Government FreebiesGovernment freebies are made possible through the generous and charitable donations of tax-payers.
Though many government programs require that the recipient have a low-income and maybe even dependents, not all government freebies are intended for the poor. Some are offered to teachers, students, business owners, 1st-time home owners and others. According to
Matthew Lesko, a government "free money expert", only 12% of the money given away by the government is intended for the poor.
Lesko is one of a few authors who have published about government freebies. The first tip of government-freebie authors is not what they publish but
the fact that they publish itself. There are many who repackage and
resell items in the
public domain, and most of what the government publishes is free of copyright. The majority of the material from government freebie authors comes from the
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
The government will not usually spend the money to promote the fact that
they give away freebies. Sometimes they do, but not at the same level which is possible through a business making sales. In that regard, Lesko and other authors actually do a very good service just by doing the job they have chosen. They compile the information and present it in a way that the layman can understand. They not only explain what is available, but they also explain how to get it, a process which can be very tiresome without someone else's help. The only fall back with these authors is that their sales pitches can sometimes be misleading. They always show the best possible outcome, even though it is certainly not the average outcome.
One of the first things to understand about Government freebies is that they are for people that meet certain criteria. If you're elderly, a student, disabled, the victim of a natural
disaster, a veteran or family of a veteran, Native American and/or other
minority, a teacher, starting a business, or a farmer, you are likely
eligible for government assistance. If you don't fall under one of these
categories, you may still be eligible, but you're search won't be as
simple.
Another point that should be understood about government freebies is that the government never calls them "freebies". They never call what they give away "free money". They use terms such as grants, assistance, funding, credit, loans (including no-interest loans), benefits, support, aid, financial aid, etc. That's important to know when looking for government freebies. If you contact a government agency and ask for free money, they'll have nothing for you. But if you contact them and ask for any money programs for people meeting your criteria then you might be more successful. Knowing these terms is also helpful when using
Google Government Search.
Government gifts are mostly received the old fashioned way. Information
on the internet can help you get started, but if you're serious about
looking for government freebies, be ready to go to offices, talk to case
workers and assistants, write letters and make phone calls. In many cases, getting results when working with government employees
requires that you know their job better than they do (but don't act like you know their job better or they might not help you). So do your
research, pay attention, and learn from mistakes and experience.
The US Government's official web portal.
Fill out an application to see some of the government benefits you might be eligible for.