Whatever unexpected situation you might be facing right now, a job loss, sickness, or any situation that may require you to live below your means, there are ways to prepare for it and ways to survive it.

BUILD YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT

Some may call it an emergency fund. There are creative and brilliant ways to build your savings account. The hardest part will only be when and how to start.  Just START. If a $1 savings plan or $5 savings plan is still not doable..start at .25 cents and let it grow. By the end of the 52nd week, you will have $344.50. Yes, it may not be enough for a whole family but imagine if you start putting a larger amount every week. Diligently.



START ADJUSTING YOUR BILLS

Sit down and give this part an hour or two. Decide on what bill expenses you can trim down. It can be your cellphone bill, maybe you can downgrade a plan or call to negotiate your current plan. If you have a cellphone, does having a home phone or a landline necessary? Maybe you can forgo some subscriptions for the time being: Netflix, magazines, or other monthly subscriptions.

Sometimes it is important to know when to ask for help. For some, relying on government assistance is just a NO-NO. I am not suggesting that you need to solely rely on it. All I'm saying is, sometimes we need to do what we have to do to stay afloat. Maybe government assistance --such as utility payment assistance will greatly help.

 Healthcare.gov -->If you’re unemployed you may be able to get an affordable health insurance plan through the Marketplace, with savings based on your income and household size. You may also qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

211 - Call to find organizations near you that offer low-cost rent or mortgage help( unemployed).  You can also Google 211 for your state: 211la.org for LA County, 211texas for Texas, win211.org for Washington, 211ct for Connecticut, 211SanDiego for San Diego CA

Administration for Children and Families-  Look for Low-income home energy assistance, for utility assistance. You can also find other great resources here like headstart for kids and other support ( homelessness, abuse, human trafficking etc)

WIC- if you have children below the age of 5 and meet the income qualifications, you can apply for WIC. If you are on this program, it will also open doors for other assistance like utility assistance, CA lifeline for phone services.

MAKE A "WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT THIS " LIST

It can be your weekly dining out or what I have mentioned above, it can be a monthly subscription that you can completely live without. Make a list of certain things that you can live without. You will be surprised at how much you can actually save with this list.


MAKE EXTRA INCOME

If in a case of being laid off, well, by all means, take a break if you need to BUT always..always make sure your resume is updated. You never know when a good opportunity will come knocking on your door. Include all and any newly learned skills that you may have. If you are tech-savvy and knowledgeable with the in and outs of social media, do mention that. All companies nowadays consider social media marketing as a great tool.

Got more skills? Make a list of skills that you are good at in addition to your line of work. If you are really good at crafts, homemade gifts, why not sell it on Etsy? or start a blog ( free at first), start a Facebook page and market your creations. Do you rent? Ask the owner or landlord if you can trade in some handyman skills you have, in lieu of some or all the rent.


FACE THE DEBT BEFORE THE CRISIS

Sometimes we dig our own grave. Does that sound harsh? Only a few people live on "what if's ". I can't blame them..that is just not a way to live. Besides, the words "fear not " is mentioned 365 times in the Bible ( well, some say that that is actually exaggerated..some say only 200 some 314 times). The point is, whatever number that is. God does not want us to worry.. to fear.  He also wants us to be a good steward of our money. Even before you face a financial storm, face the debt.  You wouldn't want that added stress of debt.


SIZE IT DOWN

There is nothing wrong and embarrassing about downsizing. We did downgrade to a smaller place when we faced a financial storm ( 2008-- who didn't?). I felt so terrible, ashamed, and just flat out awful. I was thinking what if our family and friends may look down on us because -- WE DIDN'T OWN A HOME. The fact was I absolutely missed the truth, that we are actually gaining something.

We took a responsible and humble step of downsizing. Keeping up with the Jones's will tear you down. It doesn't matter what other people or family may think of you. Take a big step of stepping back, not because you are moving backward BUT because you realized what really matters in your life.


NEVER. NEVER. EVER LOSE FAITH.

There will be times where you've been submitting resumes left and right. Times, when you did all the best that you can. Those days where everything seems like all the problems in the world are in your hands and the "rainbow" after the rain is out of sight. NEVER. EVER. LOSE FAITH.  Keep on pressing, keep on fighting. Remember that, " This too shall pass"