There is so much struggle with finances at the moment. The current Chancellor has said that even people earning £45k a year will need help with energy bills. Imagine the number of people who are earning less than that who are going to be struggling! Especially when you consider that the average salary is £38,600. If you are worried, stressed, upset and downright angry about your finances, you might be looking for somewhere to turn. If you are asking “who can help me with my finances?” you need to read the rest of this post. Make a drink, sit down and let's work our way through some tangible help.
Find financial support
When personal finances are a struggle, reaching out for help is the first step. Many of us have pride and won't step out and talk to someone about our troubles. This includes monetary worries. It is time to put pride aside and start being honest about your situation. Fortunately, there are many organisations that offer free financial support. It takes guts to pick up the phone and say help me with my finances. It takes strength to walk into a building and speak to someone and say help me with my finances. However, the weight lifted off your shoulders can be huge. Suddenly the problem is shared and things can start being put in place. Speak to the likes of Citizens Advice, StepChange or Christians Against Poverty. They can help with your financial issues. Remember, you don't need to pay anyone for help.
Speak to someone you trust
You might need someone to help you make that first step. It is well worth talking to someone you trust. This could be a family member or a close friend. Getting support from someone you love will help when you are facing this issue head-on. They can join you at meetings and take notes, be another pair of ears so you know everything is covered. Being able to soundboard off someone you trust is important. Having someone here to offer a shoulder and hold you up in tough times can be priceless. They may have solutions too and be able to break through financial lingo that you don't understand.
Educate yourself
It is so important to educate ourselves on finance. It is something that is barely talked about in our school system, which is such a mistake. We leave school knowing the periodic table and the works of Shakespeare, there's nothing wrong with that. However, we don't know things that the majority of us will come up against in life. Educate yourself about your personal finances. What certain things mean, how you can file taxes, what to do with mortgages, bills and debt. You can find lots of books in your local library and plenty of leaflets at your local bank, building society or Citizens Advice centre. Equip yourself with the knowledge that you need and you will be able to take on those things you fear at the moment.
Read free online content
You can also find lots of amazing “help me with my finances” content, for free online. There are websites, news articles and blogs for you to dive into and discover the information you need. Be sure to go to trustworthy sources and find the advice you require. Take a look at these 56 Incredible UK Personal Finance Blogs You Should Follow!
Talk to your mortgage provider
If you are struggling to pay your mortgage. Speak to your provider. The worst thing you can do is bury your head in the sand or ghost their phone calls. Open and honest communication goes a long way and if you explain your situation, there is help available. You might be able to take a payment holiday or extend your mortgage term. Your lender can talk to you or your debt adviser to explore options. If you rent and are struggling, you should speak to your landlord.
Contact your energy provider
Open and honest communication continues with your energy provider. If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, there are options available to help. There are grants available to support you and you might be able to agree to a new payment plan with your supplier. There is a human at the end of the phone who will be able to offer assistance.
Speak to your boss
There is nothing worse than stress and baggage on your shoulders and still having to put on a happy face for work. Your colleagues and boss will likely sense that something is wrong if you are not quite yourself. The best thing to do is speak to your boss. They are likely in a similar situation of worrying bout escalating bills themselves. You may have to take personal calls during office hours because, in reality, that is the time when these helplines are open. If you are not concentrating on your work properly and no one knows the reason why, you are risking verbal and written warnings, as well as potentially losing your job. Talk to your boss.
Talk to a doctor
Another person you might need to talk to is your doctor. Extra stress and anxiety are not good for anybody and they can take a toll on both your physical and mental health. Book an appointment and see if anything needs to be put into place. That could be medication or simply someone to talk to. Doctors also have the ability to signpost people to further help.
Email your MP
Regardless of how it may sometimes seem, your MP works for you. They have a duty to represent you. Without you telling them what is going on, they are unable to provide help or speak up for you in Parliament. Tell them what is going on, how you are struggling, and what the current situation is doing to your health and future. They might take some time to reply however they have a duty to reply. If nothing else, it shows them exactly what it is currently like for someone living in their constituency.
Sit down & make a budget
If you are asking the question “who can help me with my finances?” you need to make a new budget. It could be that a current budget you already have in place simply isn't working anymore. Knowing your incoming and outgoing allows you to figure out a budget that actually works. Cut out those things that are unnecessary. Once you start to have a handle on exactly how much money you have got to live on, you can change habits and start leading a lifestyle that works with the cash you have.
Final thoughts
Shouting out “help me with my finances” is a hugely difficult step to take. However, it is an important and required one in order to make a change and start on a new path. Sticking with the same habits and going over the same mistakes isn't going to enable change. Help is out there, you just need to take the first step to ask for it.