4 Money Things for Americans to Do in a Tough Economy
Like it or not, everyone makes mistakes. It's a fact of life.
Some mistakes are easy to overcome, and others are harder to fix. Money mistakes are among the toughest to swallow and the hardest to recover from -- especially in today's challenging economic environment.
Fortunately, money mistakes are often avoidable by creating good habits and being diligent with how you earn, save, and spend.
You work hard for your money. Let your habits and earnings work just as hard for you.
Check out these 4 quick money things you can do to earn & save more.
1. Avoid overpaying while shopping online
Wouldn’t it be great if you got an alert when shopping and are about to overpay?
That’s exactly what this free service does.
Simply add it to your browser, and before you check out, it will search thousands of merchants to see if you're getting the best deal – and automatically apply available coupons to your order. Even if you're not ready to purchase, it will also monitor products you've viewed so you don't miss a deal.
It only takes a few clicks to signup, and you'll quickly start seeing if you've been overpaying online.
In the last year, this has saved people $160 million.
2. Earn extra cash just by completing surveys & playing games
It's funny some people don't want to hear your thoughts, and some brands crave them. Customer opinions and feedback are the lifeblood of some businesses, and they're willing to pay for it.
InboxDollars is a great example where they will pay real cash (not just points) for sharing your opinions, playing games, and trying new apps.
It's simple to get started, and they've already paid out over $80 million dollars in cash rewards. To start getting paid for your thoughts, you need to create a free account (and you get $5 for just signing up).
3. Reduce the interest rate you pay on credit card debt
Instead of worrying about how you can make current monthly payments, you can consolidate your debt into one fixed-rate loan that has a more attractive repayment plan – potentially leaving you with a lower payment and more time to pay it off.
Free, no-obligation services like Upgrade will help you find the best interest rate for the loan you need, up to $50,000.
Checking your rate with Upgrade only takes a couple of minutes and won't impact your credit score, so it doesn't hurt to see if new terms can lower the cost of your debt.
4. Say no to overdraft fees by accessing your pay early
As interest rates rise and inflation makes everyday items more expensive, it's no surprise that stretching a paycheck is more important than ever – and the timing of when your paycheck arrives is sometimes make or break.
Apps like Cleo are here to help with not only providing budgeting and credit-building tools but also helping you access up to $250 quickly with no credit check and no interest. They're also FDIC insured.
For up to $500, it's also worth checking out Dave ExtraCash, which has a similar offering just by downloading the Dave app, linking your bank, and sending the money to a Dave Spending account.