full 188),

They do indeed,

I am 25 and am being made redundant, I have checked it out, I will be getting 188 if I sign on (which I may not need to), if I had no stamps it would be about 150 ish. And it should be noted, if you don't have stamps, you do not get 188 until you are 26.

Dave!

OP where are you living? Rental accommodation or parents?

Do you have a budget written up in Excel or somethin?

Would it be worth selling the car?

Pawwed Rig

You need figure out what exactly you are spending the money on. The car for example seems like an unneccesary luxury for someone who is not working. They can be an absolute money pit.
You could easily feed yourself for €40-€50 per week. Do you have Sky/broadband? Get these disconnected. The free to view channels are more than adequate and internet access is available for free in public libraries.
How much do you spend on mobile phone? Anymore than €20 per month is excessive given the deals that are available these days.
It is unclear what rent you are paying or what your living arrangements are and whether you are in receipt of rent allowance.

OP, you say you don't drink, smoke or eat 'decent' food.

Maybe if you could give us a breakdown of where the 188 is going, we could help?

The fact is it's incredibly hard to get a job, and has been for years now. Since it's highly likely that you're not doing anything wrong on the job hunt front, it makes more sense for the help you get here to be about managing to live on that 188 while you wait for a job to come through. No one can help you there unless we know where the money is going.

tomwaterford

I can only wish you best of luck and hope it gets better:)

last year before I started my job I had e8 in the bank (had to go into the bank to withdraw it and put with the e6 id left over to buy petrol)
and between food bills rent etc I used have e6 left to last me the week (get dole on Friday morning have e6 left saterday morning....I had not a penny on me)
I had been employed for 12 of the pervious 15 months,only advice is to do what im doing...when you get a job save up enough as fast as possible so you'll to be able to afford to emigrate....things on your own in forgien country can't be much worse than surviving on next to nothing at home

macplato

Lux23 wrote: »

Plus the dole don't really let you volunteer.

That's not accurate. You have to fill in an application and be "available and looking for work".

Many places will offer food in exchange for voluntary work, and if covering the bus fare is an issue, I'm quite sure St Vincent de Paul will be happy to chip in (they will definitely offer food vouchers anyway).

Being proactive and putting yourself out there while looking for work is very important, if only to protect your self esteem, OP. And if a job offer comes out of it as well, or contacts leading to a job offer, then why not?

John Mason

you can eat well on 20e a week, probably less. 2 of us spend 25e a week on food and eat damn well.

what are you spending your money on?

lose the car immediately.

Mycroft H

All well and good suggesting loosing the car if you live in a city or a large town. It's simply not an option for those that live out in the county. I'm 8 miles from the nearest town and 20 from the nearest large town. Cycle to interviews, whip out a crumpled suit out of a rucksake to change into? Many potential jobs actually require you to have your own transport too

Ham Sambo

carzony wrote: »

I'm a student but get my 160 a week and i'm exactly the same, How people think dole money is great is beyond me. The last 3 weeks i'v had to live on 40 for the week.. I don't drink,smoke and the only real expense I have is the car..

I Hope you find work soon.

Worse thing you can do is to sit around the house all day, you can get in a rut doing that, you have your car so you are not totally isolated. Did you ever think of doing a CE scheme of some sort? Pays 220.oo per week and a great way of meeting other people, check out the FAS / Intreo web site for your area. Don't give up, something always comes up. Best of luck.

lollsangel

Ham Sambo wrote: »

Worse thing you can do is to sit around the house all day, you can get in a rut doing that, you have your car so you are not totally isolated. Did you ever think of doing a CE scheme of some sort? Pays 220.oo per week and a great way of meeting other people, check out the FAS / Intreo web site for your area. Don't give up, something always comes up. Best of luck.

Ce pays 208 euros, or 20 euro extra on your jsa which ever is greater. Not eligible until unemployed over 12 months and over age of 25 unfortunately

carzony

Ham Sambo wrote: »

Worse thing you can do is to sit around the house all day, you can get in a rut doing that, you have your car so you are not totally isolated. Did you ever think of doing a CE scheme of some sort? Pays 220.oo per week and a great way of meeting other people, check out the FAS / Intreo web site for your area. Don't give up, something always comes up. Best of luck.

I'm in college

LegacyUser

eat well on 20 euro a week? i dont think so thats not even 5 euro per day on food, i dont have a car, my money goes on rent, food, buses, heating, electricity, internet which i need to apply for jobs, i now have 2 euro to do me untill thursday. Ive tried for part time and full time cleaning jobs but yet they say you need experience, i have retail experience but yet ive only had 2 interviews since November,

Dave!

Re: car

Ah, looks like a few of us mixed you up with carzony

carzony wrote: »

I'm a student but get my 160 a week and i'm exactly the same, How people think dole money is great is beyond me. The last 3 weeks i'v had to live on 40 for the week.. I don't drink,smoke and the only real expense I have is the car..

I Hope you find work soon.

dellas1979

I think people meant give a breakdown of how you are spending money, not a list of what you are spending it on.

I.e.,

Rent: e70
Food: e20
Gas/electricity: e20

Well, I was once unemployed (of all times, during the boom!). Could not get a job for love nor money. I'd worked all through college in a Supermarket (which I loved). Upon graduating, I got a job in the Uni. After 2 years, left that, moved to a different city, and could not get a job in anything. I even applied to the Supermarket chain which I worked in for 4 years, and was told I was too qualified. I sent so many job applications, and got 2 interviews in 8 months. 2! The woman in the social welfare (which I was on for 8/9 months) sat me down one day, and gave out to me. Why, cant someone with your quals, and job experience, not get a job. And I sat there with my list of places Id applied to, and felt absolutely dumbfounded.

I lived on stamps for those months and it was hard. But I somehow managed/budgeted, to the extreme. 8/9 months later, I was offered a job in a different city, and went for it, and the rest as they say is history (and even got back into the field I was interested in working in initially).

It took a long time, patience, and determination, and 1 chance from someone who said "yes" to me. That is all you need too, and youve got to believe it will happen.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

I can offer some advice on how to live off a budget. I am on a very tight budget this year, so I will share what I have to offer.
Food:
I do all of my food shop in aldi, it really is fantastic, the quality of food is excellent, I eat very well.
You could reduce your spend by having less variety than I have:
For your main meals, things like pasta or rice are good value.
I make a stew, using diced beef from aldi and their veg soup mix packet of veg,this feeds me for three days (average cost of my dinner is 1.60), add in some potatoes each evening.
Look out for their diced beef, I have often got it at half price if the date is up in a few days.
Any breakfast cereal, or porridge, they have a lovely toasting loaf for 95 cent (I freeze the loaf, so it doesn't go off), I make toasted sandwiches with it using turkey and cheese.
their fruit and veg is v.reasonable.

Internet is an o2 pay as you go, E20 per month, averages at E5 per week.

Phone: 02 freetalk pay as you go, I pay E30 a month for free calls, 250 texts and 700mb internet, without internet it is E20 a month.

For toiletries try discount stores.
Dealz stores are great for most things, I got a small saucepan and oven tray for 1.50 each!

Have you applied for a medical card?

You say you spend a lot on buses, is there anyway you could reduce your number of journeys and do a few different tasks each time you go into town.

Library is great for books/newspapers.

Heating: Check out what rate your electricity is set at, mine is at nightsaver, cheaper from 8pm to 8am, I switch on hot water and use washing machine after 8pm. Try to use washing machine when it is full.

AJG

Most of my advice would echo what has already been said by other posters. Although I would try and hang on to the car if at all possible because lots of jobs these days require one and if you have a substantial commute it'll be invaluable.

The following may not be an option but my life has turned around since I've done it so it may be food for thought.

Even with dole payments being pretty generous compared to other countries they don't go very far in Ireland and after being let go myself for the umpteenth time (and having to take whatever was going no matter how badly paid) I made the decision to leave for the U.K.

It's probably the best decision I ever made. Within a week and a half of landing in Bristol I had basically three or four offers of work. This is in contrast to Ireland where between losing my job at the end of September (cutbacks) until December I probably had 15 interviews. No matter what way I tried to sell myself or what change of tactics I made each time the door was firmly shut in my face. It was really beginning to affect my confidence. I found I was either completely over-qualified and they weren't willing to hire or the job was already gone

For the first time in my life I've actually been able to make a choice as to what particular part of my industry I've wanted to work (education). I was able to make the move by transferring my benefits to the U.K.

I'm just waiting for a CRB check (police check, it's standard when working with children) and I'll be able to start work but I'm finding my Irish welfare goes a lot further here and I can afford to wait up to 6 weeks until I'm cleared to work. The move has changed my life for the better. I came over as a last ditch attempt at finding work. I had no idea they were crying out for people in my field. It was actually a relatively pain free move. I lived in a hostel for a couple of weeks but found a room pretty quickly and I flew back to Ireland at the weekend to ferry across my car.

Like I said this may not be an option but it has quite literally changed my life for the better. My sense of self worth is back after years of dead end jobs. At the interview last week they basically said they had advertised the post since September and had about 8 cv's none of which they took to the interview stage. I was told if my probationary period (90 days) worked out they would offer me a permanent contract asap. It's like some kind of surreal dream:)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do OP.

LegacyUser

ivehadoo wrote: »

eat well on 20 euro a week? i dont think so thats not even 5 euro per day on food, i dont have a car, my money goes on rent, food, buses, heating, electricity, internet which i need to apply for jobs, i now have 2 euro to do me untill thursday. Ive tried for part time and full time cleaning jobs but yet they say you need experience, i have retail experience but yet ive only had 2 interviews since November,

It is perfectly possible to eat very very well on 20 a week for one person! Shop in Lidl/Aldi, buy in bulk where you can, look out for special offers, bulk food out with rice/pasta/potatoes/veg. Buy cheap cuts of meat and cook it slowly. Cook in bulk and freeze dinners. Go to supermarkets in the evening to pick up goods that will be binned that night if not sold.

Even M&S do fantastic deals: the 'meal deal for two' has really good quality ingredients, which can be stretched out to 4 days for one person by bulking them up - and a free bottle of wine, for 12.50!

FairytaleGirl

'I'm finding my Irish welfare goes a lot further here '

This. I live just over the border in the north and dont understand how you can't survive on €188 a week. For under 25s here (NI) the single adult dole rate is £47 a week!This rises to £70 when you turn 25. £188 a week isnt far off a full time job!

You can manage if you budget extremely well. Have you thought about going back to school? I was out of work for almost 18months and did volunteer work which was actually what swung it for me getting my job now. I also sold things on eBay to make a few quid from time to time. You have to be ruthless! Brand name stuff in shops for eg can be double the price of the stores own brand!! Could you provide a break down of your spending as others have asked?

LegacyUser

OP you mention rent but are you paying full rent or are you on rent allowance? If you are not on rent allowance, apply immediately. Are you eligible for anything else that you are not aware of? You should contact social welfare or citizens advice to check this out.

Also you say you need money for bus fares - do you know of anybody who could give/loan you a bike to get around on? The weather will be getting better from now on & this would be a cheap way to get around and also give you some exercise & fresh air.

All of the advice given here re preparing cheap meals is very good. You just have to get into the habit of planning & costing everything out. Do a list of what you plan to eat for the week and then list out what is needed to make these meals. Bring the list to ALDI / LIDL and stick rigidly to it. You have the time to walk around the supermarkets & see what they have in the way of special offers / cheaper items so familiarise yourself with these also.

The very best of luck with your job hunting OP. It is very hard at the moment but don't lose heart.

tomwaterford

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

'I'm finding my Irish welfare goes a lot further here '

This. I live just over the border in the north and dont understand how you can't survive on €188 a week. For under 25s here (NI) the single adult dole rate is £47 a week!This rises to £70 when you turn 25. £188 a week isnt far off a full time job!

You can manage if you budget extremely well. Have you thought about going back to school? I was out of work for almost 18months and did volunteer work which was actually what swung it for me getting my job now. I also sold things on eBay to make a few quid from time to time. You have to be ruthless! Brand name stuff in shops for eg can be double the price of the stores own brand!! Could you provide a break down of your spending as others have asked?

this converts to e226.71 still roughly e80 off a min wage job

sligoface

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

'I'm finding my Irish welfare goes a lot further here '

This. I live just over the border in the north and dont understand how you can't survive on €188 a week. For under 25s here (NI) the single adult dole rate is £47 a week!This rises to £70 when you turn 25. £188 a week isnt far off a full time job!

You don't understand because you don't shop or pay rent here, and your math is questionable also. Things are more expensive in the rep., why do you think so many go up north to shop?

Also, rent supplement is much more generous in the UK. Here it's been cut and you have to find an extremely cheap place to get on it(which often does not exist or would be a complete hovel or not near any amenities or places where there are jobs). I know because I can't get it myself in my area and I only pay 250 a month in rent in a shared house in a small town.

In the rep. a min. wage full time job (40 hours) will be 158 more than the dole before taxes, if it's a place where breaks are unpaid (37.5) it is 136 more.

188 euro = 155 pounds. Min wage in UK is 6.31 per hr, or 236 (37.5 hrs) to 252 (40 hrs), which is 81-97 pounds more.

So how anyone could say the dole here is not far off a min wage job is beyond me. I'm sure OP would manage if they had those sizable difference in their pocket each week. Besides that, the employment opportunities are downright dismal in most places here, meaning people have to live off it for longer, not by choice, and unless they have the funds stashed for relocation they are dead in the water.

Most of those entry level min wage jobs are not here any more because all manner of shops/pubs and small businesses have closed. And the government in the Republic has allowed employers to fill unskilled jobs with unpaid internships under the Jobbridge scheme. So unless you are highly qualified and also have plenty of experience, you will be hard pressed to get any kind of waged job in this country. A lot of people who are willing to work and work hard, are stuck in OP's position and many more will be if things don't change here. The icing on the cake is you them get lumped in with all the scroungers and become a target because the government and the working taxpayer thinks it is all your fault, you're lazy, etc.

FairytaleGirl

sligoface wrote: »

You don't understand because you don't shop or pay rent here, and your math is questionable also. Things are more expensive in the rep., why do you think so many go up north to shop?

Also, rent supplement is much more generous in the UK. Here it's been cut and you have to find an extremely cheap place to get on it(which often does not exist or would be a complete hovel or not near any amenities or places where there are jobs). I know because I can't get it myself in my area and I only pay 250 a month in rent in a shared house in a small town.

In the rep. a min. wage full time job (40 hours) will be 158 more than the dole before taxes, if it's a place where breaks are unpaid (37.5) it is 136 more.

188 euro = 155 pounds. Min wage in UK is 6.31 per hr, or 236 (37.5 hrs) to 252 (40 hrs), which is 81-97 pounds more.

So how anyone could say the dole here is not far off a min wage job is beyond me. I'm sure OP would manage if they had those sizable difference in their pocket each week. Besides that, the employment opportunities are downright dismal in most places here, meaning people have to live off it for longer, not by choice, and unless they have the funds stashed for relocation they are dead in the water.

Most of those entry level min wage jobs are not here any more because all manner of shops/pubs and small businesses have closed. And the government in the Republic has allowed employers to fill unskilled jobs with unpaid internships under the Jobbridge scheme. So unless you are highly qualified and also have plenty of experience, you will be hard pressed to get any kind of waged job in this country. A lot of people who are willing to work and work hard, are stuck in OP's position and many more will be if things don't change here. The icing on the cake is you them get lumped in with all the scroungers and become a target because the government and the working taxpayer thinks it is all your fault, you're lazy, etc.

Ages 18-20the minimum wage is is £5.03 which is £188per week. Also rent allowance for a single person is roughly £43per week also.

Big Bag of Chips

This is not the place to discuss cross-border benefits. The OP is living in the ROI and struggling in the ROI. Information on what is available in the UK versus what is available here is irrelevant to the OP.

Please stick to offering advice and suggestions to the OP.

makeandcreate

I'm a single parent of two. I get €400 per month from my ex as maintenance and therefore I am not entitled to rent allowance. My rent is €430 per month.
Otherwise I get SW for myself and my 2 kids - I've applied for every job going, I cannot pay a childminder and bring in enough to cover my rent and weekly expenses. I hate it and the only way out for me, that I can see, is to make my own income.
In the meantime - I buy 1.99 bacon offcuts in Aldi (or Lidl) and the veg deal -this makes a bacon and cabbage dinner, a bacon sandwich in the morning, then - fry up a little bit of the fatty bits, add whatever is cheap (peppers, onions, mushrooms - it changes week on week) - throw in cooked spaghetti, add cheese or ketchup and a side of 2 veg (frozen is great when the money runs out). Then I make my favourite - pea and ham soup - rest of the bacon, packet of aldi peas and the veg you have over from the week.
Kids love veg and noodles as well (thankfully). Something I heard today was set the washing machine to 30 degrees and buy better detergent.

ted1

tomwaterford wrote: »

this converts to e226.71 still roughly e80 off a min wage job

The person working full time pays rent etc so its not comparable. My mortgage and insurance is about 1100 a month so if she's on rent allowance she's up to an equivalent wage of nearly 40k

OP how much is your rent? We feed a family if 4 for a week on 100 quid.
Butcher special 20 euro and the rest in Aldi and local veg store. We don't eat crap its good quality.

It sounds like you need to manage your money better.

Show us your weekly expenses, what type car do you have? What do you use it for?

Mycroft H

Well the car is potentially something to look into, perhaps downsize it. Something like a cheap micra which is cheap to run/tax/insure could be an option.

ted1

ivehadoo wrote: »

eat well on 20 euro a week? i dont think so thats not even 5 euro per day on food, i dont have a car, my money goes on rent, food, buses, heating, electricity, internet which i need to apply for jobs, i now have 2 euro to do me untill thursday. Ive tried for part time and full time cleaning jobs but yet they say you need experience, i have retail experience but yet ive only had 2 interviews since November,

400grams of mince meat is about 4 euro. Chopped tomatoes 45c a can. Pasta 50c a pack, veg about 2 euro, pas data about 1 euro, that's dinner 2 dinners for 4 euro each with ingredients left. Porridge about 30c a day.
Bread is about 1.50 a loaf. Ham, cheese, etcetera not much when bought in supermarkets, so lunch isn't much.

20 quid is plenty,

tomdempsey200

25 euro feeds me just fine for the week at aldi

thats usually about what I have left after mortgage petrol misc bills etc

Rachiee

Asked and answered about the car 3 pages back OP doesn't have a car .

Freddy Smelly

ivehadoo wrote: »

ive being trying to get work since November when i got laid of from my retail job, ive had 2 interviews and none of them called me back, i spend half my life applying to jobs because i just cant live on the dole money ive 3 euro in my purse to do me until pay day on Thursday, every week its the same thing i scrape by just about and im left with coins i cant aford to even treat myself to decent food, i dont know what im doing wrong that i cannot get even a part time job

send a cv into http://tbe.taleo.net/CH11/ats/careers/jobSearch.jsp?org=HCL&cws=1

they are always looking for tech support / customer service / sales staff

Stavro Mueller

Take a look at http://agirlcalledjack.com/tag/recipes/ It's a blog set up by a woman in the uk who had to feed herself and her son on a very limited budget

thegreatgonzo

ivehadoo wrote: »

ive being trying to get work since November when i got laid of from my retail job, ive had 2 interviews and none of them called me back, i spend half my life applying to jobs because i just cant live on the dole money ive 3 euro in my purse to do me until pay day on Thursday, every week its the same thing i scrape by just about and im left with coins i cant aford to even treat myself to decent food, i dont know what im doing wrong that i cannot get even a part time job

Are there any big changes you can make to your lifestyle like moving house? I don't know where in the country you live but where I am I was able to move house reducing my weekly rent by 25 euro. It's far from the home of my dreams but it allows me to live fairly well until I'm earning again. I can live on €188 most of the year, December is hard because my car tax and insurance have to paid but I can budget for a certain amount and use my overdraft for emergencies. I would also shop in Aldi a lot so like a lot of people have suggested here you really need to take a close look at where you are spending. Get a receipt for everything you pay for this week and put them altogether.

Necro

ivehadoo wrote: »

ive being trying to get work since November when i got laid of from my retail job, ive had 2 interviews and none of them called me back, i spend half my life applying to jobs because i just cant live on the dole money ive 3 euro in my purse to do me until pay day on Thursday, every week its the same thing i scrape by just about and im left with coins i cant aford to even treat myself to decent food, i dont know what im doing wrong that i cannot get even a part time job

I'm in a similar situation, been unemployed for quite some time. The only thing that keeps me sane is my volunteer work with my local GAA Club. Are there any sports/youth groups locally that you could help out with one or two days a week? It bolsters your CV for potential jobs and you meet new people at the same time. I know how much of a struggle it is on social welfare but you need to keep active, broaden your horizons and be willing to branch out.
25 euro a week feeds me from aldi and then I cover my bills with the rest. I might make it out once a month for a few drinks but I'm quite social otherwise and just don't drink.

kjl

When you say you worked in retail, do you mean like stacking shelves or did you work as a planner or buyer. If it's the latter there are many a lot of consulting type jobs you can do. Accenture, Oracle, Wipro are all hiring business consultants who have experience in retail planning.

smythking

Very stressful on you.Iam on short time and had to sign on social welfare (Iam 59),its extremely demoralising and in my case has made me feel really bad about myself.Iam going to try for redundancy and go Self employed as I believe having any trucking with Social Welfare is detrimental to your mental health and well being.Do everything in your power to break away from Social Welfare and as one post said consider voluntary work to keep interacting with people.Please....watch your mental health.Hope things work out for you.

marie12

i once had to really budget and was waiting for work so i can kind of relate

if you can, sell your car as it is so costly ... i had no car at the time and i walked and cycled, used public transport, got lifts

re: food I was very, very frugal - i didn't go hungry but was only spending 20-25 a week id say

i applied for every line of work i could

is there anything you can sell on adverts.ie for example (it's free)

when i was in this situation i did not have any luxuries eg going to pub, cinema, gym, new clothes, etc etc

also doing best to keep bills down helps ... im lucky enough to be in a good job now and i still put on a hat rather than turn on the heat sometimes

i also volunteered at the time in 2 places as i needed a purpose to the day

it's not what you earn it's what you don't spend - this is not meant to sound harsh or insensitive but it can be handy to remember, it always stuck in my head

best of luck and im sure things will come your way

Rachiee

Op hasn't got a car

LegacyUser

ivehadoo wrote: »

ive being trying to get work since November when i got laid of from my retail job, ive had 2 interviews and none of them called me back, i spend half my life applying to jobs because i just cant live on the dole money ive 3 euro in my purse to do me until pay day on Thursday, every week its the same thing i scrape by just about and im left with coins i cant aford to even treat myself to decent food, i dont know what im doing wrong that i cannot get even a part time job

Hey, I know how you feel but there is always someone worse off. I am doing unpaid college internship, cannot find work for summer despite my high level of experience in photography, customer service etc and I am living off nothing. I mean absolutely nothing, im borrowing money to pay for rent to survive in Dublin. Next week, when internship is finished, the street or something awaits me. I would give almost everything to be getting 160 a wesk, that is a lot of money if you ever trualy faced real povery. All will work out for you soon, just keep going.