True, money is tight this year for many of us but we should still enjoy the holiday posadas and time with family. While a recent job loss can put a damper on things there are ways of maneuvering our personal finances so peace of mind is ours.

Eva Campos graciously responded to MCAEs questions, some of which came from our readers. Eva is an education specialist for Hispanic outreach for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas (CCCS Dallas). Her expertise is precisely in consumer finance. If one of your questions is not included here just check out

MCAE: What is the best approach to managing your personal finances after a job loss?

EC: Know where you stand financially. Re-evaluate your budget to determine your living expenses and outgoing debt.

Are women more vulnerable than men to economic hardship?

It depends on the situation, for some women who have been the sole provider for some time they have learned to budget accordingly and have a realistic savings plan. No particular sex is more vulnerable than the other. Unfortunately, we are all vulnerable if we do not have a savings and spending plan in place.

 What are 3 things you should cut out of your expenses when tightening your personal budget?

 All miscellaneous items and non-essential items that are not needed for survival. Focus on your priorities, people should re-evaluate their needs vs. their wants. We normally break expenses down into three groups: have to, need to and want to. It's important to remember that what is important to one person maybe not be to another, you need to base your spending on your individual situation.

Where can you go for help on managing your personal finances after a job loss?

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas offers Budgeting and Financial Education Classes

How much should you rely on credit cards to get by?

Try and limit use of credit cards for emergencies only, and do not charge more than you can pay off per month. The rule of thumb is to not use more than 30% of your credit limit, in other words if your credit limit is $2500 you should not exceed more than $750.

 Visit www.cccs.org