If your money situation is getting really critical, there are things you can do to take the pressure off. You might not like them, they may well sting, but when the chips are down, do you have much choice but to make radical changes to the way you live? No? Then maybe some of these suggestions will help.

Do you own a car and if so, is it feasible to use public transport instead? If you can get a bus or train - or even walk or cycle - to work and everywhere else you need to be, consider selling your vehicle. You'll make money on the sale, or at least get enough to pay off any finance you may have on it, and of course you'll no longer have all the sundry expenses of running a car, such as fuel and insurance. If you can walk or cycle, you'll get fit too!

Next on the chopping board is alcohol. No one has to have alcohol and even though you may love nothing more than a cold beer on the weekend, you really don't need it. Ditto soft drinks. If you really give it some thought, there are probably dozens of things you eat or drink in a day that aren't necessary. Likewise, if you normally buy your lunch while you're at work, it's far cheaper to take a lunch with you that you made at home. The same principle applies to takeouts. Sure it's easier to order in than it is to cook for yourself when you get in from work, but for the cost of one takeout, you could probably cook at least two meals at home. Cooking at home is also much healthier.

Now another painful act. Cut up your credit cards and live by this rule: 'If I don't have the cash, I can't buy it'. End of story! You can come to an arrangement with your creditors to reduce your payments if you need to and as long as you don't still have the card, even though it'll take time, you will eventually be debt free.

If you have cable, or another similar service, cancel it. You don't absolutely have to have cable do you? Nor do you absolutely need a landline telephone if you have a cell phone. Or, if your cell costs more than your landline, get rid of that instead. Think of it this way, by cutting every last thing out of your budget that you can possibly live without, you're also cutting out those nasty demands for payment too! What you don't buy, you don't have to pay for.

Finally, have a yard sale to try and raise some really fast cash. All of us have tons of stuff that we no longer need or want, so go through every room in your house, put everything you never use into a box you and then you're good to go! Your house gets a clean out and you get some cash.