As the price of goods and service continue to rise faster
than wages low income families are being hit hard. I receive a lot of emails
and comments from low income families and individuals who need help paying
bills. These low income families and individuals have more choice than they
think. By combining help from government, help from the private sector and help
from charities low income individuals and families can cover the cost of their
living expenses. I have compiled a list which offers 20 ways to find help if
you need help paying bills. Try every one of these items on the list to see if
you can save or make money.
Note: Also check out How to Get Money Fast - 32 Actionable Ways to Generate Income
Note: Also check out How to Get Money Fast - 32 Actionable Ways to Generate Income
1: Unemployment Benefits from Government
If you don’t have a job and need help paying the bills
you might be eligible for unemployment benefits from the government. Depending
on which state you reside in you could get anything between $200 and $350 per
week in allowances. If you’ve been made redundant or have lost your job through
no fault of your own you can claim the benefits which could help paying the
bills. Being eligible for benefits is great when you need help paying the bills,
however, you should not become reliant on this payment. You should try your
utmost to find another job as soon as possible so you can free up the taxpayers
money.
2: Rental Assistance from the Government
If you live in a high rent location you could get help
from the government through the department for housing and urban development.
There are three programs on offer. The first program subsidises landlords so
they can pass the benefits onto renters. The second program is where low income
families apply for government homes which have low rents. The final program offers
vouchers to low income households allowing them to rent wherever they wish to.
You should visit the USA.Gov website and check out all the resources from the Department
of Housing and Urban Development.
3: Energy Assistance from the Government
If you need help paying energy bills then the LIHEAP
program might be able to help you. The LIHEAP program offers subsidies during
the summer and winter to help with heating and cooling the home. These payments
are for low income households who need help with their energy bills. The
weatherization programs also help to insulate the home so you can lower your
overall household bills. You should visit the USA.Gov website to find more
information on LIHEAP weatherization programs in your state.
4: Food Stamps from the Government
If you need help with your grocery bills you could apply
for the Food Stamp program from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
SNAP. SNAP offer food stamps to low income households who are close to the
federal poverty line. These food stamps allow you to buy all kinds of grocery
from prominent food stores. Your grocery bill is a large part of your monthly
expense and these food stamps could come in very handy. Remember to always reduce
your grocery bills to avoid over reliance on Food Stamps.
5: Free Mobile from the Government
If you need help with your phone bill the government has
an initiative which offers free mobile phones to low income households. This
program is available through Safe Link Wireless who supply the phone and contribute
towards the cost of the contract. You won’t get anything fancy like a Samsung
Galaxy or an Apple iPhone. This program will help in you need help with your phone
bill.
6: Free Vehicles for Low Income Families
There are a number of charities which offer help to low
income families who need free cars. These charities take in old cars in exchange
for tax deductions and then give the vehicle to low income households. These
charities also offer free repairs and gas. If you’re on a very low income and
need help with car bills then check out the following posts.
7: Budgeting Effectively to Slash Bills
Sometimes budgeting effectively could slash your bills in
half. If you need help with bills then it’s likely your expense is increasing
ahead of your income. Look at ways to reduce all of your expense. Find cheaper
food. Find a cheaper energy provider. Buy used clothes and furniture. Discipline
your spending. By cutting your costs you wont feel as though you’re constantly
need help with bills.
8: Reduce Your Debts
If credit card payments and loan repayments are eating
away at your income this could be the reason why you need help with bills. Try
to consolidate all your debt so that you have one monthly manageable payment.
Try to lower your payments by finding a zero percent credit card. If you’re
credit score is low your only option might be to call the creditors and explain
that your experiencing financial difficulties. These creditors are obliged to
stop interest if you can no longer afford it. Contact a credit counselling
company which offers free debt management plans so you make one low payment
each month. Any surplus money should go towards paying your bills. Any money
left over should be used to pay off your debt.
9: Cancel All Superfluous Services
If you need help with bills try to cancel the services
which are not essential. Cancel magazine subscriptions. Cancel expensive cable.
Cancel NETFLIX. Once you cancel all the superfluous services you should have a
chunk of money left over each month which could go towards the essential bills.
There’s no point in having expensive monthly subscriptions when you need help
with paying essential bills.
10: Create a Emergency Fund
When you need help with bills and emergency fund really
helps. An emergency fund is an amount of money which has been set aside to help
during emergency and financial crisis. When you need have money left over at
the end of a month divert all of it towards an emergency fund. Once you’ve
accumulated a few thousand dollars you’ll feel secure in your financial
position. When you need help with bills you can use the emergency fund to pay
them off.
11: Ask Charities for Help
If you’ve been refused help by the government you could
turn to the charities in your communities. Churches, synagogues and Masjids all
have collections during their prayer times. These collections are used to service
the religious organisation. Any excess money is held in a discretionary fund
which is used to help people. As these organisations are non profits they must
pass all their money to worthy causes after expense. If you need help with
bills you could approach these religious organisations and ask for help.
12: Ask Corporations for Help
Most large multination corporations give away 1% of their
profits to help people in their local community. You should contact all of the
large corporations in your area and then ask them for help. Explain that you
need help with bills and then find ways they could help. Sometimes they might
offer products or services for free which would free up money so you can use it
towards your essential bills.
13: Move to a Cheaper Location
If you’re travel and rent/mortgage bills are high you
should consider moving to a location which is closer to where you work. You
should also find a property or apartment which is suitable for your income.
Just moving will reduce your travel bill and your rental/mortgage expense.
These funds could be diverted towards the bills you need help with. You could free
up enough money to start your emergency fund.
14: Reducing Car Payments
If you need help with car payment bills then you probably
can’t afford to keep the car. Sell the car and pay off the loan. Try to get a
free vehicle by finding charities that give away free vehicles. You could even
cycle to work to save money and get fit at the same time.
15: Ask for a Pay Rise
If you’re struggling to pay your bills and you believe you
make a vital contribution at work then you need to ask for a pay rise. No one
will want to increase your salary or wages unless you ask. Formulate a case
where you are doing more that what is required. Show your boss how much more
you are contributing compared to other people and ask for a pay rise. If what
you say is true you could get anything between 5 and 20% pay rise. You might
even be promoted. The new money could go towards paying off your bills.
16: Start a Side Business
If you are passionate or obsessed about something find
ways to monetise that passion or obsession. There are bloggers on the internet
who earn over $50,000 per month just talking about subjects they feel
passionate about. Try to create an online business or a blog and then monetize
using Google, Yahoo or Bing. You should receive passive residual income on a
monthly basis. If you need help with bills you can use the passive income
generated from your business or blog to pay the bills.
17: Rent a Room Out
If you have an extra room you should rent it out to
tenants or as storage space. An extra room could generate between $200 and $500
per month which could be used if you need help with bills. Most people underutilise
their space so it’s important to rent out space which you don’t use.
18: Move in With Parents
You could consider moving in with parents or sharing a
household with other people. When you share space, cost of services and grocery
bills your expenses are often cut in half. You can use the surplus income to
pay off
19: Educate Yourself
If you simply can’t sustain your bills using your
existing income you need to find a better job. While you work try to go on a
course to further educate yourself. The more education and hands on experience
you have the better prospects you generate. Once your educated look for jobs
which you need to sustain your current lifestyle.
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