Life is basically a giant obstacle course.
Its loaded with traps thatll trip you up, if youre not careful.
The same goes for your financial life.
On any given day, a random situation can appear out of nowhere and take some of your money.
Its like being mugged by reality.
These kinds of situations are all too common.
Traffic Accident
Every year in the U.S., there are more than 5 million traffic accidents.
Hopefully you wont be in any of them.
But in case of an accident, its best to check that you have reliable insurance.
However, that doesnt mean you have to pay top dollar for it!
Just ensure you shop around, thats all were saying.
Use awebsite called EverQuoteto see all your options at once.
Our team has compiled alist of creative waysyou can fatten your bank account this week.
This is a long list, so dont get overwhelmed.
Well keep it updated as offers changes or expire.
Take a couple of minutes toanswer some questionsabout yourself and your driving record.
With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance.
In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.
Sudden Death
Not to bum you out, but this is the ultimate Unfortunate Situation that might befall you.
It happens to everybody someday, right?
Ultimately, were all just guests here.
If you died, what would happen to your loved ones?
Could they afford the mortgage?
Handle the cost of child care or college?
Could they even pay the bills?
This is where life insurance can give you peace of mind.
A life-insurance search engine calledLeapLifemakes it easy.
If you qualify, you might not even need an in-person exam or medical records.
You could complete the process entirely online and get your policy in just minutes.
Justanswer a few questions, choose the quote that works best for your needs and finalize online in minutes.
Job Loss
In 2020, millions of Americans lost their jobs.
Thanks to COVID-19, the unemployment rate skyrocketed.
Being out of work is one of the toughest things that can happen to you.
How can you do that?
Try the 50/30/20 method for budgeting.
Take your total after-tax income each month, and divide it in half.
Thats your essentials budget (50%).
A little sacrifice now could be a lifesaver later.
Losing Money in Investments
Losing money in the stock market always stings.
Making an unlucky investment choice is tough.
It hurts to see the numbers go down.
But you have to take the long view here.
Thats what investing is all about.
Not sure how to get started?
You could start small.
With an app calledStash, you might get started with as little as $1.
*
Stash lets you choose from hundreds of stocks and funds to build your own investment portfolio.
It makes it simple by breaking them down into categories based on your personal goals.
Subscription plans start at $1 a month.
**
5.
An Unexpected Emergency Bill
Maybe your car breaks down.
Or maybe its something else.
If youre anything like me, youll put it on your credit card.
Thats my go-to move with just about every sudden emergency expense.
Every unexpected car repair.Just put it on the card.
The truth is, your credit card company is getting rich by ripping you off with super-high interest rates.
But a website calledAmOnewants to help.
Youll be left with one bill to pay each month.
Plus: No credit card payment this month.
It takes two minutes tosee if you qualify for up to $50,000 online.
Now you’re able to be ready to dodge the obstacle.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
His life is definitely an obstacle course.
*For Securities priced over $1,000, purchase of fractional shares starts at $0.05.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
