 TITLE: How to Pay Your Credit Card Bills in a Financial Emergency CONTENT: 4\\. Trim Your Budget\n--------------------\nBudgets are living documents. What you had been spending before a financial emergency can and should change depending on the amount of money you have coming in today. Make a budget to free up as much cash as possible to put toward your credit card bills and other expenses. Hitting that goal may require some sacrifice, but it will also give you a sense of security.\nReview your entire list of expenses carefully. Pinpoint critical line items, such as:\n*   Rent or mortgage\n*   Groceries\n*   Utilities\n*   Medical expenses\nAfter you take into account how much you owe toward these monthly necessities, eliminate or reduce less vital expenses, with the knowledge that it won't last forever. To help ensure success:\n**Rally the troops.** It's one thing to live close to the bone when only you are affected, but another when other people are in the picture. Involve your spouse or partner and your older children in the budgeting process. Band together and determine what you're all willing to give up to keep costs down.\n**Reassess savings.** If you've been putting money aside in an emergency fund, that's great—it may help you through this period. But if you find you don't have enough to fund your savings and pay your credit card bills, you may want to reallocate some or all of your deposits until the situation improves. In some cases you may even reduce or suspend retirement plan contributions. Just remember to begin funding your account in full as soon as financially possible. END