Budgeting tips when income drops, machine operator here

My income is now a fraction of what it was as a machine operator and I am trying to cover the essentials. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. The rent is fixed and the car payment is high. What helped you?

I called each lender and asked for a hardship plan. Two agreed to lower payments for a few months.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It saved me later.