Lisa Robertson, Author at Parachute

NYS Excluded Worker’s Fund has relief available, and CCCS of Buffalo can help!

Do you know anyone who is a cash worker or undocumented worker that lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic? The New York State Excluded Worker’s Fund helps these workers obtain the federal relief funds that they were left out of.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo is one of only three Western New York organizations selected by New York State to help individuals access financial help through the all new Excluded Workers Fund — the first of its kind in the nation.

The EWF officially began as of August 1^st after its approval in the New York State budget this spring. It is a fund of approximately $2.1 billion and can provide benefits of as much as $15,600 per worker.

Applications for the EWF are available in 13 different languages and applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online. Applications will not be accepted by mail.

To be eligible to receive benefits from the EWF program, applicants must show they:

Lived in New York State before March 27, 2020, and continue to live in New York State;
Are not eligible for and did not receive unemployment insurance or any other COVID-19 income relief or other specified benefits from the state or federal government;
Earned less than $26,208 in the 12 months prior to April 2021; and
Lost at least 50% of weekly work-related earnings or household income at any point in time between February 23, 2020, and April 1, 2021 due to total or partial unemployment, or inability or unavailability to work due to the COVID-19 pandemic or, became responsible for a majority of their household income due to death or disability of the head of household.

CCCS also offers credit counseling services and urges WNY residents to contact them with their financial concerns at 712-2060 or www.parachutecreditcounseling.org. CCCS will assist individuals to attain financial stability and security.

Budget

Holiday Spending Plan

As the summer comes to yet another close, swiftly approaching is the holiday season. Have you started planning yet? Well… if not, you likely aren’t alone. In less than 3 months a busy schedule lies ahead; Family gatherings and visiting relatives, attending parties and potlucks, entertaining the kids while they are eagerly home from school, and of course… shopping. This should be the time of year to enjoy, and with the right planning, of both your time and your finances, you can have a great holiday season!

Like most successful endeavors, this will start with a detailed plan. Ideally this should happen earlier in the year; whether you are putting money aside in a savings club, or purchasing gifts intermittently throughout the year. Perhaps that wasn’t the case this year but don’t worry! You can still have a great holiday season if you focus your attention on these 5 specific recommendations and tipsto maximize your dollars:

Make a list, and check it twice. Determine the amount you want to spend on each and every person, no matter the price of the gift. Carry the gift list with you so you can keep track of your purchases. This will help to limit your purchases to what you initially planned and eliminate any impulse spending. Don’t give in to discounts and sales if it means you will go over your allotted budget.

Tame your expectations. This does not mean you have to sacrifice or leave people off your gift list, but more of in-depth look at your current personal financial situation to see what you can comfortably afford. Perhaps you have to reduce the amount you normally spend on your children, your spouse, or your best friend. You shouldn’t feel bad, as almost certainly your loved ones wouldn’t want you feeling unnecessary financial distress over a few gifts. If you have children, you can also use this as an educational experience by helping them better understand the importance of family budgeting.

Get creative. Nothing is better than receiving a gift that someone put thought and effort into, and the best way to create that gift could be by making it yourself. This could be artwork, pottery, custom-made playlists, photo albums, or something sweet you whipped up in the kitchen. You could also simply spend quality time with a person by treating them to a concert, ball game, or a movie. And never forget the emotional value of a hand written note or card.

Shop around. There are many ways that you can shop in order to save money. If you are comfortable shopping online, you can often find great value through sales or online coupon sites such as Groupon.com. If you feel it would be worth investing the time and potentially testing your patience to the limits, Black Friday and Cyber Monday could be great opportunities to net big savings. Keep an eye out for sales year round and take advantage…But only if it’s on your list.

Don’t overextend yourself. While you may be sticking to your list, you still need to make sure you are spending wisely. Pay with cash as much as possible, and if you absolutely have to use credit, limit to only one card. You don’t want to worry about paying off your past purchases into the following summer, as this could be the time that you are planning for the next holiday season!

Now and go out and execute your plan, and have yourself a wonderful holiday season!

Budget

Budget Friendly Staycation Ideas

We all need a break from work from time to time. How do you take some vacation time but not get into debt or throw your budget off? The answer for many of us is to take a “Staycation.” You can have a good time by staying close to home or being a tourist in your own town!

Staycation ideas that won’t break the bank:

·         Check out local parks and trails to hike

·         Plan a backyard camping night

·         Have a movie night complete with snacks from the Dollar Store

·         Have a craft night with supplies from the Dollar Store

·         Wanting to have a swim? Check out local hotel deals for a cheap one night stay somewhere with a pool

·         Plan a picnic

·         Have a beach day if one is nearby

·         Have friends or family over for a potluck dinner

·         Plan a game night/day with cards or board games

·         See a matinee movie

·         Pick a recipe for a new food or cuisine that is not too expensive and make some new food at home

·         Have an at home spa/pamper day – give yourself a manicure, pedicure, face mask, etc.

·         Check out the local music scene – many restaurants/bars and other areas have free live music

·         Look for free events and activities in your area—Google “free things to do in your city”

·         Check out local museums or art galleries—many museums and galleries offer a free day once per month

The possibilities are endless! What budget friendly staycation ideas do you have to share?

Credit

Free Weekly Credit Reports

During the past year, many of us have been facing unprecedented challenges and financial uncertainty. It is important, for some now more than ever, to ensure that you are in good financial health and that the information on your credit reports is accurate.

Many people are familiar with www.annualcreditreport.com which is the only authorized site to get a completely free copy of each of your three credit reports once per year. The site is authorized by Federal Law. Because of these unprecedented times, everyone can now get free weekly credit reports.

There are three different credit bureaus that report our credit history: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. It is important to check all three for accuracy, as some lenders may only report to one or two credit bureaus.

This is a wonderful way to be able to stay on top of your credit reports, and gives you more opportunities to check in, especially if you are working to pay things down, or take care of older collections accounts.

If you are unable to request your reports online, you may call 1-877-322-8228 to go through an automated system to verify your identity and request your free credit reports be mailed to you.

Here at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo, we encourage everyone to take advantage of the increased availability of our credit reports. If you or someone you know needs help with accessing or understanding their credit report or needs help to figure out a plan to manage debt, please contact us at www.parachutecreditcounseling.org or call us at 716-712-2060. We specialize in providing financial education and counseling to help with your credit!