We all want free money which is why so many people are trying to learn how to get it, whether it’s from the government, for college, for paying bills, for starting a business, or just for the shear joy of finding free money!
But are there actually any ways to get free money?
Try Swagbucks, the famous rewards program that pays you for watching videos, taking surveys, shopping and more.
Well, believe it or not, it is possible to get free money.
Whether you are a single mom, a college student, a high school drop out, lost your job recently, need some extra preferably free money to pay your bills or perhaps just trying to find out if there is any free money from the government you might qualify for, there are a few options available for getting free money, you just have to know what to look for and where to do your free money search.
However, finding those hidden opportunities where you can get free money is not as easy as it may sound. It takes some knowledge and in some cases it takes a little expertise on law and how it works in that regard.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about all of that. I have already done the research and made your job easier. And here is the result of my extensive search for free money.
Note: Please do keep in mind that some of the listed items may not be exactly free money, but they either help you find free money or provide a service to you for free that other wise may cost you hundreds and even thousands of dollars. That is why I included them.
1- From the Government
Uncle Sam takes money away from every one of us, it would only be fair if he gave some of it back to us. Well turns out uncle Sam is a fair uncle!
There are many government sponsored programs where you can get free government money to help you with your living expenses, health care for you and your kids, recover from a natural disaster and other related problems. To find out more, visit GovBenefits.gov.
If you have to only sign up for one paid survey site to make money with, I recommend Ipsos-iSay. Ipsos is the most fun and well-paying panel. Give it a try to see how you like it. It is free anyway!
2- For Shopping
These days no matter what store or business you look for, you can find coupons and discount codes for them all over the place, from the internet to newspapers and in store coupons. A lot of us over look coupons and discount codes, which I don’t understand why. I mean, it’s basically free money, why not take it!
Register with free coupon sites like CoolSavings, FamousCoupons and ClipNPrintCoupons to get notified of new coupons and discount codes for thousands of brands and print them to use in store and online.
3- From Your Credit Card
These days. many credit cards offer some kind of rewards program. And while at the first glance those rewards may not sound like much, considering the fact that credit cards are used almost daily, its not that hard to imagine how substantial those rewards will be when added up.
So, instead of using a credit card that doesn’t offer any cash back, use one that does. You are going to use your card any way, you may as well get something out of it, free money! You can use sites like CardRatings and BankRate to find credit cards that offer the best possible rewards.
4- From Yourself
Lots of people don’t know this, but there are millions of dollars that go unclaimed very year. Unclaimed funds are basically money that belongs to you, but you forgot about it. An example would be your utility deposits that you forgot to get back.
So, how do find out if you have unclaimed money?… There is a website that the government has put up where you can go and search for any unclaimed money that may belong to you, UnClaimed.org.
5- To Help with Foreclosure
These days lots of people are facing foreclosure. Hopefully you are not one of them, but if you are there is a program that can help you stay in your home. It’s called Home Ownership Preservation Foundation or HOPE. You can call them at 888-995-HOPE and they will set up a plane to help you keep your home. Or you can visit their site 995Hope.org.
6- From Old Pension Plans
If you have worked for a company that went bankrupt, was sold to another business or simply went out of business, you may have some forgotten money in your old pension plan.
Fortunately, PBGC (Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation) is there to get you your money back. You can search their database to find out if you have any forgotten pension money. Visit PBGC.gov to start your search.
7- For Health Insurance for Your Kids
Health insurance for their kids is one of the biggest concerns of every parent. Unfortunately many are simply not able to pay for often very expensive health insurance plans.
Fortunately, your state has a health insurance program for kids where they cover part or all of your kids health related expenses such as prescription medicines, doctor visits and hospital stays. To qualify, you must be in a working family though. Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to find out more.
8- For College
College is the most expensive part of any students life. and these days, it seems like they are getting even more expensive. Good news is that there is a government program called Federal Pell Grant. They will give you up to $7,000 free money for each college year. The best part is that you don’t have to pay a dime of that money back!
You can visit PellGrants to learn more and see if you qualify.
9- For Energy Bills
It’s no secret that good insulation, storm windows and even weather-stripping can dramatically lower your energy bills. So, making sure your home is energy efficient is important, not only for your wallet, but also for the nation as a whole. Less energy usage means lower energy costs and less strain on natural resources.
So, the U.S. Department of Energy has come up with a program called Weatherization Assistance Program to reward home owners who make an effort to make their homes more energy efficient. They pay you up to $2500 for installing energy efficient products. So, not only you lower your energy bills, you also get $2500 free money. Visit WAP’s official website for more information.
10- For Tax Preparation
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is a an IRA backed program that helps low income families to prepare their tax returns. VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040.
Ok, they don’t actually hand you free money, but they prepare your taxes for free which usually costs around $100 or so to have it prepared by a tax professional. To find more information about your local VITA sites check out Vita Volunteers.
11- For Credit Repair
Hundreds of thousands of people are struggling with their credits and nee credit repair. Credit repair professionals can cost you a fortune and if you are already suffering from bad financial situation, spending a lot of money should be the last thing on your mind.
Luckily, the Federal Trade Commission is there to help you. Just visit FTC.gov where you can learn about all your rights and other important information, and also to schedule a free counseling at your local County Cooperative Extension Service.
12- To Start a Business
Another one of those items that doesn’t necessarily give you free money, but the service provided can save you thousands of dollars in fees. The U.S. government has a especial program for small businesses known as Small Business Development Centers. They have over 1,000 offices around the country where they have professionals who can give you free advice and information on everything related to starting a business from taxes, funding, marketing, filling out forms, contracting, technical issues and any other aspects of starting a business.
You can find local offices and more information about the program by visiting SBA.gov.
13- For Buying a Home
The U.S. department of housing and urban development or HUD helps people hoe are buying, selling or trying to repair their home. Not only HUD offers free consulting and help with every expects of buying, selling or renovating a home, they also give you money for down payments and closing costs.
You can get all the details and the different ways they can help you by visiting their official site HUD.gov.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, now you know how to get free money even in an economy like ours. Of course, nothing beats the pleasure of working and making money from your efforts. But, life is not always fair. It has its ups and downs and sometimes you just need extra helping hand to help you get through.
Whether you need the free money for college, to start a business, to keep your house from being foreclosed on, to help pay the bills or whatever else life throws at you, free money is always good. And what better way than using one of the above mentioned legal and appropriate ways to search find and get free money.