How to Pay Bills That You Can't Meet

Staring at a stack of unpaid bills can be stressful and discouraging. Feeling discouraged may sometimes lead you to feel like your situation is hopeless. Even if you are out of work or between jobs, there are ways to cut corners and come up with some extra cash to help you through your time of transition.

Instructions

1

Map out your financial situation and determine your monthly deficit by writing down all your monthly outgoing expenses on a piece of paper. Add the total outgoing expenses, then write down all incoming money, and total. Subtract your outgoing expenses from your incoming money. If you have a negative number, as a result, this is the amount of money you want to try to come up with to help you meet your monthly needs. For example, if your outgoing expenses came to $3,621 and your income totalled $2,998, you need to come up with $623 to meet your financial obligations.

2




Call a company and see if they have a cheaper or better payment plan.

Cut your budget. The easiest place to save money is by cutting unnecessary expenses out of your budget. If, as a couple, you are eating out twice a week, you can cut that out of your budget and easily save between $200 to $300 per month. If you're already living frugally, you may not have much, if anything, to cut out. Get creative and look at your bills. Are there any companies you've been a customer of for a long time? Call them and ask if they have another plan that might lower your bill. Your phone/internet/cable company is a good place to start.

3

Apply for assistance with some of your bills. Check with your county government to see if the agency has an energy assistance program. Most states have a program called Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). If you qualify for energy assistance, you will receive a lump sum payment on your electrical bill and reduced payments for your gas bill. Call your county office to determine the hours in which you can apply as well as what items you need to bring with you at the time of your application. If you have a mortgage, call your mortgage company, explain your financial situation to them, and ask if there's anything they can do to work with you. Your mortgage company will send paperwork for you to fill out to see what kind of assistance you qualify for. Most mortgage companies will make an effort if you show them you are willing to make an effort as well.

4




Sell unused and unwanted items to earn extra cash.

Turn unused and unwanted items into cash. Go through your home, garage and storage place. Set aside any items that are no longer used or needed. Weather permitting, sell them at a garage sale. You can also sell items on eBay, CraigsList or place an ad in your local newspaper. If you have gold jewelry that's broken or missing parts, sell it at one of those stores that buys gold. You can find these in your phone book. Anything and everything you can sell translates into extra cash for you.

5




Dog walking and other odd jobs can help increase your income.

Use your talents and skills to bring in extra money. Are you a great babysitter? Do you enjoy walking dogs? Can you fix things around the house? Call or email friends, family, and neighbors and let them know you're available to do these things. Pick up odd jobs here and there, and the income will add up over the course of the month.