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1. Find employment.

The bad news is that expanded unemployment compensation is over. The good news is that there are tons of jobs out there waiting to hire people. Best of all, they’re paying more than they usually do, so you can financially get back on your feet quickly if you get hired.

What’s keeping many people from entering the workforce again? They’re trying to find that perfect job. What you should aim to do instead is to find a bridge job so you can at least pay your bills. As for what a bridge job is, it’s one that you take because you need the money, even though it may not be in your industry.

Some examples of bridge jobs that can help boost your bank account include:

• Food service – You can get hired on the spot and get a better wage than ever before.
• Data entry – Clerks are needed across all industries. This is a solid position if you need to work from home to take care of your kids.
• Retail – Some companies like Target are now offering tuition assistance as an incentive to find new hires.

The idea here is to replace any lost income as quickly as possible.

2. Get a side hustle.

If your schedule doesn’t allow for a full-time job, there are plenty of side hustles that can help bring in the dough with little time investment, such as:

• Driving for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft.
• Delivering food and other items via Instacart, DoorDash, Shipt, or Amazon.
• Sitting babies, pets, or even homes through sites like Care.com or Housesitter.com.
• Doing odd jobs from Craigslist.org or TaskRabbit.com.

3. Get rental assistance.

As if the expanded unemployment ending wasn’t bad enough, the eviction moratorium ended too. With the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, you can get help with past and future rent payments, plus utility bills, moving expenses, and more.

While this program comes from the U.S. Department of Treasury, you’ll need to apply locally. You can find your local rental assistance program here.

4. Find food assistance.

Although keeping a roof over your head is crucial, feeding your family is even more critical. You can dial 211 on your phone to find emergency food assistance locally. Once that’s finished, apply for food stamps (SNAP), so you won’t have to worry about your nutritional needs in the future.

5. Put off some bills.

Even though your list of bills may be long, you’ll have to prioritize which ones get paid until you fix your finances. Hopefully, your rent, utilities, and food will get taken care of with the tips listed above.

If you’re still short, call up any credit card companies or lenders to see if they offer forbearance. This may still be an option, even though it’s not as widely advertised as it was during the beginning of the pandemic.

Let them know your situation, and they may let you delay payments or put you on a manageable payment plan that doesn’t cut into your cash for other necessities.