If you are jobless and facing a long stretch of unemployment, it can be a slow, stressful slide into debt. There are things you can do. Some simple budgeting while unemployed can help you survive until employment. . No matter how dark the situation , you can always make things better.

Below are two easy steps you can take to help you survive.

Step 1: Take Any Job

It used to be that people would tell you to hold out for a job you really want to do. The reason people told you not to take just any job was that it use to be that if you were not sitting at home to answer the phone, you would miss the call from your dream job. It was better to wait for a good job so you didn’t miss your chance. That just isn’t the case anymore.  Between E-mail, cell phones, smart phones, and answering machines, Facebook and Twitter, they will be able to get a hold of you. Trust. Keep applying for your dream job, just know that you can afford to work in the meantime, which can make all the difference when surviving unemployment.

Additionally, if you don’t have some kind of income, you will not be able to get anything done. Take any job, no matter how many years of business school you have under your belt, even if the job is head French fry cook. For those of us living in high unemployment areas, such as California, applying even these jobs can be difficult to get. Sites like SnagaJob.com specialize in part-time and temporary jobs. Temp agencies are another good resource. If you are lucky enough to be receiving unemployment benefits, then that may be enough.

Step 2: Creating your Budget

Now that you have income, you can write your budget. Remember, when budgeting you need to make sure the whole family is on board. You should write the budget with any significant other you may have so that you both understand it and are willing to keep with it. Also, be realistic. You may have to stay on this budget for months, so make sure you can survive.

Spend everything on paper

The first step is to create your budget. Write down your Head Fry Cook salary and begin subtracting the essentials from it. Food, housing, clothing, transportation etc. Take anything that’s left and start applying that to paying off debt and make sure to save a little too. You should have every penny of your salary dedicated on paper to some purpose, even 20 bucks for “Fun.” When you fail miserably at keeping the budget the first month, don’t get discouraged. It takes time to get the budget right. Just make some adjustments and try again.

 

 

Have your own minimum payments

If you can afford it, then decide your own minimum payments on credit cards and other debt. Paying more than the minimum payment can help get you out of debt much faster.

Pay with Cash

There are two reasons for this. First ofall, anything you put on credit is going to start pushing you deeper into debt. You need to be paying this off, not adding to it. The second reason is that numerous  studies have shown that people spend less when they pay with cash than when they pay with credit. For whatever reasons, the human mind naturally finds it harder to part with physical money than with the “imaginary money,” on your credit or debit card.

 

What if this isn’t enough?

So, what if you are still sinking further into debt? You may think about credit counseling or forensic mitigation. A reliable company, such as California debt settlement law firm Valor Law Group, may be able to help you negotiate your debt and get your monthly payments you can afford. You need to be careful when selecting a company or law firm to help you, however. Make sure it is honest and that you can build a good relationship with the company.