adversely affected too. Credit counseling is all about you and your financial situation. When it's your dollars at stake make sure to ask the credit counseling organization about what type of customer service they provide. Credit counseling organizations should have someone available for you to talk to during all business hours of the day. Be leery of a credit counseling organization that requires you to leave a message in order to speak to customer service. This can be a sign that the credit counseling organization is shorthanded and having difficulty keeping up with their clients' needs. Be sure to ask about counseling fees and the type of management and education programs they have in place. Pay yourself first. Many people in debt put their creditors first and themselves last. Create a budget category for a "contingency fund" to help create a cushion for yourself for spending. The wise owl articles you'll read will say this cushion should have 3-6 months of expenses in it. Don't get overwhelmed by this. Setting aside something, anything, for unexpected expenses (i.e. transmission replacement for your car) is a great start. Can you earn more ? Most people can figure out a way to bring in more income relatively painlessly. Do you have a skill or a hobby from which you could earn some income? Do you have items in storage or the ability to create something that people would buy on sites such eBay.com? If so, this money could be put directly toward debt,