There is no escape from some monthly bills. You know which ones I’m talking about. However, we found these tips to drive those costs down. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide...
If your coronavirus check is long gone, we know exactly how you feel. At first it felt like we won the lottery, but the reality of rent, groceries and now a steady supply of face masks quickly returned our bank accounts back to their natural state.
You could have more stimulus money coming your way this year, but the latest bill is stuck in the Senate and we’re not holding our breath.
So if you find yourself in this situation, here are seven money moves you should make right away:
1. Get Paid to Pick up Milk for Your Neighbors
Not everyone can get to the grocery store these days, but that’s where you can help — and get paid.With an app called Postmates, you could get paid to pick up a few extra groceries for them.Even better than getting paid to grocery shop? If you need the money, like, now, you can cash out instantly after each delivery.Holly Gaston, of San Francisco, California, has tried plenty of side gigs. With Postmates, she made an average of $15 an hour. Plus, she said it was much more enjoyable than any of her previous side gigs.
Signing up shouldn’t take you more than about three minutes.
2. Stop Paying Your Credit Cards
If you have credit card debt, you know. The anxiety, the interest rates, the fear you’re never going to escape…
And the truth is, your credit card company doesn’t really care. It’s just getting rich by ripping you off with high interest rates. But a website called AmOne wants to help.
If you owe your credit card companies $50,000 or less, AmOne will match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every single one of your balances.
The benefit? You’ll be left with one bill to pay each month. And because personal loans have lower interest rates, you’ll get out of debt that much faster. Plus: No credit card payment this month.
AmOne won’t make you stand in line or call your bank, either. And if you’re worried you won’t qualify, it’s free to check online. It takes just two minutes, and it could help you pay off your debt years faster.
3. Quit Wasting Money on Homeowner’s Insurance
You’re probably wasting money right now. And it’s probably on something you’d never expect — your homeowners insurance policy.
This isn’t something you actively think about. You just know you’re required to have it, so you’re stuck with it forever, right?
Wrong. The problem is, you’re paying too much. Luckily, an insurance company called Lemonade makes it easy to find out how much you’re overpaying.
Lemonade’s policies start at just $25/month. And just because you’re saving money doesn’t mean you’re skimping on coverage. Lemonade will make sure you have what you need.
Just answer a few questions about your home to get started.
4. Cut Your Cell Phone Bill to $15/Month
In these stressful and uncertain times, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether you can pay your cell phone bill.
They’re expensive, though! The big wireless companies will charge you an arm and a leg, and it feels like the cost just keeps going up.
One company is slashing prices, though. In this economically shaky time, a discount wireless carrier called Twigby just rolled out three new smartphone plans with lower prices than ever, starting at $15 a month.
It worked for Zak Wilson. He’d been paying Verizon Wireless about $180 a month for two lines. So he tried Twigby. For both phones, he’s now paying $60 a month.
With Twigby, you get to build your plan. Each plan comes with unlimited texts, then you choose how many minutes and how much data you need each month. Plans also include free Wi-Fi calling and texting.
Twigby uses both the Sprint and Verizon networks for its coverage. You can bring your own phone, plus new customers get 25% off the first 6 months of service.
5. Add up to $225 to Your Bank Account by Watching Videos
What if we told you a research company would pay you to watch cooking videos on your computer?
It’s too good to be true, right?
But we’re serious. A website called InboxDollars will pay you to watch short video clips online. One minute you might watch someone bake brownies and the next you might get the latest updates on Kardashian drama.
All you have to do is choose which videos you want to watch and answer a few quick questions about them afterward.
No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight wasting time on your phone.
Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
It takes about one minute to sign up, and you’ll immediately get a $5 bonus to get you started.
6. Get up to $500 in Free Stock
If you feel like you don’t have enough money to start investing, you’re not alone. But guess what? You really don’t need that much — and you can even get free stocks (worth up to $500!) if you know where to look.
Whether you’re got $5, $100 or $800 to spare, you can start investing with Robinhood.
Yeah, you’ve probably heard of Robinhood. Both investing beginners and pros love it because it doesn’t charge commission fees, and you can buy and sell stocks for free — no limits. Plus, it’s super easy to use.
What’s best? When you download the app and fund your account (it takes no more than a few minutes), Robinhood drops a share of free stock into your account. It’s random, though, so that stock could be worth anywhere from $5 to $500 — a nice boost to help you build your investments.
7. Cancel Your Car Insurance
When was the last time you shopped around for car insurance? Was it more than six months ago?
If so, you’re probably overpaying — by hundreds of dollars. Yep. Experts say you should compare rates twice a year to get the best deal.
Twice a year? Yeah, we don’t want to do that either.
A service called Gabi does all the shopping for you to find cheaper insurance — with the same coverage and deductibles you already have. And it saves customers an average of $825 a year.
You don’t have to fill out any forms. Just link your existing insurance account and enter your driver’s license, and it will start looking for cheaper coverage.
Plus, after you sign up, Gabi will keep looking for savings. No more shopping.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.