Quick answer. When there isn't enough for every bill, pay for food and medicine, then housing and utilities, then what you need to keep or get a job and the insurance you need, then court-ordered payments, and other loans and credit cards last, based on the CFPB's Prioritizing bills tool and FTC guidance. Call about any bill you can't cover before it's due. Enter your bills below to see the order, what's left and who to call.
Put your bills in order
Enter your money and bills, then choose "Put them in order".
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Not financial advice. The calculator applies a published rule of thumb to the numbers you type. Your situation may call for a different order, for example if a car loan is what gets you to work or a past-due notice gives a firm date. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.
How the order works
| Group | What's in it | Why it's here |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Food and medicine | Groceries, prescriptions | "Factor in how much you need for food, medicine, and other necessities" (FTC). |
| 2. Home and utilities | Rent or mortgage, property tax on your home, electric, gas, water, sewer, heating fuel | CFPB group "Things I need to stay housed and keep utilities connected." The CFPB tool notes the costs of losing a place to live add up fast (CFPB). |
| 3. Keep or get a job | Car payment, gas, bus fare, car insurance, childcare, tools or uniform; phone or internet | CFPB group "Things I need to keep or get a job," which lists "Transportation to get to work—car payment, gas and insurance, or bus fare" (CFPB toolkit). Phone or internet isn't in the CFPB tool; this page adds it here. |
| 4. Insurance you need | Health, home or renters insurance | CFPB group "Insurance I need to pay for" (CFPB toolkit). |
| 5. Court-ordered payments | Child support, court-ordered payments, fines | CFPB "Obligations I need to pay." The tool warns that delaying court-ordered payments can have legal consequences (CFPB). |
| 6. Other loans, cards and bills | Personal, student and payday loans, credit cards, medical bills you already owe, anything else | CFPB lists "Other loans and credit cards" under obligations, and notes card companies may raise your rate if you pay more than 60 days late (CFPB). |
The CFPB tool asks you to "Weigh the risk of not paying certain bills right now," and doesn't give one fixed order. The FTC puts it as looking "at what would happen if you couldn't pay each bill." Inside each group, this calculator puts the bill due soonest first; a bill with no date goes last in its group.
Before you skip any payment
- Call first. "If you're behind on your bills, call the creditors you owe money to. Don't wait" (FTC).
- Ask for a new due date that lines up with when you get paid, or a short-term arrangement (CFPB).
- Get it in writing. The FTC suggests getting any change in writing (FTC).
- Look for help with the big ones. In New Jersey, utility, rental, food and health coverage programs are listed on when money runs short: what to do first.
More Tough Times tools
- When money runs short: what to do firstThe first steps, New Jersey help and how to spot a scam.
- Hardship lettersAsk a lender, landlord or utility for more time, in writing.
- Your rights with debt collectorsWhat a collector can and can't do.
- Fix your own creditCheck your reports and dispute errors yourself, for free.
- Help with medical billsQuestions to ask before you pay a medical bill.
- Side income, honestlyReal ways to earn a little more, with no hype.
Building a regular budget once things settle? See how to build a monthly household budget and the Household Budget and Bill Calendar.
Sources
- CFPB, Your Money, Your Goals: Prioritizing bills (printable tool)
- CFPB, Your Money, Your Goals toolkit (Prioritizing bills tool)
- CFPB: Tools to help when you can't pay your bills
- FTC consumer alert: Managing your bills during COVID-19 (Apr. 21, 2020)
- FTC: How To Get Out of Debt (Dec. 2025)
General information checked November 2026 against the CFPB and FTC pages above. Not financial or legal advice. Not affiliated with the CFPB or FTC.
Common questions
How does the calculator decide the order?
It sorts your bills into six groups: food and medicine; housing and utilities; keeping or getting a job; insurance; court-ordered payments; and other loans, credit cards and other bills. Inside each group, the bill due soonest comes first. Then it pays each bill in that order from the money you entered until the money runs out.
Where does the order come from?
The FTC suggests setting aside what you need for food, medicine and other necessities, then looking at what would happen if you couldn't pay each bill. The CFPB's Prioritizing bills tool groups bills you need to stay housed and keep the utilities on, to keep or get a job, and insurance you need, and lists court-ordered obligations, other loans and credit cards as obligations. The CFPB doesn't set a fixed order; this calculator puts housing first because the CFPB notes the costs of losing a place to live add up fast.
Does it mean I shouldn't pay my credit card?
No. You're responsible for all your bills, as the CFPB tool says. The order only helps when there isn't enough for everything this time. The CFPB also notes that credit card companies may raise your interest rate if you pay more than 60 days late, so call before you miss a payment.
What should I say when I call?
Explain what happened and what you can pay. Ask for a new due date that lines up with your paydays or a short-term arrangement, as the CFPB suggests, and get any change in writing, as the FTC suggests.
Is my information saved?
No. The calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or saved, so it's gone when you close the page.