Living in London on £3 a day

Not sure where I initially saw the subject heading, but that and then passing by the Daily Mail, sent my wondering mind into pondering mode.

People on the dole or unemployment have it so easy! After all, they don't have the daily chore of having to commute with fellow smelly passengers on full to capacity overheated tube trains first thing in the morning, through particle ridden sewers.

Sorry, but sometimes that's just what it feels like. To be up at the crack of dawn till long after nightfall working for someone who you know's an idiot and if it weren't for them winging through with some dodgy bit of paper they've exchanged their soul for, and are now in a position of authority above you; would be selling lavender-scented sawdust.

Yes those dole-ites have it easy!

Free prescriptions. Which if you consider costs over £6 per item is a tidy sum, no wonder they're always ill and then they have the audacity to go around with bad teeth, which should be made a criminal offense. After all they even get some sort of free dentistry. Admittedly they don't seem to get any help or benefit with water, gas, electricity or telephone, tv licence, usage. But if they were out looking for work and pro-actively seeking it, they wouldn't need to use any of those. They have perfectly good unemployment offices. Which, I believe, provide them with a cup of water should they pass out - as long as it's measured, don't want them getting a feel for the easy life. Not to mention good library facilities they can use in the pursuit of knowledge and more importantly, finding work.

With the advent of Primark and jeans for £2, shoes for £1 some sort of polyester top for 50 pence, clothing needs are taken care of, and with all those charity shops that abound today, they have plenty of options.

They have no need of a social life, as in the paragraph above, they should be busy, out, looking for work. And they shouldn't be smoking as no doubt that will give them cancer and another excuse for idleitis, not to mention becoming an even greater burden to an already overstretched NHS.

So if they don't cut out smoking and drinking their benefits should be cut. And if the Conservatives new proposals ever come to fruition, they should indeed be doing community work, but probably from the same week they sign on and not just after a couple of years. Clearing up some of the mess they have more than likely created in the first place.

But back to living in London on £3 a day. So what are the possibilities?

You can have two single bus journeys, and still have enough money to buy a cheeseburger and an apple. Very healthy in anyone's book; especially with obesity levels rising.

Or one tube journey, a bus journey back and still have 10pence left over to spend.

For £3 you can buy 5kg of imported chicken which with a stock cube or two, and some vegetables would provide plenty of food to last a couple of days, probably enough to even give a spare days worth of money, to frivolously spend.

Admittedly you won't be able to visit a cinema, but then you should be out busy looking for work, shouldn't you!

No need to buy a paper, you can read them for free in any library or wait until editions of the free papers, The London Paper, London Lite, Metro, City A.M. and on a Friday morning: My Free Sport, are available and do all the reading from there. And once finished, no need to buy toilet paper. There, money saved yet again.

Visit one of the many free museums and exhibitions or take in a bit of street theatre.

So Living on £3 a day or £21 a week why do people need any more! After all if their housing costs up to £80 a week are taken care of and 80% of their council tax, if anything, people's benefits can be reduced to probably £35 a week. As from the example above, more than enough.