With the country gripped in somewhat mild but nonetheless crippling financial austerity and the economies of some pretty nearby countries collapsing to the ground, poverty has its claws around a large number of Brits. In fact, there have recently been reports of children going to school hungry due to their families simply not having the resources in the UK, while shocking figures have shown that demand for emergency handouts has soared to record levels. Avoiding financial struggle in such times is clearly a task of great enormity for some families and here is a bit of advice on doing so.
Extra Work
My parents used to say that the way out of any situation involves an increase in one’s work ethic and this is most definitely the case with financial difficulty. To put it simply, the harder we work the more we earn and this should be our maxim during times of potential or actual financial struggle. We must either work extra hours or find an extra job.
Now of course we’re unfortunately stuck in a period of severe unemployment and therefore finding one job is hard enough, let alone two! But even doubling your workload in order to find a job constitutes as working harder and those who are frustrated while looking for work should not allow themselves to feel disheartened and sorry for themselves. The harder you work the more likely you are to get a job; and the more jobs you have, the more money you’ll have to spend.
Tax Refunds
Business owners ought to be a bit savvier but it is a sad statistic that thousands of British business owners lose out on thousands each year due to not claiming tax refunds.
In cases where the tax liability is less than the taxes paid, you will be owed money back by the HMRC in the form of tax refunds. For example, if you have recently developed your commercial property through alterations, extensions and upgrades, any unused allowances for this can be claimed.
There are a number of businesses that can help discern how much you are owed and claim this back for you such as RIFT UK.
Paying for Gas & Electricity: Say No to Pay-as-You-Go
It may seem like a wise option and a way for you to keep control of how much gas and electricity you use, but you should never live off a pay-as-you-go electricity or gas system.
The reason is simple. Most families will use the same amount of electricity and gas regardless of whether they pay regular bills or via a pay-as-you-go system. Furthermore, gas and electricity are more expensive when on pay-as-you-go.
We use our heating when it turns cold for example; our hot water when we need a shower, electricity when we need to do everything that requires electricity... In essence, switching to a pay-as-you-go system will just have you spending more money.