Simple budget for a tight month - what worked for you?

My income is now a fraction of what it was as a barista and I am trying to cover the essentials. The rent is fixed and the car payment is high. Did lenders work with you?

A paper list of bills by due date helped me more than an app. I could see the month at a glance.

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