If the strike happens, and your income stream is suddenly interrupted, then I would make phone calls to each of your creditors as each bill comes in the mail. Call each creditor, like the banks that issued you the credit cards and tell them exactly what is happening. The point of doing this is to avoid getting those late fees and jacked up interest rates that will happen, if you are late making payments on your accounts. You might be able to get them to agree to give you an interval of time to get through the strike, during which you won't incur fees. If the first person you talk to can't give you a deal, go higher up the latter. You probably will need to call each creditor on a monthly basis to explain that the strike is still on-going. I'ld be real persistent about trying to negotiate this. Figure out what you can possibly afford to send in by way of monthly payments, and be-hard nosed in your negotiations. They will try to get you to borrow from friends and relatives, even from your church . . . and even from pay-day loan companies. Don't get talked into getting a pay-day type loan. That's just putting yourself deeper into debt.

As you probably realize yourself, you've been living beyond your means, and this could be a useful wake-up call to alert you to the fact that you have been giving yourself no margin for safety in how you allocate your household's monthly income. I'm not sure how the Income Support Division of your local Health and Human Services office handles the plight of people on strike, but look into that. As soon as the strike starts, if that happens, go apply for food stamps and energy assistance (LIHEAP.) You might be disqualified, but check into it, as your eligibility could be affected by different factors in the nature of the strike.

Since the strike isn't set to start for a couple of months, that gives you some time to figure out how you might be able to earn some money. I get the impression that it's your husband who may be going on strike. Remember that, if he is the one on strike, then he can take over some of the stuff you do while he is on strike, like driving the kids around. This would make it easier for you to work.

Start paring down your monthly expenditures now . . . like no eating out, no new clothes, etc.

I hope the strike doesn't materialize. You do well to start planning now for just-in-case.