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worried about your finances?
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Families in crisis are not always aware that their spending habits may be the culprit that is causing their financial problems.
Help is available to assist the family in evaluating their household income/ expenses and in developing
a household budget that would insure financial stability for their household.
Unable to come in for an appointment? Here are some tips to help get your budget started:- One of the best ways to start a budget is to know who to pay, when to pay, where to pay, and how to contact the companies you owe money to! Make a list of all of the people you owe money to, the amount you owe and the due date for each. Include the addresses and phone numbers of each as well so you will have an easy way to contact them when payment needs to be made or a problem arises.
- Use a spreadsheet to easily help you keep track of your monthly income and expenses. Spreadsheets can be downloaded free of charge from: https://www.myfrugalhome.com/printable-budget-worksheet
- If you have too many monthly expenses and feel that you would like to consolidate them all into one monthly bill, contact The National Foundation For Credit Counseling: 1-800-388-2227 or visit their website at www.nfcc.org
- If you are unable to figure out a way to get out of debt, you may be eligible to declare bankruptcy. Call the Bankruptcy Advice Hotline: 1- 800-379-0985 to speak directly with a caring attorney who specializes in bankruptcy. You’ll learn whether you qualify for protection from your creditors, and what to expect if you file
Keeping good credit can help you in obtaining loans or credit cards with lower interest fees attached to them. Good credit is obtained by paying your monthly bills on time. What does your credit report look like? A free copy can be obtained once a year free of charge. It is recommended that you check your credit with one agency at a time (one every three months) to help make sure the information on your report is accurate. Any accounts listed that you did not open will mean that someone may have stolen your identity and is using your personal information to open up new accounts for their use. Call or visit the one of the four credit reporting agencies websites:- Equifax: 1-800-685-1111 or www.equifax.com (fraud line: 1-800-525-6285)
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742, or www.experian.com (fraud line: 1-888-397-3742)
- Innovis: 1-800-540-2505 or www.innovis.com
- Trans Union: 1-800-888-4213 or www.transunion.com (fraud line: 1-800-916-8800)
6. Don't understand what credit is?
- www.handsonbanking.com: This site offers everything you need to know about credit and money management.
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Jennifer GaudetAssociate Director for Individual and Family Assistance
985-876-0490
jgaudet@htdiocese.org
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