Currently, during this time, many people are experiencing cost of living pressures and I have found very few helpful things for young people who are feeling the challenge. While we may not all have houses and water bills to pay we still have to be able to afford some things like phone bills, car insurance, registration even petrol. It can be hard not to worry about where our money is going.
On top of that many of the young people I know do not have consistent income, they are trainees or apprentices they work 2 jobs, their hours fluctuate or due to other commitments like study, they can only work 2 days a week or are struggling to get a job. This then makes them worry and therefore feel they cannot do anything but work instead of going out having a life, and doing fun things. They will often start comparing themselves to their friends and people they went to school with and their work colleagues who are in similar situations but often get more or longer hours and feel they have done something wrong, which they have not. It can be very challenging for a person and give them feelings of anxiety.
While people can find support from family/caregivers for money or even government assistance it's not always possible for everyone and make them feel like they owe them something.
My hours fluctuate and it can be challenging here are some things I have done to help me feel less anxious about the cost of living.
- Establishing a good relationship with my boss, if I have done something wrong they aren't afraid to tell me but also able to tell them when I am available comfortably
- making plans that do not involve spending money, on museums, art galleries, parks etc
- budgeting well, knowing when bills are coming out and what I roughly need to spend on a week-to-week basis
- if it starts feeling overwhelming reach out to my siblings to talk to and do the things that take care of me which is really important.
What other people are doing to keep themselves calm and worry less about the cost of living?
