When Money Is Tight, These 7 Resources Will Help Nearly Everyone

[Linda M.]

• By The Penny Hoarder Staff
  
• 

When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like. It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

We’re not judging — we don’t roll like that. We’re here to help. We just don’t want you to have to sell those Elvis-Presley-signed velvet pants you inherited just to pay some lousy plumbing bill. Those pants are sweet.

Try these tips to get the ball rolling, and start building up your savings so you can breathe a little easier.

1. Ask for Some Help — You Deserve It

If you’re really in a bind, start with 2-1-1, a confidential service offered through United Way that’ll help you find the resources you need to find affordable housing, make rent or pay utilities. It’s there for people like you.

To use the service, head to 211.org and enter your location. It’ll show you services in your community and give you a number to call. It’s a clearinghouse for help with food, housing, utilities and employment. If you’ve never asked for help before, that means you don’t know what kind of help is out there.

You can also look into applying for a grant. Take, for example, Modest Needs grants, which are designed for workers just about the poverty line who are ineligible for most other forms of social assistance.

2. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion

If you’re turning blue in the face waiting for a raise at work, it might be time to quit holding your breath and start speaking your mind to someone who wants to listen.

Brands want to hear your opinion to help inform their business decisions on everything from products and services to logos and ads — and they’re willing to pay you up to $140 a month for it.

A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.

It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time. 

And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.

They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.It takes just a minute to set up your account and start getting paid to take surveys. Plus, right now, you’ll get a free 100-point welcome bonus just for becoming part of the community.

3. Let This Company Pay Your Credit Card Bill This Month

No, like… the whole bill. All of it.

While you’re stressing out over your debt, your credit card company is getting rich off those insane interest rates. But a website called Happy Money could help you pay off that bill as soon as tomorrow.

Here’s how it works: Happy Money can match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every credit card balance you have. The benefit? You’re left with just one bill to pay every month, and because the interest rate is so much lower, you can get out of debt so much faster. Plus, no credit card payment this month.

If your credit score is at least 640, Happy Money can help you borrow $5,000 to $40,000 with fixed rates starting at 4.99% APR (with autopay).*

Happy Money won’t make you stand in line or call a bank. And if you’re worried you won’t qualify, it’s free to check online. It takes just a few minutes, and it could save you thousands of dollars — and raise your FICO score by up to 40 points. Totally worth it.

All that credit card debt — and the anxiety that comes with it — could be gone by tomorrow.

4. Stop Overpaying at Amazon

Wouldn’t it be nice if you got an alert when you’re shopping online at Amazon or Target and are about to overpay?

That’s exactly what this free service  does. 

Just add it to your browser for free, and before you check out, it’ll check other websites, including Walmart, eBay and others to see if your item is available for cheaper. Plus, you can get coupon codes, set up price-drop alerts and even see the item’s price history.

Let’s say you’re shopping for a new TV, and you assume you’ve found the best price. Here’s when you’ll get a pop up letting you know if that exact TV is available elsewhere for cheaper. If there are any available coupon codes, they’ll also automatically be applied to your order.

In the last year, this has saved people $160 million.

You can get started in just a few clicks to see if you’re overpaying online.

5. Cancel Your Car Insurance

When was the last time you compared car insurance rates? Chances are you’re seriously overpaying with your current policy. 

If it’s been more than six months since your last car insurance quote, you should look again. 

And if you look through a website called CheapRatesOnline, you could save yourself up to $500 a year*. 

It takes just two minutes to answer some questions, and their smart matching technology will show you the insurance providers that are the best fit for you. And don’t worry — they uses advanced data security and encryption technology, so all your details are safe. 

The website is free to use and can even save you up to an additional 20% if you add another vehicle to your policy. You could be paying as little as $19 a month* for car insurance.

They’ve already helped millions of people find affordable car insurance. See how much money you could save with a new policy.

6. Get Paid up to $80/Month — Just for Sharing Your Opinion

Taking surveys might not sound like the best way to make money, but if you’re just vegging out on the couch — or pretending to be interested in your partner’s new favorite show — why not click a couple buttons? It could earn you up to $80 a month. Seriously.

There are a bunch of paid survey sites out there, but one of the best we’ve found is Survey Junkie. 

They’ll ask you questions about things like, what kind of laundry detergent you use, or if you prefer Pepsi or Coke. You get points for answering, and many people accumulate enough points to request a check within a few hours. 

More than 10 million people already use Survey Junkie, and it has 4.5/5 stars on TrustPilot. 

Give it a try by visiting Survey Junkie and clicking the “Join Now” button. It’s free.

7. Don’t Pay Your Full Credit Card Bill

Here’s the deal: Your credit card company is ripping you off with insane interest rates. What if you could just… get rid of some of your debt? 

A company called Freedom Debt Relief can help you do just that. They’ll talk to your lenders directly to convince them to reduce a big chunk of your debt.

They’ll negotiate a settlement with your creditor and if you approve the offer they come back with, you’ll start paying it off. But you don’t owe anything unless they negotiate a settlement and you make your first payment toward that settlement.

They’ve already served over 800,000 people and negotiated more than $15 billion in debts. 

It’s free to see just how much of your debt you can get rid of. 

(Happy Money operates in every U.S. state except Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska and Nevada.)

*Rates for personal loans provided by lenders on the Credible platform range between 3.99% – 35.99% APR with terms from 12 to 84 months. Rates presented include lender discounts for enrolling in autopay and loyalty programs, where applicable. Actual rates may be different from the rates advertised and/or shown and will be based on the lender’s eligibility criteria, which include factors such as credit score, loan amount, loan term, credit usage and history, and vary based on loan purpose. The lowest rates available typically require excellent credit, and for some lenders, may be reserved for specific loan purposes and/or shorter loan terms. The origination fee charged by the lenders on our platform ranges from 0% to 8%. Each lender has their own qualification criteria with respect to their autopay and loyalty discounts (e.g., some lenders require the borrower to elect autopay prior to loan funding in order to qualify for the autopay discount). All rates are determined by the lender and must be agreed upon between the borrower and the borrower’s chosen lender. For a loan of $10,000 with a three year repayment period, an interest rate of 7.99%, a $350 origination fee and an APR of 11.51%, the borrower will receive $9,650 at the time of loan funding and will make 36 monthly payments of $313.32. Assuming all on-time payments, and full performance of all terms and conditions of the loan contract and any discount programs enrolled in included in the APR/interest rate throughout the life of the loan, the borrower will pay a total of $11,279.43. As of March 3, 2022, none of the lenders on our platform require a down payment nor do they charge any prepayment penalties.. Prequalified rates are based on the information you provide and a soft credit inquiry. Receiving prequalified rates does not guarantee that the Lender will extend you an offer of credit. You are not yet approved for a loan or a specific rate. All credit decisions, including loan approval, if any, are determined by Lenders, in their sole discretion. Lenders will conduct a hard credit pull when you submit your application. Hard credit pulls will have an impact on your credit score. Lowest rate advertised is not available for all loan sizes, types, or purposes, and assumes a very well qualified borrower with an excellent credit profile.

When Money Is Tight, These 7 Resources Will Help Nearly Everyone – ...

[MARGARIDA MARIA MADRUGA]

It works?
It's a joke to me.
Although if I didn't know how to manage nothingness, I would have died many years ago.

[Linda M.]

You and I are both survivors.  But many don't have any idea how to cut corners and pay bills.

I do surveys, for money.  It's a lot of work, but if you are diligent you can pay a small bill($30-$50)a month.  Some do amazon gift cards, I save up the amount until near christmas.

     You can always make your car insurance cheaper if you call them and do a 'redo'  And yes there are places where they will consolidate all you owe to one affordable payment.  

I have found with most bills, if you call the company and tell them what's happening, they will work with you a bit.  If you've paid a car loan over a year, you can skip a month or two and they'll add it on the end.  

[MARGARIDA MARIA MADRUGA]

Very good. We are really survivors. I calculate my bills before the due date so I don't have any nasty surprises. Even though I earn very little and my husband has been unemployed for many years, I don't owe a penny.
Of course, I received help from generous friends, which I did not expect at crucial moments.
I don't take advantage of anyone's kindness and I don't buy anything unnecessary.
I am grateful to God and friends and I try very hard not to.
I couldn't sleep.

[Linda M.]

You plan ahead.  You'd be surprised how many people just try to ignore it and hope it goes away.  It makes it worse, I've been there, and have had to bargain my way out.  I learned the hard way that I had to  this, not the husband.  I think Gary, at this point, is surprised I'm such a good shopper.  I too have had practice.