The government’s decision to shut down bars and restrict restaurants to take-out and deliveries to diminish the spread of COVID-19 prompted one longtime Fort Worth club owner to post on social media: “Looking for a job for the first time in 22 years.”
People from various jobs and industries might be facing that same scary prospect soon. How will we make money to buy food and gas? Pay rent? How will we survive?
Here are a handful of ideas for making or saving money. Feel free to leave you own suggestions in the comments. Maybe they will help others find footing in this temporarily upturned world.
If you have been laid off, you can apply for unemployment benefits at Twc.texas.gov. Applicants are eligible to seek unemployment after their last day of employment. Your claim starts the week you complete the application.
Restaurant dining rooms are closed, opening up opportunities for delivering food via DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and others. Gasoline is selling for less than $2 a gallon, reducing the cost of driving.
Spring brings new grass. Mow lawns.
If you expect to receive a tax refund this year –– about three out of four Americans usually do –– file your taxes as soon as possible. If you expect to pay taxes this year, wait a few months. The IRS has extended the deadline from April 15 to July 15.
Contact your credit card company. Some are suspending interest payments or offering other options to ease the financial crunch during the crisis.
Homeowners can contact their mortgage companies to inquire about low- or no-cost refinancing options. Extending a loan at reduced interest rates will lower your monthly payments.
Raid your closets, attics, and garages for items to sell online. Electronics, jewelry, clothing, musical instruments, kitchenware, vinyl records, and just about anything else can be liquidated. You can determine their worth by going to an online action such as eBay and searching for similar items that have sold recently.
Are you handy at gutter work, replacing baseboards, fixing torn roof shingles, or whatever? Offer your services for pay.
Sell blood, which is sorely needed at hospitals now.
Rent out your guest room to someone you trust.
Social distancing might mean driving less, which will reduce transportation costs. You’ll also save on socializing in clubs, theaters, and restaurants.
Extra couch time means more TV, so this next suggestion might hurt –– cancel that expensive cable TV service.
Entertainers have shown creative ways to receive cash by performing streaming concerts and accepting tips online. Cooks, poets, construction workers, and, well, just about anyone, can try something similar.
