HOW TO SURVIVE HARD TIMES SERIES
Budgeting When You’re Broke
Seek Assistance Basic
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A Helping Hand
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any charitable, nonprofit organizations receive funding from government agencies and private foundations to provide rent, mortgage, utility assistance and food vouchers to struggling families. Check with your local Catholic Charities, United Way, and Continuum of Care, yellow pages or local municipal building for a list of social service organizations in your area that can help. Assistance with child care costs is also available for working mothers who meet certain income guidelines. Check with the Health and Human Services Department in your state for more information. 2
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You may also qualify for county, state, and federally funded employment training programs designed to help you get back on your feet. For instance, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) provides Individual Training Accounts (ITA) to eligible adults and dislocated workers who are seeking a way to find rewarding employment in a skilled occupation.
provide you with the skills training you need over a short period of time. There are tons of training programs to choose from, such as Dental Hygienist, Truck Driving (CDL) or Network Cabling. The best part is that, if you qualify, this is all FREE OF CHARGE! This is a great opportunity to obtain the skills needed to obtain a high paying job in an high demand industry.
ITA’s are distributed through local WIA one-stop centers. These ITA vouchers are like financial aid that can be used at participating schools and training facilities (often referred to as training providers) that will
Visit careeronestop.org to find an employment training site in your state or check with the Workforce Investment Board in your area for a list of local service providers that are eager to lend you a helping hand!
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Check with your local Catholic Charities, United Way, and Continuum of Care, yellow pages or local municipal building for a list of social service organizations in your area that can help. Assistance with child care costs is also available for working mothers who meet certain income guidelines.
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Do Whatcha Gotta Do!
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ometimes, going through hard times, forces us to take drastic measures to keep food on the table. Now, this is not suggesting that you rob a bank, although some people would rather rob a bank than do what is about to be suggested, that is—apply for public assistance (sometimes referred to as welfare). Oh my! For many people, this option is no big deal. As a matter of fact, many people have abused the system for years by relying on public assistance as a permanent means for survival. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 has put an end to that by attaching limitations on how long one can receive public assistance and incorporating other initiatives such as Workfirst, which is designed to move financially struggling families to work. Still, honest, hard-working people who have never needed public assistance in their life, have a hard time accepting this option. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is a monthly cash assistance program for struggling families with children under the age of 18. The key word here is temporary. This is a viable option to help families get by until their situation improves, which is why the program was designed.
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Still, honest, hard-working people who have never needed public assistance in their life, have a hard time accepting this option. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is a monthly cash assistance program for struggling families with children under the age of 18. Another form of public assistance is food stamps, which enables lowincome families to buy groceries with coupons and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. Taking advantage of public assistance, if you qualify, is nothing to be ashamed of. J.K. Rowling was a single mom on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. J.K. Rowling knew her financial strains at that time were temporary and set out to make sure of it. As a matter of fact, after Ms. Rowling had Seek Assistance Basic
written the first Harry Potter book, she was so broke that she could not afford to have it photocopied to send to various publishers for consideration. So what did she do? Well, she didn’t give up—that’s for sure! Ms. Rowling typed each manuscript individually (hundreds of pages) to send to publishers. Now that’s willpower! So, if you need temporary financial assistance to help you improve your life for your and your children, then do whatcha gotta do! 5
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
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sking strangers for money is a commonly used method of acquiring money. However, there are more clever ways to ask strangers for money without standing on a busy intersection holding up a sign. Have you heard about the lady who convinced strangers to help pay off her $20,000 credit card debt? Her name is Karyn Bosnak and she created a website entitled www.savekaryn.com. Karyn was able to pay off her hefty debt in less than five months by getting people to donate money to help eliminate her debt via her website as well as selling her personal items on Ebay®. She got national acclaim for her efforts, received over two million hits on her website (savekaryn.com), and is now debt-free.
Although she is no longer soliciting funds (doesn’t need to), Karyn was not too proud to beg and you shouldn’t be either. Consider holding a fundraiser for yourself or maybe even starting your own website!
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there are more clever ways to ask strangers for money without standing on a busy intersection holding up a sign. Have you heard about the lady who convinced strangers to help pay off her $20,000 credit card debt? Her name is Karyn Bosnak and she created a website entitled www. savekaryn.com. Karyn was able to pay off her hefty debt in less than five months by getting people to donate money to help eliminate her debt via her website as well as selling her personal items on EbayÂŽ. Seek Assistance Basic
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Read The Entire
How to Survive Hard Times Series Managing Bills During Hard Times Seek Assistance Attitude Adjustment Budgeting When You’re Broke Avoiding Scams Vehicle Repossession Creating Your Own Employment Opportunities Homeless Prevention Finding Money Beware of the Company You Keep! The Student Loan Blues Steering Clear of College Debt
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