HACKER Q&A
📣 jawns

How to use stimulus cash if job stability isn't assured?


I'm still employed and have a decent level of emergency savings, so right now the stimulus cash is not necessary to get by. But my industry and job could definitely be affected down the line, at which point it would be nice to have that money.

If I knew that I absolutely would not lose my job, I would love to donate the money to help those who have lost their jobs. But because of the uncertainty, I'm not sure if that's the best move.

I'm assuming there is no charity out there that will give you the money back if you lose your job within a given timeframe.

But is there any other creative way to help others with this money, but still maintain some protection for yourself?


  👤 giantg2 Accepted Answer ✓
I can think of two things. You could divide the money and do both.

First you could save or invest the money and donate at a later time. This wouldn't really help people right now, but it would help someone in the future. Technically, investing it could help stimulate the economy, but it doesn't directly help someone.

Second, you could spend the money on something that you want or need that could be beneficial if you do become unemployed. An example could be training for another job or to keep your current one, buying home office equipment, etc. This could still be risky since you are spending the money, but it might not be as bad as spending the money on recreational stuff. The money is stimulus money, and to be effective in stimulating our consumer economy you would have to spend it (or put it to work, like investing).