What to do right now if you’re broke and in need |
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by Lisa Tyler ©2007 |
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Follow
These Steps 1.
Make a serious assessment of the situation When I’m in trouble, I have a bad habit of misplacing my bills and keeping my head effectively buried in the “sand” of everyday activity. Instead, what I need to be doing is figuring EXACTLY what bills I have, what their due dates are and when my next money is coming available. List
all the possible sources of income or loans, or things that could be sold,
pawned or traded. Keep these
lists of assets and obligations in a 3-ring notebook or somewhere that is
easy to remember and get to quickly. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. 2.
Find things that can be cut or put on hold Next
weed out the “Have To Pays” and the “Could Waits”, and make phone
calls on any bills that might let you slide until next pay period. Those
might be your utility companies, your mortgage (pay just the interest for
a month or two) or your loan companies. You'll be surprised at how things you'd normally have to have, become a delicious luxury when you're faced with a rock bottom crisis. Is there any way you can prepare your home to manage for short times without electricity, in case it gets shut off? Call around to friends and family, and find room in their freezers for your food so it won't spoil. Of course we hope that won't happen, but be mentally prepared and have your plans made in case. 3.
How to call for help (organizations and people to help) There
are actually groups in most every town who handle indigent expenses and
food vouchers. Sometimes
it’s through church offices; sometimes there’ll be someone who works
in the police station or dispatch office, who would handle these kinds of
emergencies. They are usually people affiliated with civic organizations,
such as the Lions or the Rotary Club. Here’s
a partial list of places to try, call them and ask for information about
getting help buying food or paying a bill until your next money comes in. The
chamber of commerce, the Rotary Club, Downtown Businessman’s
Association, Lions, Woodmen of the World, Eagles, Moose, YMCA, Food Banks,
Churches, Ministerial Association, etc.
Call local churches and offer to help around the church in exchange
for some food or aid. 4.
Take care of things by priority See if you can stop the outflow of money and use all your resources. You may find ways to increase your income, without sacrificing too much safety or quality of life for your children, but most likely your best tactic will be to stop the outflow of money. It
is easy for women to think they have to get an extra job, or get out there
in the workplace at all, because it’s possible to get some menial job
quickly, but that may hurt you more than help you. It
costs a great deal to clothe yourself for the workplace, arrange
transportation and childcare. Well,
I’m sure I’m not telling you anything new there. The
point is, take life one-step at a time, by the priorities you have. If you
have children to take care of, see if you can’t make extra money at home
or while they’re asleep. Or maybe your husband just needs more
motivation to do better. Don’t
laugh, a good percentage of men today depend on women to support THEM, and
add to the burdens that a woman faces. If you have one of these
situations, I hope you’ll have the courage to make corrections, whether
that means he has to leave, or he has to work and do his share. That
doesn’t mean his share for HIM. That means, his share of the total
household, which is half. 5.
Finding something you can sell or a service to do to create an income There
are work at home projects listed here: http://www.chastityrose.com/money.htm There
are companies you can become involved with for sales that might help.
Find some ideas for making money online here: http://www.chastityrose.com/make_money.htm You
can go over your list of assets and sell off an old car, or some sports
equipment, or even extra jewelry. One
word of warning, don’t fall prey to the ads all around us, to work from
home by assembling products for a company by mail. All that I’ve ever
seen charged a fee up front. Once
a nephew of mine paid the fee, bought the saws to make the product, and
made beautiful products, but when he sent them in, they were always
rejected for some vague reason. He never made any money, went into the
hole and pawned his equipment. The
same goes for the stuffing envelopes scam. The only legitimate envelope
stuffing work is where you run a direct mail sales business and you
produce and print the brochures. You generate the business, you make the
sale with the clients and you reap the rewards. In
years past, women washed and ironed clothes in the neighborhood, or helped
do spring cleaning. Now we
also wash cars, run Mom’s taxi services and create kitchen table
businesses. 6.
Get out from under the depression cloud so you can take action You
probably don’t need as much medication as you need something positive to
DO about your situation. This
kind of depression is always alleviated by ACTION. Inactivity is your greatest enemy. Make some kind of decision, even
if you decide to change it tomorrow. The
typical financial problem grinds a house to a standstill and the children
suffer from guilt and depression right along with the parents. They also
suffer abuse from parents who can’t properly channel their anxiety
resulting in one or both parents taking it out on each other or the
children. Exercise
is a very cheap tranquilizer. Use it. Get the kids outside, and go for
walks with them. Work twice
as hard with the chores around home, at appropriate times, and fall into
bed naturally tired from work. Don’t give your mind time to worry. 7.
Put your problems, needs and guilt into the hands of the Lord Get
out your Bible and begin to read. You’ll find that people from the
beginning of time have suffered from the same things you’re going
through, and they always made it through. You’ll find words of encouragement directly from God, and as you
read and pray, your burdens will be lifted. Sometimes
supernatural acts occur. One day my mother was in need of a little money
for food, and as she was praying a man knocked on her door. It was a
stranger, giving her a cross and a small donation, who told her that God
had sent him. Throughout
my life, I’ve had the experience that as soon as I was able to turn the
problem over to Him, and get my hands off of a problem, that God worked
the solution in a way I never would have expected. 8.
Look for the easiest/cheapest way to go at the moment There
are still ways you can cut corners and put other desires and activities on
hold until the squeeze lifts. I'm sure people have told you things like making tea instead of buying soft drinks, but only you know where your cuts can and should be made. The important thing is to use your intelligence and don't fall into a trap of depression and inactivity. This situation WILL pass and things will be better soon. Think of it as a game, or a contest of your survivability. Make it fun if you can.
Are you going through this at a holiday time, or when you'd normally be buying gifts and rewards? This would be the perfect time to begin making life "REAL". Put Jesus back in Christmas and celebrate in ways that "make sense" not "take cents". 9.
Make short and long-term plans You
should have goal sheets made up for short term and long term. Yes, you
might plan to be a psychiatrist in 6 years with a thriving business on the
west coast, but today you need to know what steps to take to get you one
day closer to that dream. So divide up your goals and plans into bite
sized, one day at a time chunks and then tackle them in order.
10.
Keep site of your goal and your purpose If
you’ve forgotten what the focus is, remind yourself fresh. Keep the
vision in your mind of where you’re going, so when the days are hard and
your spirits dip low, you can cheer yourself by seeing how far you’ve
come already and know exactly what is left ahead to tackle.
Keep an optimistic attitude. Be thankful for what you DO have today, so you can actually achieve some progress. 11.
Bible verses that bring power, meditation techniques to see results Go
to http://www.blessingmeadowsministries.com/faith_confessions.htm
and print some of these
verses out. They are Bible verses worded as affirmations, which means you
speak them out loud to yourself as often through the day as you can
remember, and they become a part of your belief system. They
will transform you from a frightened child into a trusting Child of God.
Your world will start opening up and the blessings will be poured down on
your head like rain. We
used these verses to fight throat cancer, and my husband is still here
today to testify that God can (and DID) take a T3 tumor and make it
disappear in 3 weeks. 12.
How to handle your family, both inside and outside of your home Your
children want you to buy things, your husband is pouting and making life
miserable because he can’t go buy what he wants, and your in laws are
pointing an invisible finger at you as if everything that’s gone wrong
on earth is your fault. Sound familiar? If
you're being harassed at home, here
is the truth. Houses, financial paths and marriages take two people to
perform. You may be 50% of the problem, but you’re certainly NOT 100% of
the problem. If you were, hubby would have gotten up and gone to work or
the bank or wherever he would need to go, to rearrange his life to make it
all work, and told you goodbye. He
didn’t do that did he? He just yelled and accused, and pouted like a
child, right? Sit
them all down individually or together and show them the situation. Let
everyone know what is happening and what the solutions are. Let everyone
know that THEY will have to play a part in the solution for it to work,
and if they want things to get better they will have to cooperate. That means hubby works every chance he gets. Children do chores and
look for odd jobs in the neighborhood, with your approval. No one gets to
fuss and complain about money and no one gets to sit on his or her duff
and let you handle it all. If
they won’t cooperate, remember where the door is, my friend, and walk
right out of it. Even if you only begin walking down the street, and come
back later, sometimes a scare like that will get everyone working
together. 13.
Dozens of ways to make money, you choose Again,
from above, start here: http://www.chastityrose.com/money.htm http://www.chastityrose.com/make_money.htm 14.
Getting your will and legal info in order This
is the perfect time to tie up loose ends, make that will you’ve been
putting off, (even if it has to be handwritten, but make sure it has 3
witnesses to the signing, in front of a notary.) Take
care of your bank and credit cards, the records keeping and even your own
health. Do whatever you can while you’re waiting. 15.
No failures or losses, only fluid changes Life isn’t about failing and succeeding. It’s about living each day as it comes, making the best plans but being flexible enough to roll with the punches. So when it seems like you didn’t accomplish your expressed goals today, relax. There
are millions of people worse than you are who are lazier, more crooked,
fatter, less attractive, etc. And of course, there are people poorer than
you are. Just be thankful to God for all that you have, and take time to
notice each thing.
In fact, spend some of your time now, praying for others, hearing about their problems and your own will seem less severe. While you're busy thinking of others, your own problems will work themselves out. 16.
You must not lie. Lies destroy, truth builds This
is a very simple principle, but so true. Avoid telling lies at all costs.
Be honest, humble and up front. Ask for help, ask for advice. Don’t seem
to be a smart aleck. Don’t pad the truth to make yourself sound better. 17.
Centering on your own family, focus and rebuild Instead of going off in all directions, or placing blame, or even planning a huge remodel of your house when you have time, don’t overlook the children who are really the heart of your home. Do for them, take time for your family, and time to rest. Bad
times can be turned around to be good time for taking care of things
you’re usually too busy to get done. They can also be learning and
growth times. We don’t have to think of “broke” financially as
anything more than temporary circumstances. It’s all in your attitude. You
may be able to schedule a weekly visit to your home by the book mobile of
your local library. What a
treat! Play with your children and make a “fort” with a blanket
over a table or some chairs. Help
them have a mini picnic in your living room, or create your family’s
first “Olympic” games with sofa cushions, or outside yard races.
18.
Web sites to glean information from Here
are some web sites that you should look over for frugal inspiration. You
can find how-to items by category, coupons, support etc. You may decide to
start a new business from something you learn here, or change
significantly some of the products you normally buy. Many
things you spend money on can be eliminated by simple changes in lifestyle
that will make you healthier and save money. (Such as by using the
Master’s Miracle soap in place of all your detergents, shampoos,
toothpaste and cleansers.) (Note:
The Master’s Miracle product is no longer the original
formula, so you need to look for “Miracle II” which is the original,
wonderful, healing product.) Here
are some sites that sell it. http://www.miraclesoap.com/?gclid=CLf1svXdiZACFRquQAodemOKpQ http://miracle2distributors.com/?gclid=CLiN5JHeiZACFQSOFQodhjZctA http://www.miracle2angels.com/
(appears to be cheaper?) Money
Saving Tips, great information: http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm www.bulkfoods.com www.free-ed.net http://www.hsibaltimore.com/hsi/forum/forum.shtml http://www.moneymakingmommy.com/ http://www.homemakersidea.com/home.htm http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/dandelion_syrup.shtml http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/ http://www.make-stuff.com/hollidays/christmas.html http://www.getorganizednow.com/ http://www.holidays.net/ http://www.expertnetsurf.com/ImmediateHire.htm http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/ http://www.momscape.com/index.htm http://www.in2m.com/Ecomm/shopping/cj.php?cpn=EM9516&id=cj http://www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/nowaste.cfm http://www.successedge.com/Classifieds/ http://www.mothers-home.com/activities/sherri2.htm http://www.wackyuses.com/ http://www.perfectlyprofitableproducts.com/ http://newsletter.zigziglar.com/cms/view.asp?key=0509ZIGON http://www.thegetalifecompany.com/ 19.
Finding a family coach to help you through the bad times Turn to a trusted older relative who has survived bad times, or who is very good handling money. Make friends with an accountant, they have great information to help us and are usually very humble people. The
year after my husband died, I went to H&R block as usual to get my
taxes done, and was told I needed to pay $16,000 in taxes, on the life
insurance money I had received. They also charged me $98 to figure the
taxes. I
refused their advice and took my W-2's to an accountant, who charged me
$45 to do both state and federal returns, and told me that I didn’t have
to pay taxes on life insurance policies that we had bought. I saved much more than the preparation fee in that deal, and made a
good, knowledgeable friend. There
are people in your town who help others for philanthropic reasons, without
charging. Locate them through
your ministerial association, or businessman’s association. They might
be teachers at a college, or even a commissioner on your local council.
Make sure you pick people you can trust, who have set good examples and
who records show are doing a good job with their OWN finances. 20.
Then when things are better, keep on the right path When
the next money comes in and things seem to be getting better, don’t get
into a comfort zone yet! Life
is like a roller coaster ride, and there are constant ups and downs. Life
is like the weather; another new storm is on its way across the country as
YOUR weather has just turned sunny. Stick
to your frugal lifestyle, keep on saving those pennies and put them back
for the next calamity. I guarantee you it’s coming, and if you save now,
you’ll be prepared for later. You
should try to have a month or two’s wages put back to live on in case a
job is lost, and enough food in your cabinets to last you half a month. Of
course if you can do better, save up 6 month’s wages and a whole
month’s food supply, but for most people just recovering from a crisis,
this will seem impossible. We
all have a tendency to spend what we have and believe tomorrow will bring
what it needs, and usually it does. But life would be so much more
pleasant if we were prepared just a little bit for the things we’ll face
tomorrow. Those
things include: nursing home care for the elderly, medicines not covered
on Medicare, or house repairs that must be done to stay warm or cool, or
keep your house from deteriorating. For more ways to prepare for the future, get free things flowing into your home and get a handle on the holidays, read “Holiday Magic - Free Gifts All Year Long”. Available here: http://www.chastityrose.com/eBooks/HM.html
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© 2000-2007 Lisa Tyler
Some artwork and written material © 1980 until present