<prompt> Human: UPDATEHoly cow thank you all! So much advice, so much encouragement! Ive been trying to reply to everyone, but Im only on mobile now so its slow. I ended up calling the people I was behind to, one CC just said ok Ill make a note, the other one I saved from going to collections!! They had stopped the account or something, and I have a payment plan I have to pay back 35 a month for 10 months then can decide if I want to reactivate the card or not. Unfortunately, I cannot pay it ahead or I get kicked out of the program which is really weird but oh well. Today I am off work and my wife and I are going to sit down and make a budget and apply to a bank we decide on or 2-3 if I cant get in the first choices. Ill post updates periodically as I have a lot of questions and want to take care of things in stages. Ill probably post about retirement, savings, a budget, and Im sure there are others I cant think of now. This is a great sub and look forward to helping someone in the future! THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HAS HELPED OR TOOK THE TIME TO SAY SOMETHING ENCOURAGING!!1st off, this isnt a throw away but a new account, my old account is filled with reminders of my past. Brief story, since I was 13 Ive been off and on opiates, with an extremely bad addiction over the past decade. I basically just survived with finances the best I could. Before I quit, it was a 4-5k a month habit. I am now 6 weeks clean, and trying to clean up the financial mess. Likely, I will make this a multi part post and ask for some advice in different areas. I think I could use some help! Here are my issues:Ive screwed my bank Wells Fargo so much that any check I deposit is held for 2 weeks, I have to go cash my paycheck where it is wrote off of, then deposit cash, so I need a new account plus WF fees are insane. My wife wants to look at an online bank. Considerations are Capital One 360, Ally, and Connect5 bank. Other banks with a brick and mortar location Im considering are Capital City Bank and Suntrust. Anyone with an account with any of these institutions I would appreciate you chiming in. I am mainly considered with a low fee checking account and a standard savings account at this time as Im basically living paycheck to paycheck. Another question regarding banking would be how many accounts to have? Should we have a joint account and 2 separate accounts for ourselves? Information about me and my wife:She makes about 1k per month from her business after expenses. Thats all of her income.I am in sales and make no less than 2500 net, no more than 7k net, and should expect to fall around an average monthly net income of about 4000-5000.CC debt is only about 800-1k and I need to make payments on them. Both of them likely are going to go to collections soon.Savings is absolutely 0Have a 548 auto loan Im currently behind on, I have 3 payments set up with them, 1 in 2 weeks, 5 weeks, and 6 weeks, then will be caught up.170 in car insurance 116 a month loan payment. Owe probably 700 and is high interest.Rent is 900I owe my cable company 200 and is about to go to collections.Ill have a soft paycheck this week I already know probably around a total of 500 net between my wife and I. and have to pay the 116 loan, so Im thinking of paying the CCs min payments and that payment for about 250 and living off the 250.We have another 500 a month bill we can pay in increments, usually 250 125 and 125.No internet, cell phone bill currentlyWe just were forced to move because we got behind on rent, eventually will have to pay 2k as it is in decision in court long story, will tell more about it later.Cable bill should we take it on and pay the 200 is going to be 110 per month. I borrowed 400 and cashed out my PTO to help pay for moving to our new house which was 1800 plus switching utilities and such so I am going to pay them back 200 twice when I can. Utilities should be around 150ish, I just moved so dont know exactly. So where do you all think I should start? Pay the high interest loans first? Get 1k saved? Ill post help with a budget later on, but how should I get myself dugout of this hole the fastest and most efficiently, and safely? Thanks in advance for your advice and hope that I can get my family in a good situation again! Assistant: Might I suggest that every account you think might go into collections - call the issuer. Tell them you are in a situation. Its better to have them know now and possibly help set up payments then go to collections and screw up your credit. They would rather hear from you than not at all. Human: Ive been so afraid to call for some reason, I dont know why, but I think you are right, Im actually going to do this right now.  <response>: You will be amazed at how many companies want to help you. They would rather the money come from you then get paid off by a collection agency. They will get a lot less money from the collection agency than from you. Tell them you are sorry for not contacting them sooner. Tell them you are having financial hardship and WANT to pay but cant at the moment. See what they will do for you. If its a credit card company dont let them sign you into some bogus assistance plan where it costs you extra money per percentage of your final balance. They should be either lowering your payment or deferring a payment a month or two. When I worked at a local credit union we just wanted to hear from people that were struggling. STUFF happens. We get it and weve been there. Just ask and you dont have to go into details with them other than you are trying to get on track and want to pay and be responsible. My moms motto was it never hurts to ask. 