Money is tight

financial difficulties crisis

The current high levels of inflation and resulting rise in living costs are leading to existential fear among many people. They are worried that they will no longer be able to get by with the money they have.

“The first step is being aware of the situation and making use of a counselling session if you need to”, says Maria Sajowetz. Often a kind of powerlessness has a paralysing effect and can prevent the problem from being actively addressed. “In a counselling session you can work on a suitable solution.”

Depending on income, there is a range of funding options you can apply for. In another step, you can list income and expenses and look for ways to reduce fixed costs. “For contracts you definitely need you can look for cheaper tariffs, like for mobile phone contracts. With subscriptions, too, you should look for the ones you don't even use regularly. This could be apps, gym memberships, newspapers or magazines and much more”, says the counsellor. In this way, you can permanently reduce your fixed monthly costs.

If money is still too tight, you can think about more drastic measures. You may even need to move house if the rent is too high. “When it comes to hobbies you need to be careful – they bring joy to your life. You can also only make savings from your partner’s expenses after you have mutually agreed and talked it through to find a consensus.” Sajowetz feels that talking to the children and explaining the situation to them is also important: “they may have to cut back on things here and there too.”

You can get help with your financial problems at one of the Austrian family counselling centres. You can discuss potential options with the team. Look for a suitable family counselling centre near you under “Find counselling centres” and make a free appointment.