When a money catastrophe hits, it’s the time you become lean. You are only spending on absolute essentials. Paying your electricity bill is essential; grabbing a Chik-fil-A meal can easily hit you up for $10 or a Starbuck’s can kiss off $5 … neither that you need—it’s a want—not a necessity. Bypass them.

If you have family and friends, let them know what’s going on. If you have lost a job, they may be resources of new job opportunities. This is not the time to hit them up for money. They want to support you … but they also want to believe that you are supporting you as well.

Personal catastrophes that have a deep impact on you … and others.

Have you ever been so broke that you couldn’t face looking at the mail? Instead, you let it pile up in your mailbox before you went through it.
Have you ever tried to figure out how to pay one credit card by borrowing money on another credit card?
Have you ever been so broke that you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from?
Have you ever been so broke that you couldn’t see any way to take care of your family?
Have you ever been so broke that you raided your child’s piggy bank?
Have you ever been so broke you picked up bottles and cans on the side of highway?
Have you ever been so broke you stood on a street corner holding a sign?

All of these are symptoms of brokeness. You won’t find brokeness in the dictionary. I looked. But you will know it when you feel it. I’ve felt it …it’s not fun. It is a deep and paralyzing state that leaves you unable to decide.

When you are broken, you are in the depth of despair. Despair leads to lack of hope. Hopelessness leads to greater despair.

You can break the circle.

How? By facing the despair and building on hope. Stuff happens … to you and everyone else. Then by acting. And thinking and moving forward lean.

Your Money Tip:
Facing just one piece of the problem you are encountering and acting will help you start to overcome the paralysis that’s holding you back now.

Patricia Lane Williams CPA is the author of Your Money: How to Get Hold of Your Money Before Debt Gets Hold of You. As a trusted resource for the accounting profession for over 30 years providing content for their continuing education. Her website is PatWilliamsAuthor.com and she can be reached at PatWilliams.Author@gmail.com.