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DID YOU KNOW?
When you are desperate to raise emergency funds, it usually
doesn’t take very long for you to realize who really cares
about you, who is truly a friend ... be they family or not. Here are a few emergency budgeting tips: Budgeting Tip #1: The first thing you want to do is
prioritize to get back on track very quickly. If that means
letting your credit card bill go for a bit, so be it. As
soon as you realize that you have a money emergency,
contact your credit card issuers and request reduced
interest rates and payments. Not only one, both! Budgeting Tip #2: For your car payment, call the creditor
and request a payment extension. Perhaps you hate payment
extensions, because they require a fee and you still have
to make the payment at the end of the contract. In this
case, a payment extension can allow a little breathing room
to help you recover during your money emergency. Expect
that you will likely have to pay a fee
(usually about ¼ - 1/3 the car payment amount) for the
extension. Freeing up the money you need today is your
first and only goal at this point. Budgeting Tip #3: Check to see if your mortgage holder will
allow an extension for a nominal fee. Do this today! Budgeting Tip #4: Another quick fix, is to host an on the
spot yard sale. You don’t have too much time for planning,
so do a quick survey of your personal belongings. Come up
with clothes that no longer fit, but that are in good
condition, knick-knacks, dishes, and books as well as stuff
you bought but no longer use. Throw it all together,
quickly. Put some notices up the same day at laundry mats
and grocery stores around town, and remember to place a sign
at the end of your driveway. You can make a quick $300 this
way with very little time and effort. Budgeting Tip #5: If you have a larger item to sell, call
into the local radio stations to see if they have a “call
in swap show” on the weekends. This is a very popular way
to quickly convert gently used and more expensive items to
fast cash. Budgeting Tip #6: Another quick option is with utility and
telephone bills. If you aren’t already on a budget plan,
ask that the current bill (plus any previous balance you
owe) be set up for a budget plan. Expect to pay a down
payment (usually ¼ of the bill) and that all future bills
(while on the back payment budget plan) must be kept
current. The nice thing about it ... it’s usually interest
free, and can give you some much-needed breathing space for
a month. You must be sure though that you maintain the
regular utility payments AND the budget payments in the
coming month. Budgeting Tip #7: Check with your family church regarding
emergency help. Local churches can be one of the best places
to find out what’s available in the community to help those
in need, or in times of emergency. Check with your local
church, first. Getting Fast Cash through Borrowing If you are absolutely, positively, in a bind, a real cash
emergency, and you have exhausted all of the above, then
consider borrowing. First, ask your family, then your
local bank. As a last resort, you may want to consider what’s known
as a “Payday Loan.” These types of borrowing stores can
be useful when all else fails.
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