People who are drowning in debt sometimes need help with bill. Utilities, rent and other major expenses come due whether you have a job or not. Being in a bad financial position can happen for lots of reasons. Every email I get confirms that bad debts can happen to good people. Illness, the economy, fire, natural disaster or an accident can each put a family in jeopardy.
When you are in a crisis, it can be tough to find help. Almost every community has places that can help with some bills. The key to getting the help is to know where to start looking.
I am writing this article from the perspective of a nonprofit director who has helped people who were in crisis. Every community has a slightly different system and every agency requires different qualifications. This article is a general starting point for people who need help with bills.
If you are looking for help with bills, there are a couple of things to know.
Forget about asking for help with credit card payments or other types of revolving credit. Organizations that offer bill assistance will only help with emergency funding for necessities as funds are available. That credit card bill may be high on your list but it won't make the cut for their list.
Workers usually want to help but funds may not be available.
You may need to have proof of income, rent receipts and identification for every person living in the household and identification for yourself. The paperwork varies so calling an agency ahead of time can save you time and frustration.
Utility assistance
Call your utility company to see what they will do. They may have programs that can help with bills. If not, the workers can usually suggest places that are in your community where you can look.
United Way
This organization does not typically provide assistance. However; they can be a good referral source and can often direct you to the right agency.
Help agencies
General help agencies in your community may be able to help with bills. A pantry may be able to provide you with a box of food. Obviously, this won't directly help with rent or utilities. What a food box can do is free up funds that can be used in other areas.
Churches
If you go to church, then start there. Talk with your pastor about your situation and see if your church can help. At the very least, your pastor can support you through the process and may be able to make referrals or fax agencies that can help.
Toys
Getting help with the bills at Christmas can mean that you need toys. There are people who can help. Your child's guidance counselor, pastor, day care or agency may be able to get you on an Angel Tree list. Be reasonable with your expectations. Families who are adopted from these trees are typically adopted by a small group of people like you and me. Leave the iPads, iPods and Xbox off of your child's Christmas list.
Think outside the box
Agencies run out of money too. Don't wait until you are in crisis to start getting help with bills. Being proactive can help you make a few dollars here and there. Taking cookies to work and asking for donations, eBay, holding a yard sale, collecting aluminum cans, raking leaves or shoveling snow off of driveways can help. It may not solve all of your problems but it may help buy some time.
Modest Needs
This organization may be able to help with small grants. They are not an emergency funding source and they do ask for documentation. If you are getting help with bills from any source, you almost always have to provide information.
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
I got big Thanksgiving dinner savings with coupons
We got some big Thanksgiving dinner savings this year. Thanks to store sales and coupons, I have dinner for both Thanksgiving and Christmas in the bag. Having this off our shoulders leaves room in the budget for some fun holiday activities and it gives me time to do some of them.
Our yearly menu is pretty much the same. We have turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, green beans, dessert and rolls. Hubby insists on the almost mandatory cranberry sauce so I pick that up too. I also like to add a head of lettuce for salad.
Ingles and Bi-Lo had some really good sales over the past couple of weeks. There were some really snazzy grocery coupons both online and in the newspapers. Combining these with sale ads from Ingles and BiLo really made the difference.
Here's how we racked up the savings:
I found a Butterball coupon online for $3.00 off when combined with other items. The items happened to be among my regular grocery purchases, were on sale and I coupons for each. Plus, I have a mail-in rebate for five $1.00 off coupons on Butterball products to send in. Bi-Lo also had BOGO on canned veggies, bacon and rolls. And yes, I had more coupons for each of these.
I next steered the car toward Ingles (also on my regular errand route). At this store I was able to pick up BOGO chicken stock, gravy packets and other odds and ends that were on sale. I had coupons for nearly every item purchased here.
The end result is that we have both holiday meals, purchased and in the freezer/cabinets. We did it for less than the regular price of one meal. Combining the coupons with the sale items is definitely the way to go.
Keeping organized and alert is the key. Newspapers and online sites like grocerycouponcart.com helps. Manufacturers sites also often have coupons. Sorting through the sites and clipping the coupons takes me about an hour a week. For my family, the time is well spent.
Our yearly menu is pretty much the same. We have turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, green beans, dessert and rolls. Hubby insists on the almost mandatory cranberry sauce so I pick that up too. I also like to add a head of lettuce for salad.
Ingles and Bi-Lo had some really good sales over the past couple of weeks. There were some really snazzy grocery coupons both online and in the newspapers. Combining these with sale ads from Ingles and BiLo really made the difference.
Here's how we racked up the savings:
I found a Butterball coupon online for $3.00 off when combined with other items. The items happened to be among my regular grocery purchases, were on sale and I coupons for each. Plus, I have a mail-in rebate for five $1.00 off coupons on Butterball products to send in. Bi-Lo also had BOGO on canned veggies, bacon and rolls. And yes, I had more coupons for each of these.
I next steered the car toward Ingles (also on my regular errand route). At this store I was able to pick up BOGO chicken stock, gravy packets and other odds and ends that were on sale. I had coupons for nearly every item purchased here.
The end result is that we have both holiday meals, purchased and in the freezer/cabinets. We did it for less than the regular price of one meal. Combining the coupons with the sale items is definitely the way to go.
Keeping organized and alert is the key. Newspapers and online sites like grocerycouponcart.com helps. Manufacturers sites also often have coupons. Sorting through the sites and clipping the coupons takes me about an hour a week. For my family, the time is well spent.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Going backwards financially can mean moving forward
I found out last week that going backwards financially can mean moving forward. Hubby and I dipped into our reserve funds at the Food Lion closeout last week. We made a few purchases earlier but decided to go back. There wasn't much left but what was available was marked down to 75% off.
Seeing what types of items that were left surprised me. I figured that most people would go for the more expensive gourmet food or luxury items. No so. Many of those products were still on the shelves.
There are some products that my family enjoys but are too expensive for us to purchase regularly. I decided to dip into our reserve funds to buy a few things. Starbucks iced coffee packets, spices, some camping supplies and pet goods also found their way into the shopping cart.
Using the reserve funds did feel like we were going backwards. In reality, it moved us forwards.
My daughter will use the Starbuck's coffee packets in her reusable bottle instead of buying a more expensive bottled drink. The camping supplies and pet products are needed no matter if they are on sale or not. Stocking up at 75% off is definitely the way to do it.
Our big purchase of the day was several cans of sterno for the wedding. The spices that we purchased were also for the wedding day meal. Making certain that the products I bought are ones that we will use helped me feel better about utilizing our reserves. It seems like we went backward but the clearance items are definitely a financial move forward.
Seeing what types of items that were left surprised me. I figured that most people would go for the more expensive gourmet food or luxury items. No so. Many of those products were still on the shelves.
There are some products that my family enjoys but are too expensive for us to purchase regularly. I decided to dip into our reserve funds to buy a few things. Starbucks iced coffee packets, spices, some camping supplies and pet goods also found their way into the shopping cart.
Using the reserve funds did feel like we were going backwards. In reality, it moved us forwards.
My daughter will use the Starbuck's coffee packets in her reusable bottle instead of buying a more expensive bottled drink. The camping supplies and pet products are needed no matter if they are on sale or not. Stocking up at 75% off is definitely the way to do it.
Our big purchase of the day was several cans of sterno for the wedding. The spices that we purchased were also for the wedding day meal. Making certain that the products I bought are ones that we will use helped me feel better about utilizing our reserves. It seems like we went backward but the clearance items are definitely a financial move forward.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Food Lion has big bargains at store closures
It makes me sad that or local Food Lion Food Lion store is one of the closures. They've usually had big bargains when compared to other grocery stores but now the savings are substantial. Almost everything in our local at my favorite Food Lion store is 50% off as of the day of this writing
Average items that go BOGO frequently are on sale. Beer is not. Other items that are never available at deep discounts are included.And guess what? They are taking manufacturers coupons (not store coupons).
For example, Tazo tea and Twinings are among my favorite brands of tea. Today, I paid about $2 for each box at at Food Lion. Big bargains at the store closure meant that we bought a portable gas grill for $10. It's almost exactly like the one we wore out last summer and was at least $15 cheaper.
Food Lion is pretty well picked over. Bargains at the store closure is drawing first time Food Lion customers. Although the store is largely empty, deals remain and most on some of the more expensive items.
For example, I snagged a few bottles of spices. Starbucks coffee didn't make it into my buggy at Food Lion today but Godiva chocolate did. Brand name pet treats and shampoos came home with me. The closure at Food Lion also gave me an opportunity to buy oven bags, Febreeze, Ritz Dye and dishwashing detergent. The manufacturer coupons made the cost savings go even deeper.
Still, as good as the bargains may be the savings come at the higher cost of lost jobs, My daughter worked for a Food Lion one summer. We value the jobs that are being dissolved and I wish a way could have been found to keep the store open. My heart goes out to everyone who is being displaced. My prayer is that despite the Food Lion closures, you will be able to find other employment soon.
Average items that go BOGO frequently are on sale. Beer is not. Other items that are never available at deep discounts are included.And guess what? They are taking manufacturers coupons (not store coupons).
For example, Tazo tea and Twinings are among my favorite brands of tea. Today, I paid about $2 for each box at at Food Lion. Big bargains at the store closure meant that we bought a portable gas grill for $10. It's almost exactly like the one we wore out last summer and was at least $15 cheaper.
Food Lion is pretty well picked over. Bargains at the store closure is drawing first time Food Lion customers. Although the store is largely empty, deals remain and most on some of the more expensive items.
For example, I snagged a few bottles of spices. Starbucks coffee didn't make it into my buggy at Food Lion today but Godiva chocolate did. Brand name pet treats and shampoos came home with me. The closure at Food Lion also gave me an opportunity to buy oven bags, Febreeze, Ritz Dye and dishwashing detergent. The manufacturer coupons made the cost savings go even deeper.
Still, as good as the bargains may be the savings come at the higher cost of lost jobs, My daughter worked for a Food Lion one summer. We value the jobs that are being dissolved and I wish a way could have been found to keep the store open. My heart goes out to everyone who is being displaced. My prayer is that despite the Food Lion closures, you will be able to find other employment soon.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Scary Christmas spending
I just read what the average family spends on Christmas. Forget Halloween and the boogeyman in the closet. This has to be the scariest article ever written. Why? Because it talks about how much the average family spends over the holiday season.
According to the article the average family spends about $800 annually on Christmas gifts. This doesn't count potluck dinners, parties and all those extra little curve balls that the season throws at us. Can you imagine how much the Christmas spending becomes when the extra costs are included? I can and that's where the spending gets even scarier.
Reigning the costs of the holidays is a big deal for us. Not only are we still repairing the car (and trying to get out of debt) but we can't afford an extra $800 for Christmas gifts. We've never gone overboard on gifts and plan to spend about one-third of that amount on all the Christmas expenses.
Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. It that I love them enough to teach them the same money handling habits that I'm just now learning. These lessons should last longer than the electronic gadgets that some people are buying.
According to the article the average family spends about $800 annually on Christmas gifts. This doesn't count potluck dinners, parties and all those extra little curve balls that the season throws at us. Can you imagine how much the Christmas spending becomes when the extra costs are included? I can and that's where the spending gets even scarier.
Reigning the costs of the holidays is a big deal for us. Not only are we still repairing the car (and trying to get out of debt) but we can't afford an extra $800 for Christmas gifts. We've never gone overboard on gifts and plan to spend about one-third of that amount on all the Christmas expenses.
Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. It that I love them enough to teach them the same money handling habits that I'm just now learning. These lessons should last longer than the electronic gadgets that some people are buying.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Money saving Thanksgiving turkey tip
I picked up a money saving Thanksgiving turkey tip from a friend today. Frankly, I'm jealous about not thinking of this sooner. It's a good thing I have a smart friend! She's also the one who gave me the nudge about couponing.
The tip that she gave me today is to buy the largest turkey you can at the best deal that you can find. Large turkeys have more meat than smaller ones. (Some of the stores are slashing prices or giving incentives. There was a $3 coupon for a Butterball turkey the other day. To use it you had to buy 4 of gravy, dressing and I forgot what else. It was a pretty good deal. Anyway, I digress.)
My friend suggested buying a very large turkey with the discounts that are being offered. She is going to thaw her bird, cut it in half and refreeze it. This way, her family is covered for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. Plus, it's one less thing to stress over during the holidays.
My turkeys are already in the freezer for both holidays. Next year, I'm going to put her money saving tip to use. How about you?
The tip that she gave me today is to buy the largest turkey you can at the best deal that you can find. Large turkeys have more meat than smaller ones. (Some of the stores are slashing prices or giving incentives. There was a $3 coupon for a Butterball turkey the other day. To use it you had to buy 4 of gravy, dressing and I forgot what else. It was a pretty good deal. Anyway, I digress.)
My friend suggested buying a very large turkey with the discounts that are being offered. She is going to thaw her bird, cut it in half and refreeze it. This way, her family is covered for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. Plus, it's one less thing to stress over during the holidays.
My turkeys are already in the freezer for both holidays. Next year, I'm going to put her money saving tip to use. How about you?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Find coupons in Wednesday or Sunday newspapers
Did you know that coupons aren't only in Sunday newspapers? My girlfriend didn't. She's been overlooking coupon values for awhile now. In our area, coupons come out in the newspapers on Wednesday for the local paper and on Sunday for the papers in the larger cities. This gives us two great opportunities to snag potential savings.
We have previously discussed the free printable coupon sites that are found online. Small free newspapers (sometimes called savings books) can be found at convenience stores. They are easily picked up when stopping to buy gasoline or other supplies.
Another source is the grocery store. Many supermarkets are getting on the couponing bandwagon by offering coupons from a special kiosk. These are usually located near the door or the checkout registers. Scan your shopping card and the machine will print out your savings. These are different from the ones given at checkout.
Did you know that customer service at some grocery stores will occasionally have coupons? Not every store offers these savings. Check at the customer service counter to see what they have. Sometimes the discounts are only for senior citizens but it never hurts to ask.
We have previously discussed the free printable coupon sites that are found online. Small free newspapers (sometimes called savings books) can be found at convenience stores. They are easily picked up when stopping to buy gasoline or other supplies.
Another source is the grocery store. Many supermarkets are getting on the couponing bandwagon by offering coupons from a special kiosk. These are usually located near the door or the checkout registers. Scan your shopping card and the machine will print out your savings. These are different from the ones given at checkout.
Did you know that customer service at some grocery stores will occasionally have coupons? Not every store offers these savings. Check at the customer service counter to see what they have. Sometimes the discounts are only for senior citizens but it never hurts to ask.
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