Find a Counselor
Before you make any decisión, find a non-profit credit counselor nearby on NFCC.org. A counselor can help you decide if you should negotiate with creditors and tighten your budget to get out of debt. Or, she may recommend filing for bankruptcy.

Consider the Idea of La Bancarrota
If your counselor recommends bankruptcy, keep in mind that your finances can come back from it. “Bankruptcy isn’t the end of the world,” says Wong. “Your credit score can recover.” It’s a scary option, but one worth at least some consideration.

Start an Emergency Fund
It might be tough, but you need to start saving your money in an emergency fund. It will help cover your expenses and hopefully keep you out of credit card debt in the future. “As soon as you can,” says Wong, “start saving an emergency fund, which will cover you should you be out of work again.”  

Plant a vegetable patch. Creating a garden, even a simple one, is one of the best ways to learn about environmental sustainability. It is also an opportunity for parents and kids to work together as a team as they care for seedlings during the maturation process.

Go fruit-picking. Visit a pick-your-own-fruit farm market that offers seasonal produce, such as strawberries, blueberries and cherries. Then let the creative fun continue at home by creating a dish using each of the fruits or vegetables you picked.

Take night hikes. Everyone knows they can hike or camp at one of our many national parks. But what about exploring wildlife and habitats after the sun sets? Ask your local nature center about organized noche trips for the family.

For other tasty sources of protein, "beans are always easy, yummy and healthy," says Michelle Rousseau, chef and founder of the popular blog 2SistersAndAMeal.com. "You can definitely use canned beans, which are quick to make.”

Try these two easy meals you can make at home:

Latin: “Sauté up some black beans with cilantro, bell peppers, tomato, onion, garlic, chili and cumin,” says Rousseau. Then “serve with a salad and a tortilla or brown rice with platanos for a super tasty and hearty meal". 

But experts say the most effective way to save money is to cut your fixed expenses, such as groceries and your phone bills. Here’s how:

La Comida
1. Before you hit the grocery store, look online to find sites that cull the best sales in grocery stores nationwide. 

2. Plan meals around foods that can be used for several dishes. For example, chicken can be used for soup, sandwiches and a healthy lunch for school kids.

3. Americans waste about 25 percent of their groceries, which is money down the drain. Freeze what you can and freeze properly. Don't play a guessing game as to how old you think something is: Grab a permanent marker and write the date on the package label before you put it in the freezer.

La Casita
1. Spend time looking over your phone and cable plans and see if you're overpaying or can cut any extras.

2. Take advantage of free activities in your community so you can save money on costly entertainment such as movies in theaters and Netflix.

El Banco
1. Track your progress using free online money budgeting and tracking tools. They show you where all your money goes every month so there are no surprises, and can also alert you to when bills are due so you avoid costly late-payment penalties.

Sugar “addictions" are similar to other type of addictions, says Jenny Patrizia, The Sexy Nutritionist. She recommends sitting back and thinking about why you always go after sugary foods. Consider whether it’s a physical or mental addiction and try to solve the root of the problem as much as possible.

Next, remember that it takes roughly 21 days of consistently doing the same thing in order to break the habit. So follow these tips for at least 21 days.

Tips on how to break your sugar habit:

1. Get rid of everything in your pantry that has sugar in it, especially foods containing the following: cane sugar, cane juice, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, dextran, evaporated cane juice, fructose, fruit juice, fruit juice, lactose, malt, sucrose, sugar and turbinado sugar

2. Never shop for groceries when you’re hungry.

3. Add more protein and fiber to your diet.

4. Eat healthy fruits such as strawberries to balance your sugar levels.

5. Eat small meals every 3 hours. This will help you avoid your sugar levels spiking or dropping, which causes these cravings.

Most large banking institutions have very intuitive and user-friendly online systems where you set up your own payees and can either make recurring (automated) payments or pay bills as they come in. These systems allow for simple and fast bill payments as well as keeping you up-to-date with your bills. Also, many banks now have smartphone apps that allow you to literally pay your bills from anywhere. Plus, with paperless banking, we will definitely save some arbolitos.

Banking online gives you visibility into your finances so you can transfer money between accounts, view all your transactions in real time, and even view the front and back of checks that have cleared. Best of all, the system does the balancing for you after each transaction. Just make sure to use secure passwords and to log into your account on a regular basis to stay on track.

Cebolla Soup
Onions contain chromium, which helps regulate blood sugar. They’re also high in vitamin C, which fights the winter flu. To make: Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a large Dutch oven, add 10 thinly sliced yellow medium onions, oil, 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of water, 1 tsp dried thyme, and ground pepper. Cover and bake for 30 minutes until steamed. Uncover and continue to cook for another 60-90 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.

Pescado Chowder
In addition to maintaining a healthy heart and improving brain function, fish decreases the risk of depression, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and diabetes. To make: In a pot, sauté a chopped white onion until softened. Then add ¼ cup wine, 2 cups of clam juice, one potato (cubed), one tsp thyme, and ½ tsp pepper. Cook, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Next add 1½ lbs of firm white fish (cut up into pieces), two cups of frozen broccoli, two tbsp parsley and one can of evaporated milk to the pot. Cook until the fish is cooked through. NOTE: You want this dish to be steamy while it cooks, but not boiling.   

If you just weren't able to pull receipts and other necessary items together this year, make a pledge to develop a system (whether it's electronic or paper) that will help you add up your true deductions for next year. “Who knows -- you may end up with more than you think!” says Wong.

These sleep tips will help you optimize your nightly rest so you can be productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced and full of energy all day long.

1. No caffeine after your morning cup of Joe. The precise cut-off time varies depending on when you go to bed, but it takes anywhere from five to nine hours for caffeine to fully leave your system.
   
2. Keep your bedroom cool. Overheating is one of the main reasons people wake up. The ideal bedroom temperature is somewhere in the mid 60s. Also sleep in pajamas made of natural fabrics, such as cotton, since they breathe better.
3. Lights off for all technology -- including TV, smartphones, Facebook, and any other screen -- prior to bed. This may be a hard one, but it’s very important to help you prepare for sleepy time.
4. Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime, and use a little lavender oil on your pillow: both are proven to relax the body.
5. If you have trouble sleeping, take long, deep breaths. The sound of inhaling and exhaling can lull you to sleep.

Get los niños started with the Three Kings story, while adding the Wisemen’s figurines to el pesebre. Sip hot chocolate as kids place chocolate gold coins and frankincense and myrrh incense in the nativity scene.

Music is a huge part of the celebration, with special songs to commemorate the day. Print out words to the songs (easily found online), and have the whole gang join in.