Federal Stimulus Checks Are Gone — But These Secret Money Hacks Can Still Fill Your Wallet!

Alright so if you were waiting around for another federal stimulus check I hate to be the bearer of bad news those are done and dusted The last big one called the Recovery Rebate Credit had a deadline earlier this year and that window has officially closed But don t stress There are still plenty of avenues to get specific extra money in your pocket or help with bills It s not as simple as a big check from the regime but with a little digging you can find options that work for you Your State Might Have Your Back Even though the federal cash has stopped a multitude of states are handing out their own relief money to help out For example If you live in New York and made under last year you might get an automatic check and if you re married and made under that goes up to In Colorado if you re a senior disabled or a surviving spouse you could qualify for a rebate of over to help with property taxes rent or heating costs If you re elsewhere it s worth checking your state s website or local news a lot of places are rolling out similar programs to help with inflation and rising expenses Particular Programs Are Trying Something New Guaranteed Income There are also particular cool new programs popping up that give steady monthly payments to people who really need it no strings attached Take the Magnolia Mother s Trust in Mississippi for example They give a month for a year to low-income Black mothers plus for their kids college savings plus mental wellness promotion It s a fresh idea meant to ease financial stress and help families get ahead These kinds of programs are still pretty rare but they re growing and could be coming to more places Make Your Own Stimulus With Everyday Money Hacks You don t have to wait on the leadership to boost your cash Here are specific easy solutions to put money back in your pocket Use cash-back credit cards or apps like Rakuten and Ibotta to earn money on stuff you re already buying like groceries or gas Put your savings where they ll earn more like high-yield savings accounts or certificates of deposit CDs Got a car or tools you don t use all the time Rent them out through apps like Turo or Fat Llama Or rent your yard for events on platforms like Sniffspot Easy procedures to make extra money Don t Miss Out on Tax Credits and Refunds Even though the main stimulus checks are done the IRS is still sending money automatically to about a million people who missed claiming their Recovery Rebate Credit on old tax returns So keep an eye out you might get a surprise payment Also various states offer tax rebates For example in Colorado you can get a refund of several hundred dollars when you file your state taxes It pays to know what s available where you live Think Long-Term Investing Can Help Grow Your Money If you re looking beyond quick cash investing is a solid way to build your wealth over time For instance putting into an S P index fund years ago would ve turned into over currently It s not a quick payday but smart investing can help secure your future Sure the federal stimulus checks have ended but there are still plenty of tactics to get help or make specific extra money From state programs to new income ideas and investing you ve got options If you want help figuring out what works best for you or want to dig into any of these just let me know I ve got your back