When a Bill You Cannot Pay Arrives
For the letter or email that asks for money you do not have right now. It helps you find out what is actually owed and by when, make the call before the deadline passes, and keep the fear from turning into weeks of unopened mail.
Money · Money · Stress · 8 items · whenever you need it
The checklist
- Open it and write down the amount and the date — a known number is smaller than an unknown one.
- Check whether it is a final notice or a first one — the two need very different speed.
- Call them before the date, not after — almost every provider has a plan for this.
- Ask directly for a payment plan or an extension — the worst answer is the one you already have.
- List what else is due this month, in order — paying in the wrong order costs the most.
- Look up free debt advice in your state — this is a well-worn problem with real help.
- Tell one person the actual number — money fear thrives on being the only one who knows.
- Put the next unopened letter on today's list — the pile is what makes this unmanageable.
Use this checklist Free account: tick items off and keep each day's record.
How to use it
Run through it whenever you need it, honestly and without scoring yourself. A checklist is a way of noticing, not a test: an item you cannot tick is information about the day, not a verdict on you. Over a few weeks the pattern of what gets ticked and what does not says more than any single pass.
With a free Theraglee account the checklist remembers each pass, so you can look back. Without one, you can still read it here and keep your own copy.