Many people are struggling to pay bills. They are trying to make good choices and make their money last, but there doesn’t seem to be enough money to go around. When we’re struggling we may think “If only I made more money. That would solve this situation.” Bringing in more money could probably help, but instead of getting another job, it’s often easier to reduce expenses. Sometimes by re-examining our spending we can “find” money.

Many clients have discovered that “Tracking” their existing spending is one of the most helpful things that they have done. To track your expenses, carry a piece of paper with you or save your receipts and write down what you spend. Every cent. You will learn where you’re really choosing to spend your money.

Track for one month at a time, and then add up what you spent. Did you buy many snacks at work or school? What did you spend eating out for lunches? It’s nice to have some fun and treats, but when we’re struggling to pay bills, we need to look for ways to reduce spending. Sometimes the difference between financial success and struggling to pay the bills can be small.

Tracking is one of the tools that our counselors can help you use. Another great tool is to save a little bit of money regularly for future expenses and put that into “Put and Take Savings.” If we think about it and do some simple planning, we can often plan ahead and save money so fewer bills surprise us and stress us out.

If you want to have greater financial independence and struggle less with money, we are here to help. Our counselors have helped many people to find more effective ways to pay their bills and have more peace of mind with money.

If you are ready to start, click here to fill out our online forms. After you submit your forms we will call you to arrange a time for you to talk with a counselor.