Federal government websites often end in. The site is secure. A budget is a roadmap to plan your finances and keep track of where your money goes. It will help you see where you spend your money and how you might spend money differently. To make a budget :. Your goal is to stop adding to your debt, and also to pay down the debt you already have, if you can. You can find information about budgeting and money management online, at your public library, and in bookstores.
Check out this worksheet for creating and tweaking your budget. Do it before a debt collector gets involved. Not everyone who calls saying that you owe a debt is a real debt collector.
Some are scammers who are just trying to take your money. The collector has to tell you. You also can get a collector to stop contacting you, at any time, by sending a letter by mail asking for contact to stop.
For example, collectors. If you do get sued for a time-barred debt, tell the judge that the statute of limitations has run out. How long the statute of limitations lasts depends on what kind of debt it is and the law in your state β or the state specified in your credit contract or agreement creating the debt. The clock resets and a new statute of limitations period begins. Contact your lender immediately. Your lender might be willing to. Before you agree to a new payment plan, find out about any extra fees or other consequences.
Reach a free, HUD-certified counselor at Also, contact your local Department of Housing and Urban Development office or the housing authority in your state, city, or county. Never pay a company upfront for promises to help you get relief on paying your mortgage.
