<prompt> Human: Ive spent the past 6 years on my own. Ive been trying as hard as possible to be self-sufficient. I think its safe to say I have a real money problem. I dont have much debt, because Ive refused to add to it over the past 2 years. I ended up going into collections and have reduced my debt to just 3,100 from 7,500. However Im just not making enough money to make any progress. Bad Luck: My car broke down and because I didnt pay for the car I feel as though I have no right to discard it and get a new one Grandparents bought it for me. For the past 5 months Ive been commuting to work and back on a bicycle trying to save money to get my car fixed to no avail. I refuse to borrow money from family and friends. My Credit Union will not give me a small loan4000 unless I get a co-signer and I refuse to put another person in financial jeopardy because of my bad luck. Im working as much as I can, saving as much as I can. I just need a little guidance and a bit of advice to secure my future financially.I have big hopes and dreams but am moving at an alarmingly slow pace. I hope to start a PhotoVideoDesign company eventually but for the time being Im stuck with aging equipment and a skill level that being stifled by my bottlenecked income. My current income comes from waiting tables and the occasional bartending shift. The money is decent and were coming back from our off season, but the owner is making poor business decisions and our customer base is shrinking. I think I need a better job. Im pressed for time though, and need to get this car running ASAP. I think I need 2-3k to fix the car, maybe more. What should I do to get the wheels rolling before winter with an average monthly income of 1,100 with bills? Any advice at all would be welcome.  <response>: Start by keeping it simple, and listing out your expenses your debts including interest rates. Once all of the numbers are in front of you, its much easier to determine what can be cut back, and where that money can be reallocated to. Your situation is not dire, its just tiring Im sure. Also, is there any kind of public transit available in your area, including ride-share? Look it up on craigslist. There are not many situations where you will be able to save 2-3k in 3 months, but you can definitely save that much in a reasonable amount of time, WHILE staying on top of your debts, with the Igloo Method So lets get a list of your budgeted items, and your debts and work from there. 