Labor Day weekend marked a grim milestone for millions of people out of work due to the pandemic.
If your unemployment benefits just ended or got cut, dont wait to take action.
Here are seven steps to take ASAP.
If youre worried about how youll stay afloat, heres what to do.
Basically, its any job that helps you pay the bills, even if its not your ideal job.
Enough small talk.Here are some waysto earn extra cash, without all of the social stuff.
Also check out The Penny Hoarderswork-from-home jobs portal, which regularly features remote entry-level listings.
There are plenty of easyside hustlesyou can take on now with little upfront cost to start earning extra cash.
Some ideas include:
3.
Search for Rental Assistance
While the federal eviction moratorium expired Aug. 26, help is still available.
AsVox reported, more than 340 agencies are administering that aid, each with their own set of rules.
To learn more about relief in your area, check out thisstate-by-state guide to rental assistance programs.
Another good resource is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureausrental assistance page.
You may also qualify for help with utilities and energy costs.
Did you know?
You simply dial 211, and youll be connected with someone who knows about resources in your community.
Because of the lengthy process involved, its essential that you take this step ASAP.
Get Food Assistance
The 211 hotline can also connect you with food pantries near you.
Also visitbenefits.govto determine whether youre eligible for SNAP benefits.
Most states have a limit on how long you could receive benefits.
In some cases, you may need to submit a new system or apply for an extension.
The best time to do this is always before youve missed a payment.
Be sure to ask how theyll report your payment status to the credit bureaus.
If theyll be reporting your payments as delinquent, yourcredit scorewill plummet.
But in a true emergency, you may have to make even deeper cuts.
make a run at work with your lenders.
Yes, youll damage your credit score if you miss payments without your lenders permission.
But it’s possible for you to recover from bad credit.
While your credit score is important, your health and housing are far bigger priorities.
Robin Hartill is a certified financial planner and a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
She writes the Dear Penny personal finance advice column.
Send your tricky money questions to[email protected].
Probably not as good as youd 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?
Ask one of these companies to help…
