I’ve had a few friends who have been furloughed since the coronavirus pandemic and the city closing non-essential businesses. If you have no idea what that means, it’s basically a company saying: Hey I can’t employ you right now. You are welcomed to collect unemployment and perhaps when the business is better we’d like to have you back. This is different from being laid off (which has happened to me…twice). When you’re laid off they aren’t likely to ask you to come back when the company is doing better. I really feel for all of the people in the world losing their jobs so unexpectedly and having their income cut severely. I know what it feels like to have your income pulled out from under you when you least expect it and having to scramble to find new sources of income. At this time it’s also pretty hard to get any kind of job since most places that are non-essential are closed. Don’t lose hope. This isn’t going to last forever but I wanted to give some tips on how to make money quickly if you’re in need of ideas for more streams of income as well as information about Stimulus Checks & Unemployment Benefits.
GET A STIMULUS CHECK & APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
Thankfully y’alls president has passed a $2 trillion relief bill to offer assistance to the millions of American’s affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill includes stimulus payments, expanded unemployment coverage, student loan changes and more. Most adults will get $1200 and $500 for each child age 16 and under.
STIMULUS CHECKS DETAILS
Payment Based on 2018 Tax Returns (if you haven’t filed 2019 yet) Here’s a tip: If you made less money in 2018 than 2019 and haven’t filed your 2019 taxes yet…DON’T. The deadline for filing taxes is now July 16th. Wait until after you receive your stimulus check to file your taxes. There are no penalties!
Adjusted Gross Income Individual $75,000 or less = $1200 Stimulus Check. Get more details here.
Checks will supposedly go out by April 17th
You Don’t Need to Apply, if you filed your 2018 or 2019 taxes, the IRS has banking information and will Direct Deposit the check based on the most recent income tax filing they have
If your tax refunds are currently being garnished for whatever reason, you will still receive a stimulus check (except perhaps for back child support)
You will not have to pay taxes on a stimulus check
UNEMPLOYMENT DETAILS
Currently in the State of New York if you are unemployed you’re paid a maximum of $500 a week. Under the new bill New York State is adding an extra $600 for unemployment weekly payouts. Make sure to be diligent in researching what relief has been added to payouts for unemployment for your state! Advocate for yourself. Closed mouths don’t get fed. If you need to file, do it a soon as possible so you can start receiving payments as soon as possible. I’ve had to file for unemployment twice and it was not an easy thing and with so many people filing at this time, doing it quicker is the best course of action.
SELF EMPLOYED DETAILS
Freelancers, Contract Works and Gig Workers are also eligible for unemployment benefits using the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program. Self-Employed workers are eligible to receive $600 weekly from the Federal Government.
COVID-19 Relief & Resources for Freelancers
SELL SOME THINGS
The quickest way to make money is to sell something. This is a great time to clean out your closet and sell things you will never wear or use again. Currently mailing systems are essential workers so USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL are still in full swing. If you have a nearby post office or drop off area, it likely won’t be busy during this time and you can manage sending packages. Don’t worry about equipment. All you need is a phone that takes photos and packaging materials. Here are a few sites where you can sell your gently used and designer items online.
PACKAGE & SELL YOUR TALENT & KNOWLEDGE
This is a great time to start a business using nothing but the internet, a computer, your smart phone and your knowledge. Trust me, you are good at something and you are knowledgeable about something. This is the time to package and sell that knowledge.
Create an Etsy Shop: On Etsy you can sell digital items like photo presets, eBooks, templates and physical items. I created an Etsy shop to sell digital books I’ve written about blogging and influencing. It took me anywhere from 2-4 hours to write an eBook or put a template together and I passively make money from those things every single day. Enough to pay rent and bills. As long as you have a computer that can convert a file to a downloadable PDF File, you can sell digital items on the internet.
Create a Class, Course, Webinar or Consulting Business: Another thing you can do to sell your knowledge or expertise is to create online classes, courses or virtual consulting. If you cook, host online cooking classes for those working from home who may not be as kitchen savy. If you speak a second language, start a an online teaching or tutoring class. If you are skilled at graphic design, sell your skills remotely. There’s so much you can do! I’m even thinking of starting an online Physical Therapy business because I know it would benefit society at this time. Many people are staying home and looking for things to do. Teachable courses have jumped in online usage so this is the time to hop on the bandwagon. You can charge a fee for any of these platforms whether that be on the platform itself or commissioning payment directly to you via Paypal, CashApp or Venmo for access to your content. Here are a few places to start online courses, classes and virtual consulting:
