<prompt> Human: Hi everyone, I am in really big financial trouble and need some advice. First for some background on my situation, a few years ago I lost my job unexpectedly when the place I worked shut down over night. I unfortunately blew through any and all savings at that time and have been living paycheck to paycheck at my current job ever since so I have no emergency savings fund. My parents have both passed away when I was young and they did not have much money so what they left me was used to help pay for college, so I have no parents or inheritance to fall back on.Now on to my situation, after losing my job and not having anyone to fall back on I started racking up credit card debt because I simply didnt have enough to cover my bills and had to find alternative ways to cover bills with little to no income. I now have 15k in CC debt that I cant pay down. I currently make about 39,000 base at my job with a good amount of overtime during the busy season however as of recently our hours have been cut back majorly and Im taking home about 1000 per paycheck. My rent has just gone up 100 per month and is now 800 per month I live in a very expensive part of the country, I also have 18k of student debt that Id been deferring but they are now forcing me to start paying back 125 per month, and one of my CCs that had a minimum payment around 75-80 has now skyrocketed to 212 a month due to the no-interest expiring which I didnt even know this card had. To top this all off, the tax refund I thought Id be getting turned into a tax debt in the amount of 700.Due to the cutback hours at work Im making 600-700 less than I was a few months ago. At that time I was still living paycheck to paycheck but was generally making enough to cover rent, bills and make my CC payments. Now Im not even making enough to cover my rent, basic bills and CC payments BEFORE the increases. With rent increase, student loan payment, and the new CC minimum I am now suddenly responsible for an extra 350mo yet Im making 600 less.I have already asked for a raise at my current job but they wont do reviews until mid-Summer. Ive been applying for new full-time jobs and have not gotten a call back for anything that offers more than what I make now. I have also been applying for part-time jobs but havent heard back from anyone whos required availability works with my current job schedule. Im still looking and am thinking a new full time or an added part time job might be my best bets right now. I have my name out there in different places for babysitting and dogsitting but nothing has come through recently. I have also called my CC companies to ask for better rates or lower minimum payments and they have all denied me. I have cut back my budget MAJORLY and am trying hard to only spend on food, my dog, gas, car maintenace, etc things that I absolutely have toI need some advice because I am just not sure what to do right now. At this point I am at LEAST 350 short for this month and all these bills went up this month leaving me less than a month to figure out where to get an extra 350 each month. Not to mention the 700 I now owe the IRS. If anyone has any advice, resources, ideas, suggestions, honestly anything helps. I have never been in a worse situation in my life than what Im in right now.Thanks in advance for the help!  <response>: Student loans can be income based in many cases. I fell on hard times and got mine reduced to 0 for a bit. Call your credit card companies. They can be surprisingly willing to work with you. The 0 interest expiring is not a small thing. I dont know if doing a balance transfer to buy some time is an option, someone else on this sub can probably speak for that better. Also, dont underestimate the cost of food and groceries and things like toiletries. This sounds basic, but to improve your finances you can A increase your income, andor B decrease your expenses. Use your debit card for ALL purchases and track it with an app like Mint so you can see exactly what youre spending. At every store they list the price per ounce of all the foods. If you need to, you can really ramp down your food costs.Tips for cheap eating: Things like white rice, pasta, potatoes, eggs, sweet potatoes, bananas, beans, olive oil, family packs of boneless chicken breast dont pay more than 1.99lb peanut butter, ramen, all offer a lot of calories for the dollar. Sources of protein are usually the most expensive, which is why things like eggs offer a lot of bang for the buck. Investing in a thing of whey protein might a cheaper way to get enough protein, but undoubtedly carbs and fats can help you through hard times with how cheap they are while giving you enough energy to live well. Dont buy juices, pop, etc. Just drink water and maybe cheap coffee if you need it.Shop at Aldi, Wal Mart, etc. Be wary of some places like Sams Club. It may seem cheaper to buy in bulk but if you break it down to the cents per ounce, often times what happens is youre just buying name brand goods so it ends up being cheaper just to get the off-brand Aldis and Wal-Mart stuff. Make as much as you can from scratch. Pre-cooked food is so much more expensive. A pound of pre-cooked, frozen, breaded chicken tenders might be 8lb and are full of fats and carbs too. Chicken breasts are 1.99lb and an extremely lean source of protein. Chicken quarters and drumsticks are often 0.99lb. Buy some bread crumbs and eggs and bread your own chicken. You can cook like 3-4 lbs of chicken and be set for the week. I basically lived off of wheat pasta, Hunts pasta sauce, and chicken breast for my college years. Bread outlets like Aunt Millies offer great deals on bread items that are only a few days older than the stores. Stock up on a bunch of bread, bagels, buns, etc for like 10 and freeze what you cant use. Things like cheese, snacks, frozen pre-cooked food, are not only not healthful, but also expensive for what youre getting. Fruits and veggies can be expensive for the amount of calories, but having these nutritional items in your diet is important for keeping a good head when stressed out. Pay attention to whats in season and on sale. Sometimes green beans can be 0.99lb. Bananas are very cheap, as are apples. Bring food wherever you go rather than buying it. Small food expenses will KILL your finances in the long term. Dont pop into the gas station for a Monster or snack. Dont get fast food. Dont eat out. Prep food for the week, cheaphealthy stuff like chicken breast, wheat pasta, green beans, and bring those with you. Alcohol is a needless expense obviously, but sometimes a man needs a drink, especially in times like these. Dont buy drinks at a bar or restaurant. Like food, the price per ounce is listed on all the beers at the grocery store. Pick up a cheap 12 back of budget beer if you need a few drinks. People dont realize how much theyre spending on food. You could be spending 300month on groceries and easily ramp that down to like 150 or less. I lived for years in college off of like 30week and managed to eat enough to bulk up while working out frequently. Its still important to eat decently. Youll need to be working hard to pull yourself out of this, and you wont be helping anybody by being under fed and tired all the time. 