You’ve saved and worked hard to achieve a comfortable lifestyle. You have a good job, own a home, a nice car and your bills are on time. In a blink of the eye, your life can take an unexpected turn for the worse. This can happen to anyone. You drive along the highway and out of nowhere someone side swipes you.
An ambulance takes you to the hospital and it’s at that time you realize life is now different. No one ever expects to be the victim of an accident and sustain life altering injuries, but it happens every day.
After seeking the proper medical attention it’s best to consult with a law firm such as Siegfried & Jensen to explore your options and file a suit against the responsible parties.
Not being able to work and now having more expenses including rehabilitation, special services and medications can throw any budget into a frenzy. Hopefully, you have a savings established to cover your costs while you recover.
Or, maybe a 401k plan that you can take a loan from and then repay yourself over time. If not, there are many ways you can streamline your budget to weather any storm without losing everything.
The good news is that there are many areas in your budget where you can save money. First, make a list of your monthly bills. Then see which ones you can reduce. If you have credit cards you can pay the minimum amount due.
While this is not something you want to make a regular practice of, for the short term it will free up money that you can apply to other things like essentials. Some also have a hardship program in place that will allow you to temporarily receive a reduced rate of interest.
It’s also important that you contact the company that holds your mortgage and car payment. Many times when there’s an emergency situation they will accept a smaller payment or allow you to skip a payment until you get back on your feet. You can streamline in other areas as well.
Contact your cable provider and explain to them your current situation. Most will be more than happy to help you to reduce your bill rather than have you cancel the service altogether. With your utilities, you can use common sense and turn lights off when not in a room, lower the heat before bed and take shorter showers.
Besides to your monthly bills, you can also save on your grocery bills too. Cut coupons and compare store flyers for items that you buy regularly. Also, cook at home instead of ordering takeout. All these things will help you save money while you’re recovering.
By living frugal and taking a proactive approach to your bills, you can survive this temporary setback without giving up everything you’ve worked hard to achieve.
It will take a little effort on your part to lower your expenses, but in the end it will help you get through this difficult time while still maintaining your credit score and your lifestyle.