There are three ways you can decide to go in finding some assistance. One way is to find a budget manager of some kind. These are people who know how to take all of your bills and expenses, compare them to your income, and make a determination as to whether going on a budget of some kind is all you need, or whether your needs are much greater. The best thing about a budget manager is that they'll work one on one with you, and take the time to explain things to you.



Another way to go is to a government sponsored organization known as Consumer Credit Counseling. Every large metropolitan city in the United States has at least one CCCS office willing to help you determine if you qualify for some kind of payment protection, or whether you'll need to declare bankruptcy. Although their initial services are free, if they take you on there will be small processing fees for them to help you on a monthly basis. One of the problems with this type of service is that they usually have other people waiting, so they can't take as much time with you as you might need. Also, if they make a determination that you don't need their services because you make enough money to pay your bills, their help stops, and you're left to try to figure out how to pay your bills.

The third way you can go is to a debt consolidation company. You need to check them out thoroughly before you decide on this option, because their intention isn't to help you budget your money, or even to determine if you're making enough money to pay your bills. Their overall goal is to help you clear your debt, and you may not like how they do it.

Of course, you can also just do it yourself by figuring out how to set up Excel to help you with the process, or pulling out a pad of paper and something to write with and detailing everything you spend against how much you bring in. With some hard work and rudimentary math skills, you can determine your own status, and figure out where to go next.