2. These suggestion will not apply to every
situation.
You control your finances and the choices
you make.
Prevention is still the best cure for a
financial crisis.
3. Get an assessment of your finances
Gather all your bills and statements
Determine what assets are available to
you
• Savings
• Stocks
4. Stop using them
Pay off the balance in full each month
Develop a life style without them
Save for major purchases
5. AVOID PAYDAY LOANS
Basic survival involves one of two things
• Increase your income
• Decrease your expenses
6. Couples should have a budget meeting
Singles should have an accountability
partner
Develop a battle plan, i.e., a BUDGET
Get current on you bills
7. a. Pay everything on paper before the
month starts
b. Develop a zero balance budget sheet
- which means at the end of the balance sheet
it should equal zero.
(Income minus expenses)
c. Any money left over should be applied
towards the debt snowball (see step-5)
8. Take care of basic needs first
1. Food
2. Shelter
3. Utilities
4. Transportation
Gas
Insurance
5. Other loans
9. What would you do for an emergency?
Your Credit Card is not your emergency
account
Should be able to cover 3 – 6 months of
expenses
10. Create a mini emergency account
Save $1,000; FAST
It is not a slush account
Do NOT start the next step until the mini
emergency account is funded
11. a. List all the outstanding debts in
ascending order
• from the lowest to highest balance
b. Pay the minimum balance due for all
debts except the first one (which should
be the lowest balance).
12. c. Any remaining money, found money, or
bonus money needs to be applied
toward paying the lowest balance off.
d. Once that balance is paid off, do not
celebrate yet. Apply all that money to
the next balance on the list.
13. If there’s an emergency
• Use the mini emergency account
• Stop the debt snowball
• Rebuild the mini emergency account
14. Once all debts are paid off
Fully fund the emergency account
3 – 6 months of expenses
15. Your retirement needs to be funded first.
Invest 15% (of own money) into
retirement
Your kid’s education will not pay for your
retirement
17. Have a yard sell to fund your mini
emergency account
Sell your services, i.e. piano lessons,
tutoring, woodworking, etc
Stop eating out, pack lunches
Temporarily decrease your TSP
contribution to 1%
18. If you typically get a tax refund,increase
your exemptions.(Consult your CPA first.)
After you have a $1,000 emergency fund,
consider increasing your insurance
deductibles.
Use the Library for renting free movies.