6 ways government shutdowns hurt you (even if you’re not a federal worker)

Congress has until midnight Dec. 8 to pass a spending bill and avoid a government shutdown — although it’s likely that lawmakers will pass a measure to fund the government through Dec. 22 to allow negotiations to continue.

The possibility of a government shutdown happens seemingly every year — sometimes twice — as Democrats and Republicans struggle to keep hold of Congress and pull spending legislation their way.

And the idea of the government shutting down can sound scary if you don’t know what such a move entails.

Even if you’re not a government employee, the screeching halt of federal operations can affect you.

Here’s what you need to know about how shutdowns work — and how your life could be affected by one in the future.

Hopefully a shutdown isn’t in the near future — but if it is, now you know what to expect.

Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.

Senior writer and producer Lisa Rowan also contributed to this post.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.