Budgeting tips when income drops - any advice?

My income is now a fraction of what it was as a paralegal and I am trying to cover the essentials. I worked as a paralegal before this. The rent is fixed and the car payment is high.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 5 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Check for energy assistance programmes. I got a credit that covered two bills.