By now you’ve seen the commercials and advertisements which say you can find grants to pay off bills and credit cards; they promise “free money” or “lifetime bill payment” and a boat load of other barely believable claims. Most responsible folks, however, understand that very few things in life are free…and money certainly isn’t one of them; but these promissory ads aren’t exactly fibbing either. Stretching the truth? Yes. Outright lying? No.

It’s true: US citizens, if they meet certain criteria, are eligible to receive grant money from various governmental and privately-funded assistance programs. Most state and local governments offer financial aid that doesn’t need to be paid back; but if you expect to fill out a few forms, sit on your duff for a few weeks, and then “shazam!” you receive a check, with no strings attached, to pay off your high-interest credit card debt…think again.

Let’s First Dispel all the “Grants to Pay off Your Credit Card Bill” Myths

Brass tax: there are no government grants available for the sole purpose of paying down personal debt. You can’t just walk into the local legislative office and ask to apply for a grant to pay your bills. If you do, the administrator may tell you that no such thing exists and send you on your merry way. What you can do, however, is find grant money and assistance programs to help pay down individual expenditures.

Online, you’ll often see ads which claim to get you $900 dollars a month to pay bills. Don’t be fooled. These services are either social security programs for senior citizens or support for those on disability; the average John or Jane Doe is not eligible for, nor benefits from, these types of inflated offers.

Money for Medical Assistance

If you’re drowning in medical debt like millions of other Americans, a visit to your area hospital’s patient advocate is in order. There are myriad county, state and privately-funded programs designed to help individuals with unexpected and ongoing medical expenses. You may have to cut through an impressive amount of red tape to successfully secure an amount, but dealing with a pinch of bureaucracy is infinitely better than being crippled by medical debt for decades to come.

Family Assistance Programs

If you’re a single parent—or family trying to eke out a living despite a recent job loss—contact your local social services or economic development office; you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the available options. Programs like Free Gas USA offer fuel grants ranging between $50 to $1,200 dollars, while other services help homeowners find alternatives to foreclosure. Operation Round Up, for example, is a nation-wide organization that helps individuals with their utility bills in times of financial hardship.

Student and Employment Grants

Most people are aware of the many grants available to those seeking higher education. Nearly every club, non-profit and charity offers some sort of scholarship program. Moreover, in addition to the Federal Government, most counties and states offer education grants.

There’s also money available to those diligently searching for employment. For instance, there are several services throughout the United States that help individuals spruce up their attire for interviews; others aid in the purchase of uniforms. If you have a family and find yourself in a bit of financial trouble, contact a reputable debt counselor; they’ll point you in the direction of viable, available options.

If you can prove a history of fiscal responsibility, but currently find yourself in a pecuniary quagmire, there are grant and assistance opportunities available to you. Before you begin applying to said programs, gather three years worth of tax documents, your birth certificate, social security information and any mortgage or asset papers—you’ll need it all in order to successfully complete most applications. Be patient, keep researching programs, and you’ll eventually find the assistance or grant that will help get you on the path of financial stability.

Stop spending what you do not have. If you have been using credit cards to pay for things, stop. Develop the mind-set that if you do not have the cash, you do not need it. You might want to have a family meeting to discuss this so everyone is on the same page.

Live within your means. Do a household budget so you can see where your money is going each month and how much is coming in. This can be a revelation. It can be as simple as calculating all expenses, calculating all income, and comparing the two.

Sell what you are not using. Do you have a Wii that is collecting dust? Consider selling things like this on Craigslist or eBay. Go through your closets and pick out things you do not wear or use that are worth selling.

Raise your income. Typically, this means someone getting another job. Everyone in the household who is able and of appropriate age can take on even small jobs. Consider getting a part-time weekend job.

Incur no new debt. Sometimes when we feel bad, we spend to provide temporary good feelings. However, it is only temporary. You will get great feelings from gaining control of your finances, especially when you have been trying to avoid doing it.

Negotiate high-interest debts with creditors. You may not always be successful. Top personal financial advisors recommend this. Call and ask to speak to an account manager about lowering your interest rate. Consider leveraging your income tax refund to pay off a debt by offering to pay a percentage of it in one lump sum.

Snowball debt payments. As soon as your smallest debt is paid off, apply the payment you were making on that debt to another debt. Repeat to continue to gain leverage.

Cancel unnecessary services. That may mean going without cable for a while. If you do not use your internet service much, consider getting rid of it. Netzero will provide 10 hours of free dial-up internet service per month.

Learn to live frugally. Consider growing a garden. Use coupons when possible. Remember, though, that just because you have a coupon for something does not mean it is your best buy. Compare prices.

Read personal finance books. You do not need to go to the bookstore and pay full price for great books on debt reduction and personal finance management. The library is a treasure trove and free.

There are many reasons to want to pay off your debt, many of which are completely separate from the most important purpose to save money! Especially with credit cards and personal loans, the interest, finance charges, and payments can be particularly outrageous. At the time of this writing, the average APR on credit cards is up to 14.41 percent.

Despite any claims you may hear from debt elimination companies otherwise, wiping out credit card debt from your credit report is generally not possible unless the date of the last activity on the account was over seven years ago (unless it was in a bankruptcy discharge, which means it can stay on your credit for 10 years) or you don’t actually owe the debt.

America’s obsession with debt plans and strategies took off in 2006 when Oprah Winfrey, along with financial experts David Bach, Jean Chatzky, and Glinda Blidgforth, launched an action plan for people overwhelmed with debt. Since then, countless books, dvds, and websites have been promoted as the official “debt free diets” for Americans.