6 Quick Steps To Take Before The Next Stimulus Check Arrives
The pandemic has us feeling uneasy in more ways than one.
The future feels uncertain, and we’re all waiting to see how things will pan out.
But, instead of waiting to see if Congress will pass another stimulus bill, there are a few simple, unexpected ways you can be proactive — to take steps to invest your spare cash, pay off your debt, lower your bills and secure your future.
1. Cancel Your Car Insurance
You’re probably wasting money right now. And it’s probably on something you’d never expect — your car insurance.
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, a company called Insurify makes it easy to find out how much you’re overpaying. It has policies for as low as $15 a month.
It doesn’t matter when you last renewed; you can get a check from your old company for the time left on your previous policy. (Read: They probably owe you money.)
You don’t have to make any calls or fill out any extensive forms. It takes two minutes to see how much Insurify can put back in your pocket. And the best part? Because we’re driving less, some insurers are slashing prices this month.
2. Add $225 to Your Wallet Just for Watching the News
It’s been a historic year in news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news-junkie who fancies themselves an expert in respiratory illness or a political mastermind.
And while you’re waiting for your next stimulus check, research companies want to pay you to keep watching. You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with Swagbucks. They’ll present you with short news clips to choose from every day, then ask you a few questions about them.
You just have to answer honestly, and Swagbucks will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $429 million. We talked to one user in Pennsylvania, 52-year-old Carolinda Hendrickson, who earned $1,200 in a year.
It takes about one minute to sign up, and start getting paid to watch the news.
3. Use Your Check to Buy a Piece of a Company
Take a look at the Forbes Richest People list, and you’ll notice almost all the billionaires have one thing in common — they own another company.But if you work for a living and don’t happen to have millions of dollars lying around, that can sound totally out of reach.
That’s why a lot of people use the app Stash. It lets you be a part of something that’s normally exclusive to the richest of the rich — buying pieces of other companies. That’s right — you can invest in pieces of well-known companies, such as Amazon, Google or Apple, for as little as $1.
The best part? When these companies profit, so can you. Some companies even send you a check every quarter for your share of the profits, called dividends.
It takes two minutes to sign up, plus Stash will give you a $5 sign-up bonus once you deposit $5 into your account.
4. Leave Up to $5 Million to Your Spouse and Kids
One of the best things about being a millionaire? You can leave behind a legacy and know your loved ones are secure. Here’s the good news: You don’t need to be a millionaire to leave a legacy like one. You just need a life insurance policy.
We know what you’re thinking: This is probably expensive and confusing. But a life-insurance search engine called LeapLife makes it easy. In less than a minute, LeapLife will match you with personalized quotes from many of the big-time insurance companies (including Pacific Life, Lincoln and Prudential).
For less than what a lot of us spend on our monthly cups of coffee, you can get a term life insurance policy up to $5 million.
Just answer a couple of quick questions to get started. Some carriers even let you finalize your policy completely online — no visit to the doctor (depending on health and other factors).
So even if you’re not a millionaire, it’s super easy to leave a legacy like one.
5. Add up to 300 Points to Your Credit Score
Good news for us “normal” folk: Your credit score has nothing to do with your income. Yes, having more money might mean you don’t have to take out loans or buy groceries on credit. But, in reality, you and me could have the same credit score as, say, a certain someone who owns Amazon. Heck, ours could be even better.
So if you’re looking to get your credit score back on track — or even if it is on track and you want to bump it up — try using a free website called Credit Sesame.
Within 90 seconds, you’ll get access to your credit score, any debt-carrying accounts and a handful of personalized tips to improve your score. You’ll even be able to spot any errors holding you back (one in five reports have one).
James Cooper, of Atlanta, used Credit Sesame to raise his credit score nearly 300 points in six months.* “They showed me the ins and outs — how to dot the I’s and cross the T’s,” he said.
Getting your free credit score takes less than 90 seconds.
6. Cut Your Cell Phone Bill to as Little as $5
While you’re waiting for the next stimulus check, we know every dollar counts. If you’re looking for bills to cut back on, we suggest looking at your cell phone provider.
How long have you been with your current company? Probably a while, right? Which means you’re probably paying way too much.
But we found a discount wireless company called Tello Mobile that offers plans starting at just $5 a month. How much are you paying now? Exactly. Imagine cutting that to just $5.
Tello recently switched to a nationwide GSM network, which means improved 4G LTE/5G coverage, faster data speed and a more stable network. It lets you choose a wireless plan based on how many minutes and how much data you want, and you can even use Tello’s coverage tool to see how strong its network is where you live. More than 7,000 customers have given it an excellent rating on Trustpilot.
Plus, Tello is super flexible. It lets you choose the plan that makes sense for you. Plans are priced based on how much data and how many minutes you want. For example, a family of four can get 2GB of data each, plus unlimited talk and text for just $56 a month total. Free hotspot and unlimited texts are included in every plan. Plus, there are no early termination or activation fees, no contracts or phone-exclusive plans and no tricks of any kind.
It’s easy to get started and see how much you could save. Tello makes it simple to switch and even keep your phone number. No need to even leave the house — you can do everything online. You can bring your own GSM phone or buy a new one through them. See how much you could save.
