Which money steps to take first: a simple worksheet

This page helps you choose your next money step. It is general information, not financial advice. If you or someone in your home is in danger, call 911.

Why order matters

When everything feels urgent, people often pay whoever calls loudest. That can mean paying a credit card while the rent goes late. Order fixes that. Care for the basics first, because losing housing or power costs far more than a late fee on a card.

We use six steps. Each one rests on the one before it.

1. Is my family safe this week?
2. Is my income protected?
3. Do I have a small cushion?
4. Is my money in a safe place?
5. Am I building credit?
6. Am I working toward a goal?

Go in order. When you can answer yes to a step, move to the next.

Step 1: Is my family safe this week?

Answer yes or no:

• Will we have food every day this week?
• Is our rent or housing paid, or is there a plan with the landlord?
• Are the lights, gas and water on?
• Can we get urgent medicine or care?
• Is anyone being threatened or hurt?

If any answer is no, this is your only step right now. Here is where to go:

• Food: Second Harvest of Silicon Valley serves San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Call 1-800-984-3663 or use its Food Locator. See Free food and CalFresh help.
• Rent and utility bills in East Palo Alto or Menlo Park: Samaritan House South, 2396 University Ave, East Palo Alto, (650) 294-4312, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. It is a San Mateo County Core Service Agency for emergency housing, shelter and utility help. In Redwood City or North Fair Oaks, call Fair Oaks Community Center at (650) 780-7500.
• Rent and basic needs in Santa Clara County: Sacred Heart Community Service in San Jose, (408) 278-2160. Or dial 211.
• Eviction notice or lockout: call right away. In San Mateo County, Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, (650) 517-8911. Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto helps low income tenants in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, (650) 326-6440. See Housing and tenant rights.
• Anything else: dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. In San Mateo and Santa Clara counties it is free and open 24 hours. 211 connects you to programs; it does not give money directly. Outside the Bay Area, check the 211 California county list. Some areas of California have no 211 yet.
• Living somewhere else in California? Apply for food, health and cash aid in one place at BenefitsCal, the state's application site.
• Danger: call 911.

Step 2: Is my income protected?

Once the basics are covered, protect the money coming in.

• Are you paid all you earned? If your boss owes you pay, you can file a claim whatever your status. See How to file a wage claim.
• Lost your job? See Lost your job and cannot get unemployment?
• Can you lower a bill? If PG&E is your utility, its CARE program gives a monthly discount of 20% or more on gas and 35% or more on electricity for households that qualify by income or by being in a program like CalFresh, WIC or Medi-Cal. The bill must be in your name. CARE (PG&E)
• Are you missing tax credits? Many families with an ITIN can get CalEITC and the Young Child Tax Credit. See CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit with an ITIN.
• Stop new costly debt. Avoid payday loans while you catch up. The CFPB says they do not build credit. Borrowing to pay old loans usually makes the hole deeper.

Step 3: Do I have a small cushion?

A cushion is a little money set aside for surprises: a car repair, a doctor visit, a short week at work. Without it, every surprise becomes a new debt.

• Start with a small target, like one week of groceries.
• Put a set amount aside each payday, even $10.
• Keep it separate from spending money, in a savings account if you can.
• Use it only for true surprises. Then refill it.

If your family could face detention or deportation, also make a plan for money and papers. See Make a family money plan in case of detention.

Step 4: Is my money in a safe place?

Cash at home can be lost, stolen or burned. Check cashers charge a fee on every check, and most prepaid cards charge fees too.

• Open a bank or credit union account. You do not need a Social Security number. See Open a bank account with an ITIN or consular ID.
• Using an app? Check it first. See How to tell if a money app is safe to trust.

Step 5: Am I building credit?

Credit helps you rent an apartment, finance a car and borrow for a business at a fair price.

• No credit yet? A lending circle or a secured card can start your record. See Build credit without a Social Security number.
• Debts you cannot pay? A nonprofit credit counselor can help you make a plan. See Where to get free, trusted help with money and credit.
• Debt collectors calling, or mistakes on your report? See How to fix mistakes on your credit report and deal with debt collectors.

Step 6: Am I working toward a goal?

Now you are building, not just catching up. Pick one goal at a time:

• Pay off the highest cost debt
• Save for a bigger emergency fund
• Save for immigration fees. Mission Asset Fund offers 0% loans for some USCIS online filing fees.
• Start or grow a business. See Where to get a low cost loan to start or grow a small business.
• Save for college. See Paying for college in California, whatever your status.

What does this look like for a real family?

Example (fictional). Rosa and her two children live in East Palo Alto. Her hours were cut, rent is due in five days and the PG&E bill is late. She also owes $600 on a store card.

1. Step 1 first. She calls Samaritan House South about rent and the utility bill, and gets food from a pantry through Second Harvest's Food Locator. She does not pay the store card this month.
2. Step 2. She applies for PG&E CARE, because her children get Medi-Cal. She checks that her last paychecks were complete.
3. Step 3, later. When her hours come back, she sets aside $10 each payday in a savings account.
4. Step 4. She stops cashing checks at a check casher and opens a bank account with her passport and ITIN.

Rosa skipped Steps 5 and 6 for now. That is the point. One step at a time, in order. This example shows the steps. It does not promise that any program will say yes.

What if I am stuck between steps?

That is normal. Life moves back and forth. A lost shift can send you from Step 5 back to Step 1 in a week. That is not failure. Go back to the step you need, use the help listed, and climb again.

If you want someone to walk the steps with you, a free financial coach can. United Way Bay Area's SparkPoint centers offer free one on one coaching. See Where to get free, trusted help with money and credit.

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Paying a card before rent. Housing comes first.
• Borrowing from a payday lender to pay another loan. It often makes the hole deeper.
• Paying someone who promises to erase your debt. That is often a scam. See How do I spot a credit repair scam?
• Hiding the problem. Call the landlord, the utility or the lender before the due date. Many will work out a plan if you ask early.
• Trying to do everything at once. One step this week is enough.

Common questions

Will getting food or utility help hurt my immigration case? It depends on the program and your situation. USCIS says it does not count benefits your children or other relatives get as yours, though an officer may look at your household's low income. See Will using benefits like CalFresh hurt my immigration case? and talk with a legal aid office if you are unsure.

I do not have papers. Can I still get help with rent or food? Ask. Each food bank and local agency sets its own rules, so ask what it needs from you. Your children may qualify for CalFresh even if you do not. See Can my children get CalFresh if I cannot?

My income changes every week. How do I plan? Plan on your lowest normal week. When a week is better, put the extra into your cushion.

Should I save or pay off debt first? Build a small cushion first, so the next surprise does not become new debt. Then put extra money toward the highest cost debt.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• 211 Bay Area (San Mateo and Santa Clara counties): dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. See 211: free help finding local services. Other counties: 211 California list.
• BenefitsCal (all of California): apply for CalFresh, Medi-Cal and CalWORKs. benefitscal.com
• Samaritan House South (East Palo Alto, Menlo Park): 2396 University Ave, East Palo Alto. (650) 294-4312.
• Fair Oaks Community Center (Redwood City, North Fair Oaks): (650) 780-7500.
• Sacred Heart Community Service (San Jose): (408) 278-2160.
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley: 1-800-984-3663. shfb.org
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (housing): (650) 326-6440.
• Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (eviction): (650) 517-8911.
• PG&E CARE discount: pge.com
• Free money coaching: Where to get free, trusted help with money and credit

Is there a worksheet I can print?

You are not behind for good. You are on a path, and today you took a step on it.