• Learn to help yourself when financial problems arise.Andrew Bret Wallis/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  There are many different factors that can affect your personal finances, such as a rise in consumer prices, a sudden illness or injury that prevents you from working, or losing your job. There are ways to help yourself when you are having financial problems. The important thing to do in times of financial crisis is to not panic and objectively assess your options.
  
  

Monitor Your Debt

• When financial problems start to arise it can seem like bills come in the mail from places you may not remember buying something from. One of the things you can do to help yourself in times of financial problems is to become diligent about monitoring your incoming bills, according to the online article "Financial Problems" on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Personnel and Document Security Division website. If you see a bill that you do not recognize, then call the creditor immediately to confirm the debt. Billing errors can happen and you do not need to be paying for another company's error in your time of financial need. Also check out your other invoices, such as your credit card and cellular phone bills, to make sure there are no unexpected charges. For example, you may have received a text message on your cellular phone from a marketing company that you did not respond to and now there is an extra $10 per month charge on your bill. Have extra charges like that removed immediately.
  
  

Alter Your Spending Habits

• Do not compound your financial problems by having bad spending habits. It is possible that some of your bad spending habits caused a part of your problem in the first place. When you monitor your spending, you increase your chances of getting through your financial crisis, according to financial expert Claes Bell writing on the Bankrate website. Instead of going out every weekend, you can stay in and make a movie night at home. Rather than buying a coffee every day on the way to work, you can make coffee at home and bring it with you. Bring a lunch with you to work every day rather than buying lunch.
  
  

Consolidate Debt

• Consolidating some of your high interest credit card debt during times of financial crisis does not need to be a complicated process, according to the online article "Knee Deep in Debt," found on the Federal Trade Commission's website. Pay closer attention to the credit card offers you receive in the mail and read up on the ones that have special rates for consolidating balances. Be sure you read the terms regarding the interest rate and see how much the interest rate goes up after the introductory period is over. You can also discuss a personal loan to consolidate your debt with your lender. As long as the interest rate on the loan or consolidating credit account is less than the lowest interest rate on the credit accounts you are consolidating, then you will reduce your monthly payments and your interest obligation as well.