As people are struggling to make ends meet, Action News wants to help, with a look at some emergency financial assistance you can get right now.
"It's extremely devastating, now you really don't have anyone to rely on," said LaShanda Palmer, who is President of Local 333.
Palmer is a TSA agent and a caretaker for her children, grandchildren, and colleagues.
"It's my job to take care of them not vice versa, so it's hard," she said.
But financial experts say there are ways to bridge the gap.
First, call and ask for temporary help from your bank, credit union, and other lenders, as well as your utility companies.
"Can you let me skip a payment? Can you lower my interest rate? Can you rearrange my due date?" suggests Ted Rossman with Bankrate.
Also, ask if you can you waive interest and fees.
Next, if you're uncomfortable or unsuccessful asking for relief on your own, contact a trusted nonprofit debt counselor like Money Management International or GreenPath to advocate on your behalf.
"They have relationships with a lot of creditors. Don't be afraid to ask for help," said Rossman.
There are also apps that offer instant cash, but do be careful.
"The business model is a little squishy, but sometimes you can be approved to borrow a small amount of money for a couple of weeks or a month, and maybe that's all you need in this instance," said Rossman. "It's little bit analogous to payday lending, but hopefully in a kinder, gentler sort of fashion."
Traditional payday loans have notoriously high interest rates and Rossman said he advises against those as well as credit card cash advances.
He said apps like Dave and EarnIn are more consumer friendly.
"Sometimes there are no fees, but they ask for a tip," Rossman said.
Rossman says he's personally tested EarnIn.
"I did, yeah, and it actually worked for me. I was able to borrow a couple hundred dollars for two weeks. They took it out of my bank account two weeks later. I didn't end up paying any fees," he said.
A fourth option is to use a Buy Now, Pay Later program like Affirm, Afterpay or Klarna to spread out your payments over time.
Some offer debit cards you can use for groceries or gas and they're easier to get than credit cards. Plus, they either have no or low interest.