Toolkits · When money is tight
When money is tight: kits for the bills, the calls and the next paycheck
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Tough Times Toolkit
Six short kits in one: stretch the paycheck, hardship letters, debt collector rights, DIY credit repair, medical bill help and a side income planner.
Every kit for when money is tight (16)
Bundle
Job Loss Money Reset Bundle
Losing a job starts a lot of clocks at once. Get the deadlines handled, cut the budget to what matters, and make a plan for the debt.
$35 · 3 products in one download
Bundle
Medicaid and SNAP Work Requirements Hours Bundle
Two programs, two sets of rules, one set of hours. Log them once and keep the proof each program asks for.
$15 · 2 products in one download
Document pack
Stretch the Paycheck Kit
Cover the essentials first, call before you fall behind, and get through the next 30 days.
$9 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Hardship Letter Kit: Ask for a Payment Plan in Writing
Ask for a payment plan, a deferral or a lower payment the right way: by phone, then in writing, with a record of who said what.
$12 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Debt Collector Rights Kit: Validation, Dispute and Cease-Contact Letters
Use the federal rules for debt collectors in writing, on time, with a record of every call.
$12 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Fix-Your-Own-Credit Kit: Free Reports, Disputes and Freezes
The steps a credit repair company would charge for, done yourself through the free official channels.
$15 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Medical Bill Help Kit
The letters, checklists and logs for working through a medical bill one step at a time.
$12 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Side Income Starter Planner
Know what a side gig costs and what it really pays per hour, before and after you start.
$9 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Laid Off in New Jersey Kit
The deadlines that matter after a layoff, in order, so you don't lose benefits while you figure out what's next.
$15 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Medicaid Work and Community Engagement Hours Log
A monthly record of your activity hours and the papers behind them, ready for renewal time.
$9 · Word and PDF
Document pack
SNAP Work Requirement Tracker
Keep your SNAP hours and countable months straight, month by month.
$9 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Marketplace Premium Change Kit for 2027
The extra marketplace savings ended after 2025 and the 400% income limit is back. Work out your expected share before you pick a plan.
$12 · Word and PDF
Document pack
Medicare Part D Cost-Cap Tracker
Part D now has a yearly cap on what you pay for covered drugs. Know where you stand each month instead of guessing.
$9 · Word and PDF
Excel workbook
Debt Avalanche & Amortization Matrix
Enter your debts and one monthly amount and see the order, the dates and the interest you avoid, in a file that never connects to your bank.
$24 · example and blank copies
Document pack
Job Search and Work Search Log Kit
Log each employer contact the way NJDOL's form asks, and see each week's count before you certify.
$14 · Word and PDF
Document pack
SSI and SSDI Work and ABLE Organizer
A calm monthly record of work, reports to SSA and ABLE savings.
$15 · Word and PDF
Free calculators to try first
No email and nothing to download: they run in your browser.
- When money runs shortWhat to protect first, who to call, NJ programs
- Which bills come first?Puts your bills in priority order
- Hardship lettersFree letter wording for creditors and landlords
- Debt collector rightsWhat a collector can and cannot do
- Medical bill helpCheck the bill, ask for financial aid, set up a plan
- Medicaid work hours counterCount hours toward the new requirement
Common questions
I can't pay everything this month. Where do I start?
Start with the free Which Bills Come First tool on this page: it orders your bills the way the CFPB and FTC guidance does. The Stretch the Paycheck Kit then turns that order into a plan for the next 30 days.
Is the Tough Times Toolkit worth it if the free pages exist?
The free pages explain the steps. The toolkit adds the fill-in letters, call scripts, trackers and worksheets so you do not write them from scratch. If money is very tight, use the free pages; they cover the most urgent steps.
Will any of this fix my credit or settle my debt?
No product can promise that. The kits show the steps the CFPB and FTC describe, the letters to send and how to spot a scam that charges up front.
I was laid off in New Jersey. What first?
File for unemployment right away, then sort health coverage. The Laid Off in NJ Checklist Kit lists both in order, and the Job Loss Money Reset Bundle adds a budget and a debt plan for the gap.