These US Spots Pay Big Bonuses to Draw Remote Workers, Fill Labor Shortages

• St. Clair County, Michigan. For those with a college degree in a STEAM-related area, St. Clair is willing to pay up to $15,000. The county is looking to grow its workforce and include more people who studied science, tech, engineering, arts and math.
• Topeka, Kansas. If you’re planning to rent, you could qualify for a $5,000 relocation bonus. If you buy a home, that jumps to $10,000. You’ll have to meet a couple of requirements, but the most important is that your employer must be located outside of the county that Topeka is in.
• Northwest Arkansas. A council of businesses and philanthropists offers $10,000 in cash to remote workers who move to the region from another state. Oh, and you’ll get your pick of a free bicycle or an annual membership to a local art or cultural institution, so you can have some fun while you’re there.
• Newton, Iowa. People who buy a home in this town for at least $190,000 will get $10,000 offered by the city.

These moves do not have to be permanent

Some communities and states have stay requirements to secure the incentives. For example, the Shoals area in Northern Alabama pays up to $10,000 if you move there for a year, but you’ll only get half that for a six-month stay.

In West Virginia, you can get $10,000 to move there, adding $2,000 when “you fall in love” with the state, as organizers expect, and stay for year No. 2. The organization providing the money with the government’s support says the cash is “no strings attached,” and it’s up to you whether you’ll use it to perhaps buy a car for scenic drives on country roads.

In Oklahoma, the Tulsa Remote initiative is one of the most popular programs with a $10,000 award, so far attracting 1,200 people, many of whom have stayed longer than the minimum one-year requirement. If you buy a house, you can get the money in a lump sum. The project provides free coworking space, suggests apartments and connects you to lunch lectures so you can feel like a real part of your new community.

Big life changes call for a savings checkup

When you move to a new home or get a new job, those are great times to review your spending and savings (or lack of savings) to make improvements.

• End your debt sooner. If you cringe when you see the expensive interest rates for your monthly balances for credit cards or other debts, check into a single debt consolidation loan to pay off what you owe faster and more affordably.

• Don’t be the person who overpays for insurance. Every so often, do a quick check to compare your insurance rates. A small effort to shop around could slash your auto premiums. Regular comparison shopping is also a good habit for finding a cheaper rate on homeowners insurance.

• Get nitpicky with your budget. If you want to build up money for something important to you, can you trim restaurant spending by eating at home one more night a week? Can you save a little on heating and cooling by moving your thermostat a degree or two? Are you finding the best deals when you shop online? If you're not sure about that last one, a free tool scours the internet for better prices and coupons.

• Add up your pennies. Maybe you already invest to get ready for retirement and life’s big expenses. Or maybe you don’t think you have much leftover to start investing. Either way, you can make your digital nickels and dimes work for you in the stock market by investing your "spare change" from everyday purchases.