Spend, Save Or Donate? Ideas For Where To Put Your Stimulus Check

Source: The Guardian, Poppy Noor
Photo: If you can spare the cash, don’t feel guilty about spending right now. (Jason Redmond/Reuters)

Americans will receive up to $1,200 per person, intended to give financial relief to those struggling and a boost to the economy

This week, some Americans will be receiving the US government’s Covid-19 stimulus checks and deposits. At up to $1,200 per person, it is intended to give some financial relief to those struggling, and to give a much-needed boost to the economy.

For many people, this check won’t even begin to cut it. The average US rent is around $1,400 a month. Meanwhile, unemployment in the US has surpassed 20 million.

But for others who are still in secure employment and are being paid fully, this creates a dilemma: what to do with the check? Should you donate to people who are worse off; try to support a faltering economy; or save it for a rainy day? We can’t answer that question for you, but here are some good places to start.

Spend it (if you can)
There will be many people for whom spending this check is just not an option. But for those who can, remember that part of the logic behind a stimulus check is to keep people spending, to refuel the economy. So if you can spare the cash, don’t feel guilty about spending right now.

Tip delivery couriers fairly
If you are ordering takeout, groceries or other packages right now (there is much debate over whether this is ethical and safe), you can remunerate couriers by tipping appropriately to reflect the increased risk that they are shouldering, plus the fact that many do not have adequate healthcare or sick leave. So tip – big.

Delivery cyclist Wilfred Chan has some tips on what a fair tip looks like, below.

wilfred chan
✔
@wilfredchan
· Mar 15, 2020
PSA to new yorkers who will be ordering delivery due to the new restaurant closure (from me, a part time delivery worker) delivery workers are extremely vulnerable right now. please be considerate. here are some things you can do

wilfred chan
✔
@wilfredchan
1) tip. delivery workers depend on them for a living wage. $2 is the barest minimum. $5 is ok. $10-15 would be fair given the risk now. normally cash is preferred but in a pandemic, you may want to tip digitally if you’re ordering through an app. add more for big orders & drinks

6,463
11:55 PM – Mar 15, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
684 people are talking about this

Donate to undocumented migrants
Despite contributing billions to the US economy in taxes every year, many undocumented people will miss out on a stimulus check, because of the way they pay tax.

Undocumented migrants are also hard-hit by the pandemic: they are disproportionately likely to be low-paid, working long hours often on the frontlines, without adequate healthcare or worker protection rights.

You can donate to the undocumented worker fund through Cosecha here, if you want to directly support migrants during the pandemic.

Bail out humans
The hashtag #bailouthumans has been trending on Twitter since checks started coming in, but it’s hard to know who to give to. Gofundme has set up a webpage to help you navigate donations, with options to fund families, frontline workers and arts and events, among others.

Help homeless shelters
If you want to help people who are homeless during the pandemic, considering donating cash or supplies to a local shelter. The CDC recommends donating Covid-19 prevention supplies such as soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizers that meet the CDC requirements, trash baskets, tissues and face masks. You can always ring up and ask what they need.

Donate to prisoners
Prison is a lonely place to be during this pandemic. Although some states are releasing non-violent prisoners amid Covid-19 outbreaks, for those left behind, conditions are bleak. While visitations are being cancelled to protect prisoners, phone calls and emails are largely still being charged for – they can cost as much as 26c per minute.

Meanwhile, only some correctional facilities are waiving medical co-pays, and many prisoners who are entitled to leave prison can’t access cash for their release.

You can do donate to the Last Prisoner Project’s emergency relief fund here, with options towards funding phone calls, medical co-pays, hygiene supplies or legal fees.

You can also donate to your local community bail fund, to help someone pay if they can’t afford it. The Bail Project Promises that 100% of online donations are used to bring people home and they recycle your donation. When bail money comes back to the organisation after a cases closes, they use your cash again to donate to another bail.

Help restaurants
There are multiple ways to help restaurants right now. Chances are, your local favorites have set up employee relief funds so that you can donate straight to hospitality workers who have been let go; or to help towards keeping the business afloat amid closures.

Some funds have been set up to help restaurants with zero-interest loans for when they open up again, such as the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation. To fund tipped workers who are strapped for cash right now, you can donate through One Fair Wage, a not-for-profit that lobbying for a higher minimum wage for tipped workers.

Pay someone’s medical bills
You could always make a donation towards someone’s medical bills. Charities like the HealthWell Foundation help people who are unable to pay medical expenses, or you can donate through RIP Medical Debt, which works towards cancelling individual’s medical debt.

Help your local animal shelter
If you would like to donate to someone who is struggling to pay their pet’s medical bills, you can look through the Humane Society’s emergency relief fund here, or look through their list of organisations who can help with financial hardship fees for pets here.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/apr/16/ideas-what-to-do-with-stimulus-check