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How To Rescue Your Finances

Financial Relief
Cut bills and find relief during uncertainty

The COVID-19 pandemic created widespread financial uncertainty. Here’s what the CARES Act stimulus covers, what you can do right now, and how to trim recurring bills to ease the burden.

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread financial uncertainty across the country. As previously reported, the House passed a $2 trillion stimulus bill, called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, in an effort to alleviate some of this financial stress. It includes one-time direct payments of $1,200 to millions of Americans, as well as emergency loans for struggling businesses, hospital aid, and stronger unemployment benefits, but there are very specific rules about who can and can’t get them.

1 Stimulus Relief: Some Things to Note

  • You will need to file a tax return in order to receive the money.
  • If you are ineligible based on your 2019 salary, but are now eligible due to a loss of income in 2020, the plan won’t help you just yet, but it could help once you file your 2020 tax return next year.
  • Anyone who is able to work from home or who is getting paid sick or family leave will not be covered by the bill.
  • People who are entering the workforce for the first time, but are unable to find jobs will also be ineligible.
  • People who quit their jobs — even if they quit due to fear of going into work and catching the virus — won’t be covered.

2 What You Can Do Now

Whether you are eligible for payments or not, there are things you can do to ease the burden:

  • If you recently lost your job, see if you qualify to file for unemployment (the amount you collect will vary state by state).
  • If you own your own business or are a sole proprietor, you might be able to apply for a new small business loan — there are many online institutions that can help with this remotely.
  • Take stock of your bills and see where you can cut spending.

3 Going Through Your Bills

It’s important to feel productive during this time of social isolation, and going through your bills to identify savings is a perfect way to do it:

  • Make a list of all of your recurring bills, identifying what you can cut and where you could be overpaying — and don’t limit the list to phone, internet, TV and utilities.
  • Look at all of your streaming services such as Spotify, Netflix, and other monthly subscriptions and ask yourself if there is any overlap, duplication or waste. If so, try to consolidate by canceling anything unnecessary.
  • If you are using exercise apps to stay healthy during the pandemic, try to resist subscribing to multiple services — pick the one that offers the most variety — and look for the free classes that are posted on social media.
  • Make sure the cancellation policies on all of your subscriptions are liberal, so you can cancel at any time for any reason.
  • Review your cable bill to see if you are paying for any extra channels or unnecessary equipment and call the company to cancel them.

4 How Billshark Can Help

The legislation does not make it illegal for utility providers to cut off service to people or companies who can’t pay their bills. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are getting fair prices. Billshark can take a look at your bills for free and identify where you might be overpaying. We can also call and negotiate better prices and even help cancel your subscriptions. In this time of need, everyone can use all the help they can get and we are here for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who qualifies for the CARES Act $1,200 stimulus payment?

The CARES Act includes one-time direct payments of $1,200 to millions of Americans, but there are specific rules about who can and can’t get them. You will need to file a tax return to receive the money. People who can work from home, who are getting paid sick or family leave, who are entering the workforce for the first time but can’t find jobs, or who quit their jobs are not covered by the bill.

What if I was ineligible in 2019 but lost income in 2020?

If you are ineligible based on your 2019 salary but are now eligible due to a loss of income in 2020, the plan won’t help you just yet. However, it could help once you file your 2020 tax return next year. In the meantime, check whether you qualify for unemployment or other relief to ease the immediate burden.

What can I do now if I lost my job or income?

Whether or not you qualify for stimulus payments, there are steps to ease the burden. If you recently lost your job, see if you qualify to file for unemployment, as the amount you collect varies state by state. If you own a business or are a sole proprietor, you might be able to apply for a new small business loan through online institutions. You can also take stock of your bills and see where you can cut spending.

How do I cut my recurring bills and subscriptions?

Make a list of all your recurring bills, identifying what you can cut and where you could be overpaying, and don’t limit the list to phone, internet, TV and utilities. Review streaming services like Spotify and Netflix for overlap or waste and cancel anything unnecessary. Pick a single exercise app, look for free classes on social media, confirm cancellation policies are liberal, and review your cable bill for extra channels or unnecessary equipment.

How can Billshark help during this challenging time?

The legislation does not make it illegal for utility providers to cut off service to people who can’t pay their bills, so it’s more important than ever to make sure you are getting fair prices. Billshark can look at your bills for free and identify where you might be overpaying. We can also call and negotiate better prices and even help cancel your subscriptions.

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How To Rescue Your Finances is a Billshark resource with information and navigation relevant to recurring bills, consumer choices, and savings decisions.

Rescue your finances during COVID-19: who qualifies for the CARES Act stimulus, steps to take now, and how to cut recurring bills. Start saving today.

Visitors can use this page to review Billshark information and continue to the route that best matches their savings, support, or account needs.

Billshark publishes this information to help visitors understand monthly expenses, provider choices, and practical next steps.

The page connects visitors with related Billshark resources when they need additional detail or a more specific next step.

The COVID-19 pandemic created widespread financial uncertainty.

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread financial uncertainty across the country.

Whether you are eligible for payments or not, there are things you can do to ease the burden.

It’s important to feel productive during this time of social isolation, and going through your bills to identify savings is a perfect way to do it.

The legislation does not make it illegal for utility providers to cut off service to people or companies who can’t pay their bills.

The CARES Act includes one-time direct payments of $1,200 to millions of Americans, but there are specific rules about who can and can’t get them.

If you are ineligible based on your 2019 salary but are now eligible due to a loss of income in 2020, the plan won’t help you just yet.

Whether or not you qualify for stimulus payments, there are steps to ease the burden.

Make a list of all your recurring bills, identifying what you can cut and where you could be overpaying, and don’t limit the list to phone, internet, TV and utilities.

The legislation does not make it illegal for utility providers to cut off service to people who can’t pay their bills.

Billshark negotiates your bills for you — no savings, no fee.

Billshark helps lower internet, wireless, cable, satellite radio, and other monthly bills.

Our experts handle providers for customers and share updates throughout the process.

Customers pay only when Billshark finds savings on eligible bills.

1 Stimulus Relief: Some Things to Note.

2 What You Can Do Now.

3 Going Through Your Bills.

4 How Billshark Can Help.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Who qualifies for the CARES Act $1,200 stimulus payment?.

What if I was ineligible in 2019 but lost income in 2020?.

What can I do now if I lost my job or income?.

How do I cut my recurring bills and subscriptions?.

How can Billshark help during this challenging time?.

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Billshark organizes service information and educational resources to make common household-bill decisions easier to research and understand.

The information on this page supports practical questions about providers, subscriptions, account actions, consumer choices, and monthly costs.

Readers can use the navigation and related resources to move from a broad question into focused information that matches their situation.

The page is intended to support informed decisions by pairing concise explanations with paths to deeper Billshark resources.

Relevant links help visitors compare options, understand recurring charges, and identify the next action that fits their current need.

Billshark content is designed to help consumers recognize recurring expenses and consider practical ways to manage them more effectively.

Visitors can return to this resource when they need to compare a new question with earlier information about services, bills, or savings.

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Readers can compare the page content with linked resources when they want more detail about household bills, subscriptions, services, or account actions.

The route helps visitors keep their research organized by grouping related information around practical consumer and monthly-expense questions.

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This page contributes to the Billshark resource network by connecting clear information with related paths for continued reading and action.

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