Need Financial Help BAD!

Hi D.,

you may want to try the Consumer Credit Counserlors. They can help you with financial matters and budgeting and I believe their services are free or nominal. You can google them to find the location nearest you.
Hope this helps. Good Luck to you!

A.

D.,
I read the advice you've already gotten. You should definitely talk to the bank ~ most of the time they will try and work with you or at least recredit you some of the overdraft fees.
Also, Eileen had some GREAT advice. Dave Ramsey is on the radio on 570AM from 1-4pm and is a fabulous financial councelor. My husband and I have been working his program for almost 2 years and we are completely debt free and are currently building up an emergency fund. His plan is awesome and his advice on the radio is the best!
Finally, if you are needing food for the month... I have heard about this program (one of my friends needed to use it for a while) that helps people who need to substantially lower their grocery bill for a bit. You can go to www.angelfoodministries.com and then find out where your local host site is located. I believe that it offers a weeks worth of food for $25 and you can buy one or more boxes. Again, I'm not exactly sure how it works but my girlfriend and her family used it for about 6 months last year and it really helped them get through a tough financial stretch.
Good luck!
D.

Have you gone to the branch where you opened your checking account and spoken to the branch manager about your situation with your husband's check? The branch manager usually has the authority to waive NSF charges in certain circumstances so it wouldn't hurt to ask. When I had my first child and was in the hospital for a week after an emergency c-section, a check didn't get deposited as it should and the same thing happened to us where multiple checks went through unpaid. I spoke to every payee and got them to waive their fees and also the branch manager and she waived the fees as well. It may not work for you but it's worth a try.

In regards to the domino effect you're describing, I usually would not advocate paying something late, especially because you can incur late charges when you pay your bills late just as much as you can incur NSF charges when you write a check and it's returned for non-payment, but you might want to call all of your "creditors" or the people you pay bills to and request an extension on your due date or maybe a payment plan of some sort. I've done that before and gotten anywhere from a week to a month extension and did not incur a late fee since I asked for the extension before my payment was late.

It sounds like you need a long term solution to a problem that's been forthcoming seeing as you said you've been on a very strict budget for a long time as it is. Maybe one of you needs to consider getting a part-time job to help make ends meet or at least catch up. You might also need to start considering finding a better paying job for either you or your husband. I learned a long time ago that I got more money each time that I switched jobs rather than getting complacent and comfortable in the same job. I know that's not true in every case but it's something you might look into.

Credit counseling services can be good for some people if they have a lot of credit card debt they need to get out of because they can help get your finance charges reduced or removed, but if credit cards aren't your problem, and it's just everyday living expenses, then there's no magical system that's going to take those expenses away. You'd have to downsize your life or get more money coming in, plain and simple.

Oh, there is one more thing you might try. There is a charitable organization called Modest Needs. "Founded in 2002, Modest Needs is an award-winning charity that works to stop the cycle of poverty before it starts for low-income workers struggling to afford emergency expenses like those we've all encountered before: the unexpected auto repair, the unanticipated trip to the doctor, the unusually large winter heating bill." Here is a link to the website: http://www.modestneeds.org/. On this website, there is a link to apply for short term financial help. Here is what it says next to the link: "If you're facing a short-term financial crisis but don't qualify for conventional types of assistance, we want to help. You can complete our short application online in just about ten minutes." If all you need is $600 to catch up on your bills, maybe these people can help you. You can still try talking to your creditors and your bank branch manager in the mean time, but maybe this organization can do something to help you get back on track as well.

Good luck to you!

I also did the www.angelfoodministries.com a while back and it really helped out a lot. The food is pretty good too.

I agree, talk to your bank, some (like mine) refuse to forgive on fees, but others will up to a certain amount. Go talk to them in person and really lay out your exact needs, perhaps they can even get you a short term loan so that you can at least get out of the negative with your creditors.

Sometimes, calling the creditors and pleading your case may help... it just depends!

While in college, I used http://www.expressconsolidation.org
and it really helped me get out of debt. They negotiate with all your companies, drop fees and interest rates... Then you pay them and they disburse the monies to your creditors at an agreed amount. It takes a while to pay off (but at least your making payments), but once you get back on your feet, you can pay it in full and get everything cleared. Of course, they charge a monthly fee for their services, and they have had some bad wrap in the past. I have heard that it can make your credit rating go down as well, but it is better than bankruptcy.

Well, I would start by calling the companies whose bills you can't pay and see if you can work out a deferred payment or payment arrangements. Just be honest with them...usually they are willing to work with you when you call them for a solution! Also, I would think if the company de-activated him, the company is responsible for paying him. And, they MUST pay him for the time he worked, you don't say if they evr paid him for the check he didn't get. IMO, they should also pay you for overdraft fees since he didn't get a check, but I don't know if you will be able to get that. Call the labor board and see if there is anyting they can do...I think they will help you for free. And, I don't know this for sure, but if they haven't paid him for the time he worked, I think he can also collect a certain amount of extra money for each day that they haven't paid him.

Other than that, good luck!!! I hope it all works out for you! Sorry I don't have any ideas for how to get some quick cash...but definitely try calling the companies to whom you owe money and see if you can work something out!

D.,
I can empathize on what you are going throught right now. I have been in a similar situation before. Im not sure about any financial service but there are some short term options available to you. Of course, there is the pay day loan option for you guys. Also, if you are needing food, i do know of some churches that may help. I live in Haltom City and know of Riverwalk and there is St. John's the Apostle which is located in Richand Hills, I believe. St johns helped me and my daughter with both food and clothes for 2 months. Depending on your situation, you can apply for a one time TANF for your family. That is something you can call to get an application mailed to you or you can visit your local department of human services for--check your local phone book. Im trying to think of other options for you. I will definitely pray for you and your family though! You guys will get back on top of things! If you guys have invested anything in 401K or savings, sometimes you can get loans or withdrawals from that. Hmm..that is all i can think of right now. I do know that my bank allows loans for any overdrafts so check with your financial institution as well. Good luck and God bless!

Hey D.! You might try going on bettercreditnow.org. I'm not sure if this is the type of service you're looking for, but I know they help with credit repair, credit scores and whatnot. I have also heard alot of good things about Dave Ramsey. I've heard of him through my church, Irving Bible Church. They have a program to help people get on track financially and get out of debt. I know they're having a seminar on Sat. October 20th from 9am to 2pm and I think the tickets are $19. I'm sure if you can't afford that though, they can help you. This program has helped alot of people. It's called "Total Money Makeover Live." Log onto moneymakeover.irvingbible.org. You and your husband should both try and attend. I was thinking of attending myself. I have alot of the same situations going on in my life as you sound like you do. From what I've read and heard, this program works. I hope this helps you. Good Luck and God Bless! Sincerely, M..

Dear D.,

Do you live within the Keller school district? If so, the Community Storehouse is good at helping people financially through crisis times. They helped us last year.

Hope this helps.

A. S.

I dont know if this has been suggested before, but sell, sell sell. Look around and see what you dont really use, need, ect. Have a yard sale or Craigslist items.

I have made a couple hundred bucks off kids clothes, household items and what not during a hard month.

GL!!

D.,

PLEASE listen to Dave Ramsey. Go to www.daveramsey.com you can listen on line while you are cleaning or feeding the baby. He is a wealth of financial knowledge. He is also currently on KLIF radio from 1:00 to 4:00 daily. That's AM 570.

Someone suggessted you get a payday loan or borrow from your 401K. That is BAD advice. The payday loans will only set you back farther than you are right now. Please don't do that.

Someone else suggessted a part time job. Now that is a GREAT solution. That would help get you out of the crunch. Most pizza delivery workers make about 1000 per month. That's working part time in the evenings. You could throw newspapers or work at a department store. There are many options out there.

I wish you the best. I know this is stressful for you, but you will make it through this. Dave Ramsey's advice is to buy the necessisties first. Food, shelter and clothing. Buy groceries first, then pay your mortgage, then any clothing that you NEED. After that, start paying others like utilites, car payments, creditors, etc. Eat beans and rice until you get out of the crunch. Seriously, you can do it. It will be hard, but you will be just fine.

We have been in the same boat before with negative $400 in the bank and I believe our baby was 4 months old.

We did the pay day loan thing and I have to say I DO NOT recommend this. I beleive someone else advised against this and she's right. It really will set you back even more. My husband ended up borrowing from his 401K to pay off THAT loan.

The best advice I can give is to stay calm and stay positive. I know that is hard to do, TRUST ME! I've been there and can't say I'm too far from it now. Just keep your head up and looking forward and juggle juggle juggle.

If you would like to chat more I'm open!

J.