6 Moves If You Want to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Last updated Feb. 21, 2026 | By FinanceBuzz Editors

Living paycheck to paycheck can mean sleepless nights spent wondering how you'll cover your bills if something unexpected happens. Even if you're an expert at timing your bill payments so nothing bounces, it's still SUPER stressful.

Ready to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck (and finally sleep soundly again)? We've got some simple moves you can make today to start earning and saving more. Let's do this!

See if your credit card debt is eligible for this debt relief program

If you have a lot of debt, getting rid of it can feel stressful (and nearly impossible). Here’s the problem: the longer you put off tackling it, the harder it may get to fix. If you don’t take control of it early on, it can add undue stress to your life for years. But what if there was a way to get rid of unsecured debt?

Freedom Debt Relief could help. If you have more than $30,000 in debt from credit cards, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their certified debt specialists may be able to help you resolve your debt for less than you owe — with one low monthly deposit.

Best of all? There are zero upfront settlement fees, and you could reduce debt in as little as 24-48 months¹ Our estimates are based on prior results, which will vary depending on your specific enrolled creditors and your individual program terms. Not all clients are able to complete their program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. We do not guarantee that your debts will be resolved for a specific amount or percentage or within a specific period of time. We do not assume your debts, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Our service is not available in all states, including New Jersey, and our fees may vary from state to state. Please contact a tax professional to discuss potential tax consequences of less than full balance debt resolution. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment. The use of debt settlement services will likely adversely affect your creditworthiness, may result in you being subject to collections or being sued by creditors or collectors and may increase the outstanding balances of your enrolled accounts due to the accrual of fees and interest. However, negotiated settlements we obtain on your behalf resolve the entire account, including all accrued fees and interest. C.P.D. Reg. No. T.S.12-03825. . To get started, just answer a few simple questions and get connected with a Certified Debt Consultant. It only takes a few minutes to see if you qualify, and the consultation is completely free!

See if your $30k+ in credit card debt is eligible for Freedom Debt Relief

Pay no interest on balance transfers until 2027

Imagine getting 18 months with 0% intro APR on a balance transfer (APR then 17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with this industry-leading card - the Citi Double Cash^® Card.

If you want to kick high-interest credit card debt to the curb, this is one of the leading get-out-of-debt cards available. Transfer your high interest debt to this card with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After the intro period for balance transfers, the APR is 17.49% - 27.49% (Variable). Your payments can go directly to paying down your balance without incurring a pile of additional charges. That could save you hundreds of dollars in interest!

It doesn't stop with balance transfers though. Cardholders can also earn double cash back — 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel. Even better, you can redeem your cash back as direct deposit, a statement credit, or even a mailed check! You can turn your everyday purchases into cash back and make a dent in your debt, regular bills, or save for the future.

The best part? There's no annual fee with the Citi Double Cash^® Card(Rates and fees).

Click here to apply now for the Citi Double Cash^® Card

Set up direct deposit and complete qualifying activities - pocket $400

If you aren't banking with Truist, you're missing out on a huge boost of extra cash just by following a few simple steps.

Earn a bonus of $400 when you open a new Truist One Checking account online between October 30, 2025 and March 25, 2026 using promo code AFL400TR1Q425.² Terms and Conditions for Truist One Checking $400 Affiliate Online Offer Q4 2025 and Q1 2026: AFL400TR1Q425 Offer Information: Open a new Truist One Checking account online from 10/30/25 through 3/25/26, complete the following activities within 120 days of the account opening and earn $400. You must open the account online and enter the promo code to be eligible to participate in the promotion. • Receive at least two qualifying direct deposits* totaling $2,000 or more AND • Complete at least 20 qualifying debit card purchases** within 120 days of account opening. All debit purchases must be posted to your account to qualify. Account must be opened online. Enrollment in the promotion is required at the time of account opening using promo code AFL400TR1Q425. Please refer to the Account Opening and Enrollment section below for full instructions. *A qualifying direct deposit is an electronic credit (greater than $5.00) deposited into your new checking account via ACH. Person to person payments (such as Zelle®), Real Time Payments (RTP), pre-authorized transfers made from one account to another, or deposits made via a branch, ATM, online transfer, mobile device, debit/prepaid card number or the mail are not eligible direct deposits. **Qualifying debit card purchases include any purchase made with a Truist debit card and posted to the new checking account within 120 days of account opening. ATM withdrawals using your debit card are not qualifying transactions. Zelle® transactions are not qualifying transactions. Bank fees are not included. Offer Eligibility: Clients that are the primary account holder on an existing personal checking account with Truist or who have closed a personal checking account with Truist on or after 10/30/24 are not eligible to participate. Offer valid for Truist One Checking accounts only. Primary account holder must be 18 or older at the time of account opening. Truist employees, Directors, Officers, and Local Boards/Advisors are not eligible. Offer available only to US residents with a valid US taxpayer identification number. The qualifying checking account must be opened online and have a physical address in: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV or DC. Reward Processing: The reward will be deposited to the new checking account within 4 weeks after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. Promotion is only applicable once per checking account and per client. Truist may report the value of any offer reward received to the IRS as required by law. Any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the recipient. Reward Forfeiture: Reward forfeiture will occur if: (1) the new checking account is changed to an account type not included in this client offer (2) the new checking account has a $0.00 or negative available balance or is restricted at the time Truist verifies the qualification requirements have been met or (3) the new checking account is closed at the time of payout. An account is considered restricted if it has a temporary or permanent block that prevents credits from posting to the account. Truist verification will occur one time after the qualification requirements are initially met. Other Terms: Minimum opening deposit is $50. The offer is non-transferable, may not be combined with any other checking offers, is subject to change, and may be discontinued at any time. Truist reserves the right, in its sole discretion: 1) to prohibit a reward payout for any offers claimed through third-party websites with no affiliation or prior authorization from Truist; and 2) to disqualify any account if Truist suspects accounts are being opened for the purpose of exploiting this promotional offer. All promotional payouts will be processed no later than 3/31/27 at which point this promotion (and any related disbursements) will be considered final, and no further disbursements will be made. All standard account terms and conditions apply. Account Opening & Enrollment Instructions: To open and enroll your new account in the promotion, visit the offer website and click on “Open an account online.” Enter AFL400TR1Q425 into the promo code field provided, review the offer Terms and Conditions, and then select “Accept Offer”. Accounts opened without the promo code applied will not be eligible to participate in the offer. Once enrolled in the promotion, clients may receive promotional updates via the email address provided or by calling 800.709.8700. Version 3 09162025 AFL400TR1Q425 To earn the $400 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $2,000 or more and complete 20 qualifying debit card purchase transactions within 120 days of account opening. Terms apply.

This is a great way to supercharge your earnings. It basically takes no extra work at all other than following the steps above. Plus, your new account offers benefits like no overdraft fee and options to avoid a monthly maintenance fee on top of the bonus.

Open your account and earn a $400 bonus

Earn a $200 bonus + up to 5% cash back with this criminally underrated cash back card

Apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®(Rates and fees) and you could earn a $200 bonus after spending an easy $500 in the first 3 months. This card is criminally underrated with one of the best spend-to-bonus ratios we've ever seen — the bonus is worth almost half the spend!

No additional work is required. Apply for the card, see if you're approved, spend $500 within 3 months, and earn a $200 bonus. Boom!

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^®(Rates and fees) also lets you earn cash back on everything you buy: Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Plus, if you want to finance large purchases or pay down high-interest debt, you can also do that with this card. Take advantage of 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After the intro period, the APR is 18.24% - 27.74% Variable. Do not skip this card — it's a sleeper hit with insane value and NO annual fee.

Good or excellent credit (typically 670 or higher) is recommended.

Click here to Apply Now to the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

Stop wasting money on overpriced car insurance

We've got bad news. You could be wasting $600 every year on overpriced, second-rate car insurance. And you should probably cancel your existing insurance right now, because there's something much better.

This new tool from FinanceBuzz can tell you if you're overpaying for your car insurance in just a few clicks. We match drivers with companies that report saving drivers up to $600 or more per year when they save! Each driver’s savings will vary by driving history and how many discounts you’re eligible for. And once you try it out, you'll never have to look for affordable insurance again because we find you the lowest rates that other companies can't match.

Oh, and it's also free. And come on — you can't tell us you don't want to save up to $600. To find out if you're losing up to $600 or more a year, just answer a few questions, and then make sure to enter your zip, email, and phone, to see if you qualify for a lower rate. It takes less than 2 minutes.

See if you're overpaying