OMG I Can’t Pay My Bills: Getting Help When You’re In Trouble

The subject of financial need and the stress it brings may be a topic that some personal finance blogs shy away from. It seems that many PF bloggers are concerned more about the folks that have money now and want even more of it (doesn’t everyone really?). The idea is that if you take some specific action(s), you can get rich fairly quickly and retire at age 30 or 40…and maybe you can do that. But what about the other side of life? What if you’re thinking “I can’t pay my bills!”? So you can’t pay your bills…what can you do?

Man with empty pockets thinking of money representing I can’t pay my bills

Many people have been financially crushed and even more so during and after the pandemic. What about those who just need help when they can’t pay their basic bills?

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Now Is the Time to Look at Your 2022 Financial Scorecard and Adjust

As we begin the month of June, it’s a great time to check out your financial scorecard for the year…so far. That is if you can stand the pain of looking at it. With five months now in the books, June is the perfect time to evaluate and re-evaluate what has happened to you financially this year and then to adjust where necessary so you can make 2022 the best possible year it can be. It’s a subject we all need to be on top of, but many of us never look at the numbers until it’s way too late to do anything about them.

Dartboard with bullseye representing a financial scorecard

Our Financial Scorecard Is Like a Business P&L

If you work for a business, you probably know what a P&L is (profit and loss statement) and what it means to the company. In simple terms, it’s the scorecard of their financial numbers and how the company is performing against the plan.

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How You Can Save Money in These High Inflation Days

Good news…well, maybe. The inflation numbers for April overall were down slightly from March. It may mean that inflation has peaked, but what it doesn’t mean is that things will be returning to normal soon, or ever. Prices that go up, in general, never go down as time moves on. That’s the real problem with high inflation.

Piggy bank on coins representing saving money during high inflation days

Strangely though, on the surface, inflation 2022-style isn’t like you father’s inflation days of the 1970s and 80s. Sure, there is the biggie: gasoline prices soaring now to a record high average of $4.47 a gallon nationally (even higher than that in places like California topping $6.00). But even so, that number isn’t making as much of an impact as buying a tankful did when the average paycheck could barely afford one at $1.00 a gallon!

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Dash for More Cash: Ways to Get Cash in 2022

Right about now after seeing prices going nowhere but up, you more than likely have money on the brain. Even if you saw some kind of pay increase this year already, it is disappearing as you shop and I don’t mean just for those big expensive things. I’m talking food, clothing, and shelter along with every kind of energy you can name including the biggie, gasoline. So you are probably looking for ways to get cash.

Hand presenting hundred dollar bills representing ways to get cash

The “dash for cash” I’m taking about isn’t a new idea. It’s always out there and is a driving force in your motivation to build wealth. But during times like these, it becomes more than motivation, more like an obsession. So, yeah, you always want more, but the big question is how can you get more money now in 2022?

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Don’t Wait Another Day: Get Your Real Financial Plan Going in 2022

It may seem obvious to some, but I will never quite understand the biggest reason why it’s so difficult for the average person to save money. Is it simply because they don’t have a solid financial plan?

Hand with money and calendar representing your real financial plan

It’s a fact that we all can’t be wealthy. The pyramid of finances has some at the top and a big base at the bottom. But even if you are closer to the bottom financially speaking right now than the top, a real financial plan and its execution can mean that you will be able to live a comfortable life that covers all of the bases and necessities. That’s why I say that it’s time to get your real financial plan going in 2022!

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Shop Smart or Everything Will Cost You More in 2022

The red flag has been raised and the bad news is right in front of us. The fact is that prices are a big issue and are going up! That means it’s time to shop smart or you’ll be paying through the nose.

Wallet with money showing that you need to shop smart

If you thought the past 12 months were rough on your wallet, then get ready to shell out even more for your favorite and necessary things in 2022. You can thank in(pan)flation, rising wages, shipping wars, labor shortages, and climate change for those and probably a few more reasons that some may not want to say out loud as to why.

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How to Make a Budget That Works for You

It occurred to me the other day how often I write about budgeting, the importance and trials and tribulations of it all. There’s no doubt that everyone knows about budgeting, but the real questions are whether or not they actually make and maintain one and does it really work for them? In fact, budgets sometimes are strictly “fantasies” and that, my friends. is the rub in all of it. If you just pretend to have a budget, then you don’t have one at all and every cent that passes through your finances is a crap shoot. So today I’d like to talk about how to make a budget that works for you.

Woman rearranging piggy banks as she figures out how to make a budget that works for you

When you are doing that “big gamble” with your finances and ignoring a budget, you’re putting everything at risk. I’m just going to say it out loud here: it’s not very smart and you will eventually regret your actions. So today I am going to tell you how I think your budget should be made to actually try to make it work!

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What Are Sinking Funds and How Can They Keep You Afloat?

Have you ever heard of the term “sinking funds”? What are sinking funds? It sounds like something pretty complicated on the surface, doesn’t it? There is the ring of danger to it and it almost sounds like it’s high finance or big business.

Sinking funds are important tools in planning your finances. Here's how they differ from emergency funds and why you'll want to set them up.

It is, and it does sound scary to some perhaps because it’s a phrase not often found in everyday at-home use. But it is something you need to be aware of, because every one of us at some point needs to have one! Let me tell you about it and how sinking funds can keep your finances afloat.

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