If you lie awake at night wondering about money and expenses this can help.
Financial stress is emotional tension that is specifically related to money. Anyone can experience financial stress, but financial stress may occur more often in households with low incomes. Stress can result from not making enough money to meet your needs such as paying rent, paying the bills, and buying groceries.
Gas prices are making everyone anxious.
But here are some signs that you may be suffering from financial stress:
- Headache or upset stomach when you look at your bank account.
- You don’t look at bills for days because you can’t bring yourself to go through them.
- You feel like you’re working every waking hour to stay afloat.
You can’t sleep because you keep repeating worse-case scenarios about money in your head:
– Losing your job
– Car breaking down
– Getting evicted
Money comes from uncertainty of what the future holds.
It’s a fear of not having the resources available to meet your needs or face challenges that lie ahead.
This stress is often handed down. If your parents suffered financial stress they may have set heavy expectations for you to reach a certain level of wealth for your family’s sake.
If you live paycheck to paycheck, you probably don’t have a savings account or home equity to fall back on in emergencies.
You may even start to sacrifice meals, delay putting gas in your car, or miss important bill payments.
The numbers are clear.
According to Pew Research Center:
Among American renters, 46 percent are “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing. Around 23 percent of American renters spend at least half their income on rent.
And then there are student loans.
A 2021 survey by Student Loan Planner examined mental health trends in 2,300 student loan borrowers with high debt levels. One in 14 respondents said they had considered suicide at some point during their repayment journey.
Financial anxiety can also lead to family conflict. This can increase if your family avoids talking about money until it’s too late.
Sleep Problems.
Worries about bills, unplanned expenses, or other financial concerns can keep you awake long past your bedtime. This makes it hard to face another day. In time this can lead to health problems:
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- worsened anxiety
- depression
If you are feeling pressure and want outside help you might consider the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Because of the high demand for our services we also offer work (without fees, surveys, or telephone time).
