Make Ends Meet Checklist: Prioritizing your Bills

The second in this series of stories is how to confront and prioritize your bills.

GOOD MORNING, I’M BACK IN THENEWSROOM TODAY FOR A SPECIALSERIES OF STORIES, FOR ’THEREBOUND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.’WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVEEVERY TOOL AVAILABLE, TO HELPYOUR FAMILY THROUGH THISPANDEMIC.━VO--YESTERDAY WE INTRODUCED YOU TOJONATHAN BEOUGHER.WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, HE LOSTHIS JOB AT A Fort MyersRESTAURANTAND LIKE SO MANYPEOPLE, HE COULDN’T GET ANYMONEY FROM THE STATEUNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE.HE WORRIED ABOUT BEING ABLE TOAFFORD RENTAND PUTTING FOOD ONTHE TABLE FOR HIS FIANCE ANDDAUGHTER.HERE’S WHAT HE TOLD ME ABOUTASKING FOR HELP.SOTJONATHAN BEOUGHER"I’m a proud person, I very mucham.

I hate to ask for help fromanybody.

But it’s not about me.It’s about my child."━V━THAT LEADS US INTO TODAY’S ’MAKEENDS MEET’ CHECK LISTTHE FIRSTSTEP TO GETTING BACK ON TRACK.━PK━ALL OF THIS HAS AN AFFECT ON US.THE LINES OF PEOPLE, IN OUR OWNCOMMUNITY, WEARING MASKS ANDWAITING TO BE TESTED FOR AVIRUS.THE OTHER LINES, OF PEOPLE,WAITING TO GET FOOD FOR THEIRFAMILIES.THE CLOSED DOWN BUSINESSESAND THE BROKEN DOWN STATEUNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.THAT’S WHYBEFORE WE CAN EVENTALK ABOUT MAKING ENDS MEET.WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT OUR MENTALHEALTH.SOT...ADAM BRUNO"There’s a lot of fear.

Financesand fear go hand in hand."FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS,WE’RE GOING TO RELY ON FINANCIALPLANNER, ADAM BRUNO, OFEVOLUTION RETIREMENT SERVICESTOGUIDE US THROUGH THIS.AND HE SAYS, YOU HAVE TOCONFRONT THE SITUATIONNO MATTERHOW SCARY IT IS.IT’S NOT GOING TO GO AWAYONIT’S OWN.SO EVEN IF YOU CAN’T PAY THEMRIGHT NOWLET’S GATHER UP THATSTACK OF BILLSAND START MAKINGA PLAN.SOT...ADAM BRUNO"It’s hard, but you have to lookinto these things.

You have tocreate budget sheets.

You haveto organize the bills, you haveto see where you’re going tofall behind.

Because thereality is, you’re not alone."AND HOPEFULLY THAT GIVES YOUPEACE OF MIND, BECAUSE THERE AREBREAKS OUT THERE.ONCE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUOWE AND WHO YOU OWE IT TOYOUNEED TO PRIORITIZE HOW YOU SPENDWHAT MONEY YOU HAVE.SOT...ADAM BRUNO"First and foremost you have tofeed your family."AND SECOND ON YOUR LIST, SHOULDBE WHERE YOU LIVE.THERE ARE PROTECTIONS AT THESTATE LEVEL, UNTIL JUNE SECOND,THAT PREVENT FORECLOSURES ANDEVICTIONS.AND IF YOU HAVE A FEDERALLYBACKED MORTGAGE, YOU’REPROTECTED UNTIL LATE JULY.JUST KNOW, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKETHE PAYMENTS AT SOMEPOINTPOSSIBLY WITH INTEREST.IT’S THE SAME WITH CARLOANSMOST MAJOR LENDERS WILLLET YOU PUT OFF YOUR PAYMENTSRIGHT NOW.SOT...ADAM BRUNO"You hate to talk about thosethings, but what else can you doat this point, there’s not muchyou can do.

If it’s going tocost you a little bit more andyou don’t have the means to pay,it’s unfortunate.

But those arethe two places where I think youhave the softest landing spotsright now."SO IF YOU HAVE TO PUT THOSEBILLS OFFYOU CAN GO FURTHERDOWN THE PRIORITY LIST.IF YOU NEED MEDICATIONTHATSHOULD BE THE NEXT PRIORITY.MOST CAR INSURANCE COMPANIES AREOFFERING CREDITSBUT THEY ARESTILL BILLING PEOPLE.AND DEPENDING ON THE COMPANY,THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOURUTILITIES.YOU NEED TO CHECKBUT YOU CANPROBABLY GET A BREAK RIGHT NOWFROM PAYING ANY MEDICAL, CREDITCARDS, AND STUDENT LOAN BILLSSOTHOSE CAN BE LOWER ON THE LIST.━ON CA━EVEN IF YOU HAVE A PRIORITYLIST, THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CANPAY YOUR BILLS.SO TOMORROW ON THE CHECKLIST,WE’LL TELL YOU HOW TO ASK FORAND ACTUALLY GET A BREAK.━PK━THE STORY ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPENTO US BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC,IS STILL BEING WRITTEN.BUT WE BELIEVE IN YOU, SOUTHWESTFLORIDA.<musicTHAT’S WHY WE’RE DEDICATED TOGIVING YOU THE TOOLS YOU NEED TOCOME BACK FROM THIS.THAT MEANS, LETTING YOU KNOWWHO’S HIRINGBUT THEN GOING ONESTEP FURTHER AND TELLING YOUWHERE YOU CAN GET FREE CAREERCOACHING AND TIPS TO NAIL AVIRTUAL INTERVIEW.what did you think of thevirtual job fair?I’m already moving forward onthe interview process."IT ALSO MEANS INSIDE ACCESS TOTHE DECISION MAKERS...in an exclusive interview, thatyou’ll only see on fox 4 morningnewsSO WE CAN GET YOU RESULTS.the hope is that we can get atleast some of you, help ingetting your applicationprocessed."IT’S ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THESTRESS IS DOING TO US.the past few months have taken atoll on so many of us and ourstate of mindAND WHY WE NEED TO LOOK OUT FOREACH OTHER.it’s going to take us acommunity, to make sure they’reokay.AND THIS WEEK, A CHECK LIST, TOHELP YOU MANAGE THE BILLS, WHENNO MONEY IS COMING IN.WE HAVE A FACEBOOK GROUP WHEREPEOPLE IN YOUR SAME SITUATIONARE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.ONE PLACE, WITH THE INFORM