Disclosure: We’re letting you know that this post contains sponsored links which The Smart Wallet receives compensation for, which may impact their order of appearance. This site doesn’t include all available offers.
Over 130 million people in the United States have received their stimulus checks by now with payments still being sent or delayed. If you haven’t received yours yet, use the IRS’ Get My Payment tool to check your status.
So how is the check being spent on for those that have received it? 5 million Americans were surveyed with 78% saying it’ll go towards bills and essentials. This should come as no surprise.
9% say they’ll spend it on non-essentials (perhaps they still have a source of income or savings to tap into) and another 9% say they’ll save or invest the money (great idea!).
3% of the people will spend it on Childcare or School and 1% will donate the check to charity (bless them).
Regardless of how you plan to spend your check, it’s now more important than ever to take care of yourself both financially and emotionally. Here are some ways to help boost your financials as well as your mental well-being.
1.
2. Have Fun Trying and Playing New Games for Cash
Take a break from scrolling through your feed for updates and relax with some games!
Keep your mind sharp and snappy with these mobile games that actually let you play both for free and for winning cash if you choose to participate in cash tournaments.
Solitaire Cube: Like regular Solitaire but fast-paced and you get to play for cash. Even casual players like Amanda, a stay-at-home mom from IL, won a 55″ TV, $6,000 and more!
21 Blitz: In 3 minutes, make as many 21s as you can within that time or until you run out of moves. It’s a modern take on a classic game where you’re no longer just playing against the dealer but with actual people around the world.
Cash tournaments aren’t available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, FL, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, TN, IN for the above card games.
Blackout Blitz: Ditch the paper sheets and giant stamps in favor of this fast-paced and competitive bingo game. 2 minutes. That’s all you need per game where you play against another person around the world.
CandyPrize: A match 3 puzzle game where you match (aka smash) candies and complete sweet objectives to win money. Earn as many points as you can in 5-minute matches with real players but the game is over when you run out of moves so be strategic as well!
Bubble Shooter: The classic bubble game comes back with a modern twist where you have 3 minutes each game to pop or clear as many bubbles from the board as you can. Cash game winners can win up to $10,000 (no joke).
Dominoes Gold: A different type of puzzle gaming experience that’s not just swapping candies or jewels around. The game follows the popular “Fives” rulebook where you match the ends of the domino tiles and make the ends of the board a multiple of 5. Any leftover tiles after a Domino will be counted as points for the winner of that round.
Cash tournaments aren’t available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, FL, LA, MT, SC, SD, and TN for the above puzzle games.
3.
4. Protect Your Income When You’re Too Sick to Work
The coronavirus pandemic has added a great deal of uncertainty to everyday life. One way to financially prepare for the unexpected is to protect your income from serious illnesses.
The best time to prepare is when you’re healthy. Yes, you’re taking the precautions and practicing social distancing. But what happens when your state decides to re-open and life resumes? There are still chances to get sick as there’s no vaccine currently. Plus, those who recover from COVID-19 may be at a greater risk for long-term health issues.
That’s why disability insurance is recommended. You need it if you rely on your source of income to live life. This is especially true if you have loved ones who financially depend on you.
Disability insurance isn’t just for injuries. In fact, illnesses (including mental health issues, such as depression) represent 90%* of long-term disability claims.
To make coverage more accessible and affordable, Breeze has built the first fully online disability insurance product. Answer some quick questions to get a rate in a matter of seconds. You can then choose your benefit period (most disabilities average 2 years) and complete a 15-minute online application.
If you’re approved for coverage, you’ll receive disability insurance benefits paid if you can’t work to make up for lost income. Plans start at $9/month* and benefit amounts range from $500 to $20,000.
It’s free to check out rates and you can apply online. Give yourself peace of mind, especially in these troubling times!
5. Work From Home: Earn $20 Per Hour to Start Teaching English To Kids Online
The past few months have been rough on Americans and their livelihoods. If you’ve been considering a side gig to supplement your primary income or need a job working from home, teach English online to kids ages 5-13!
EF Online (Education First) is a teaching platform helping to connect students in China and native English speakers for 20+ years with their global network of 600+ schools. You’ll experience a flexible schedule where you can work from home, earn up to $20/hr to start, with all lesson materials are provided. While teaching experience is preferred, it’s not required. Earn extra rewards the more you teach!
Here are the requirements:
- Must be a native English speaker living in the U.S.A with a Bachelor’s degree in any field
- By the start of your teacher’s contract term, you must earn and submit documentation of a 40 Hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification (or higher)
- Agree to an online background check (no cost to you)
- Be available to work during a set range of hours
- Have a solid wifi connection and headset
- And lastly, be passionate!
Classes are 25 minutes each and since EF Online encourages repeat classes, you might be teaching the same students regularly. In addition, parents can book you up to 6 months in advance leading to a more stable income.
If you enjoy interacting with kids, this is definitely a rewarding and flexible gig from home!
Note: The following U.S. states are excluded from this gig – CA, IN, MA, NH, NJ, NY, and IL.
6. Customized Workout Classes Whenever You Want
Relieve some of that stir craziness at home with fitness classes you can access anytime, anywhere, along with customizing it to your own schedule and mood.
Do 10 minutes today, and 30 minutes tomorrow. Choose between Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert. There are thousands of live and on-demand workouts ranging from bootcamp, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), dance, barre, strength, yoga, stretching, and more.
NEOU Fitness (pronounced “NEO YOU”) is great for those that miss their group fitness classes, for people who like a variety of classes every day, and want more control over their routine.
Stream on any device screen and filter classes by type, duration, body focus, and more.
For a limited time, new members get 50% off the annual membership for just $49.99 (basically less than $5/month). You can try it out for free for 7-days to see how you like it!
7. Get Access to Doctors and Wellness Coaches 24/7 Even When Homebound
We know we shouldn’t leave the house but what happens when it’s 10 PM and you’re feeling ill? What if you don’t have insurance either?
With 4 Your Health, you can get access to doctors and nurses 24/7 with options to call, email, or video chat. There’s no limit on usage and the physician(s) are licensed in the state you’re calling from. You don’t need insurance (if you don’t have any) and your prescriptions will get sent to your local pharmacy. It’s quick and reliable diagnoses of over 70% of common ailments.
Not only will you have doctors on demand, but it’s also a major health resource for meal plans and streaming workouts, in addition to Wellness coaches where you can email board-certified psychologists, dentists, pharmacists, dieticians, fitness trainers, and alternative medicine specialists.
Get a free 14-day trial to see if it works for you. If you love the convenience and 24/7 access, then it’s just $14.95 a month for you and your entire family. Since 4 Your Health isn’t medical insurance, there are no copays, deductibles or insurance claims to worry about either.
8. The Streaming Service That’ll Actually Save You Money Over Time
Cable tv costs an average $60 a month which resulted in 40 million Americans* cutting the cord last year to save that chunk of money. No wonder streaming services that cost as low as $6.99 a month are so popular!
And for those that have kids or are just kids at heart (like me), renting/buying Disney property movies can add up too. Renting movies can cost up to $5 and buying can cost up to $20 each.
That’s why Disney+, the new streaming platform makes complete sense for Disney, Marvel, National Geographic, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and Disney Channel watchers.
Get access to new original shows, TV series (7,500+ episodes!), and movies (100 freshly released from the theaters and 400+ from the library).
And you can stream on up to 4 screens/devices simultaneously. No need to wrestle for the “remote.” Plus you can download shows to watch offline as much as you want. Check out Disney+ now for only $6.99/month and pull the plug on cable.
Some of the sponsored links that appear on this page are from companies that offer investment advisory services. They compensate us; for details on our compensation arrangements, please click here.
