Whether you find yourself dealing with stress here and there, or on a more chronic basis, it is definitely something that touches each and every person at some time or another. Stress can play havoc on you both mentally and physically, impacting your ability to function in your everyday life. And while there are many different sources of stress, money is the big one. Dealing with things such as the rising cost of living, monthly bills, and then those unexpected expenses can all prove to be a bit much.
With that in mind, here are some useful and effective tips that can help you deal with stress caused by unexpected bills specifically.
Raise the Limit on Your Credit Card
Obviously, you don’t want to get into the habit of charging expenses, but when it’s an unexpected bill that you hadn’t budgeted on, you don’t have many options. If you don’t currently have enough available credit on the card, speak to your credit card company and ask if you can get a temporary rise on your limit.
Work Extra Hours
For hourly employees, speak with your boss to see if you can pick up a few extra shifts or work overtime to use that money for the bill. If that’s not possible, you may want to look at picking up some supplemental income at least for the short-term. This could be freelance work, a part-time job, or anything else that would help you bring in cash.
Sell Items You Don’t Want or Need
It’s also amazing how much cash you can round up simply by selling items you no longer want or need. There are online buy and sell groups that make things smooth and simple; just be sure you look for a local one so you aren’t dealing with shipping.
Consider a Payday Loan
If you simply cannot come up with the cash in time to pay for your bill, and you don’t have that extra room on your credit card, then a short-term payday loan can be a great solution. BingoLoans is a payday loan direct lender that explains these styles of loans as ideal for those emergency situations where you need a short-term cash injection. It’s not meant to be a long-term solution, but it will just help you get past that one bill.
Start Building a Rainy-Day Fund
While it’s not something you can think about in the moment that you are covering the bill, thinking ahead towards the next unexpected expense is wise. Start putting away a little money on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. You can set a reminder on your smartphone or even use your banking app to automatically do a transfer to an online savings account. The next time a bill comes up that you weren’t planning on, at least you’ll have some cash available.
Getting Past the Expense
Each of these tips can be used to help you pay for that unexpected bill and move past this bump in the road.