The 'Budget Code'

It's always difficult when you are unemployed and trying to keep a roof over your head. Most people see unemployability as being 'lazy' or 'unmotivated', but when people say that, it makes me realise that they have not walked in the shoes of others. Things happen in life and people become unemployed for many various reasons, not just due to 'laziness'.

It could be illness, trauma, mental health problems, poor treatment in the workplace, or jobs that make you worn and in severe pain every day. It could be jobs that make you uncomfortable or budget cuts in the company. There are many more reasons it could be. Some people, after struggling in school, find employers who don't want to hire. 

It isn't just 'hand your CV in and go for an interview', it's handing thousands of CVs to countless employers, waiting painstakingly whilst getting abuse from friends, family members and others, who all expect more of you. Most employers won't tell you if you haven't got a job. I'm not here to tell you it is pointless, because the point of it is so you can find the right path to living your life the way you want to. Whether you get a job or not, does not matter. What matters is that you are living to your standard. 

Getting a job is great and feels like an accomplishment, but so can getting out of bed and making breakfast. For me, completing my daily routines and completing a piece of work feels like I am slowly but surely heading toward where I want to be. I am unemployed and a student soon to be studying criminology at a degree level. I have to rely on some benefits because my health conditions often prevent me from doing things others do with ease. I don't get PIP (a disability benefit), though I have reapplied, I only rely on UC. 

UC is good as it means I have some sort of income coming in, but it is hardly enough to live off sometimes. After becoming homeless last year, surviving - not living, surviving - has been difficult. Me and my partner are currently in temporary accommodation in a position where we cannot work and afford to keep paying for the temporary accommodation. Private renting is like you are pouring your hard-earned money down the drain to have a roof over your head until the prices rise. This is why many people do everything they can to get money; so they don't have to worry about how they are going to pay their next rent. 

Back to the title of this writing, budgeting can help and can save you a lot of money. Me and my partner budget a lot. Usually, we say we only have £50 to spend on shopping for us, the dog and the geckos for a month. £50 is a lot of money for us though, as we have struggles usually towards the end of the month. Bills and other expenses usually mean we struggle for food during the last week or so of the month. 

However, if we hadn't started budgeting, we would have no food. If we needed to buy clothes, we would give each other £10, sometimes less to buy what we need. For everything we need, we give ourselves a budget, and we only buy what we need so we can try to put some away in our savings (though that hasn't happened in a while). 

This week has been particularly hard and I am grateful to the few who have helped us be able to eat. Luckily, I sold a commission this week, meaning we could get some tinned food and some bread etc. The commission will be brought out next month. It is a series of illustrations for my friend's book. 

I am so proud of him. He is an author and writes some pretty amazing things. He has nearly finished a book franchise about cats and previously he has written books about LGBTQ+ and poetry. I would recommend reading 'Everything Under The Rainbow' (Oskar Leonard). I won't spoil his next book, but if you do manage to read it, look out for my artwork XD. 

Other art I have been doing this week is related to an opportunity I have been given by my friend Spec, who is also a blogger on this platform. I can't thank Spec enough for this and the ability to write these blogs. Hopefully, you will see my artwork soon and you can check out his work too. It's awesome. 

Stay safe and stay well, Jace.