Ticks (!!) + cats

Let me start off by stating this:

I'm terrified of ticks. Ter-ri-fied. And, for a reason. The area in which I live is a hotspot for deer ticks. Unfortunately.. deer ticks (especially in my specific area) are more and more frequently carrying Lyme Disease. This is easily treatable IF you notice the tick bite in time. Many times people do not, and I have a particular friend who is in the worst health from Lyme Disease.. the pain she has, and the medical bills are insane..

Anyway.. last month I was scratching my beloved black cat, Poe, underneath the chin. A tick was engorged with blood feeding on him. Quickly, I had a family member remove it. We got him a flea and tick collar. He's able to explore the neighborhood and becomes quite aggressive when he cannot - and we can't really deny him the natural instinctual fulfillment he achieves through prowling about outside.

Last night, I saw a deer tick on my bedroom curtain. I just about freaked out with a heart attack. I also thought it was a weird spider (lmao) since I've only ever seen ticks latched into skin. I'm absolutely panicked over this.

This evening.. I noticed my cat's hair loss around his neck. I took off the collar and there is alot of irritation. I know I need to bring him to a vet, and will as soon as I can.... but I'm also without any money (couldn't afford a prescription I needed for tonight actually). I'm looking to buy something for his skin and hair loss, but I'm unsure if anything on the shelves are strong yet gentle enough to not aggravate him further. I also am unsure whether to look at an 'on spot' tick and flea product without a vet appointment.

Has anyone gone through similar situations? With cat or dog.