Teri Monroe, Author at Beating Broke

Can’t Afford Therapy? 6 Affordable Mental Health Options Without Insurance

March 18, 2025 By Teri Monroe Leave a Comment

If you are looking for a therapist, but don’t have insurance, you may be wondering, “How much is mental health therapy without insurance?” Without insurance, therapy can cost you hundreds of dollars per session. Additionally, some therapists don’t take insurance and are entirely self-pay. If you can’t afford therapy, there are still options available to you to get the mental health services you need. Here are 6 affordable alternatives if you don’t have insurance.

1. Sliding Scale Therapists

Some therapists will offer a sliding scale based on your financial situation if you don’t have insurance. These sessions can range anywhere from $30 to over $100 per session depending on your income. Fees and sliding scales vary by provider, but some therapists may offer payment flexibility. You can use sites like Psychology Today to find therapists that offer a sliding scale.

2. Online Therapists

Another option for mental health therapy without insurance is to use online platforms like BetterHelp or Open Path Therapy. These platforms usually charge a weekly or monthly fee for therapy and vary depending on how many sessions you require. Many therapy platforms also offer financial assistance if you can’t afford the fees. There are also several self-help apps that you may find beneficial like Calm that can help you with relaxation techniques, guided meditations, and more.

3. Community Clinics

Community Mental Health Centers are publicly funded clinics that often offer low-cost or free mental health services. These centers provide care to everyone regardless of your ability to pay. To find a health center near you, use the HRSA Find a Health Center Tool

4. Support Groups

Support groups are often free of charge and a wide variety of options are available based on your needs. You can find peer-led groups with national organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), and Mental Health America (MHA). Your local places of worship and community centers often host free support groups as well.

5. Hotlines

If you are in need of immediate assistance and don’t have health insurance, you can utilize free mental health hotlines. Crisis hotlines like 988 or text services like Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741) provide free, confidential support 24/7.

6. Employee Assistance Programs

Your employer may provide mental health programs. These often include free, confidential counseling sessions. These sessions are usually short-term and have a limit on how many sessions you can have. If long-term therapy is required your EAP may be able to make referrals for low-cost options.

How Much Will You Pay?

In summary, how much is mental health therapy without insurance? This all depends on the provider, your finances, and the resources available to you in your community. However, there are options available to you that will fit your budget and get you the help you are seeking.

Swipe, Regret, Repeat: 6 Sneaky Ways to Outsmart Your Impulse Purchases

Teri Monroe

Teri Monroe started her career in communications working for local government and nonprofits. Today, she is a freelance finance and lifestyle writer and small business owner. In her spare time, she loves golfing with her husband, taking her dog Milo on long walks, and playing pickleball with friends.

The Lazy Person’s Guide to a Wealth Creation Plan That Works

March 13, 2025 By Teri Monroe Leave a Comment

Planning your financial future doesn’t have to be overwhelming. What if you could create a wealth creation plan quickly and easily? With these practical hacks, you’ll have a clear financial roadmap in no time. Here’s everything you need to know to build a plan that works.

What is a Wealth Creation Plan?

A wealth creation plan is a strategic plan detailing how you intend to grow and manage your financial resources over time. It outlines how to earn, save, invest, and protect your wealth to achieve financial security and long-term goals. While this may seem like a lot to include, there are several shortcuts you can take when creating your plan.

What Are The Steps to Making a Wealth Creation Plan?

Using these steps you can easily create a wealth plan that works:

Analyze Your Current Situation: In this section of your wealth plan, you should calculate your net worth, income, and expenses.
Define Your Goals: You should include your goals in your wealth creation plan including short-term, medium, and long-term goals. This should include milestones like homeownership and retirement, for example.
Determine Your Income Growth Strategy: Your income strategy should include all the ways you intend to bring in and generate money such as investments, salary, or business ventures.
Define How You Will Save and Budget: Come up with a budget and saving strategy that will work for your current situation.
Detail Your Investment Plan: Here you should outline what kind of investments you will pursue.
Outline Risk Management: Risk management includes your emergency fund, insurance, and diversified investments.
Create a Monitoring and Adjustment Strategy: Different phases of life may call for your wealth plan to be adjusted. Your plan should outline how often you will review your progress, rebalance investments, and include new goals.
Include a Legacy Plan: As far as legacy planning, this includes your will and estate plan.

How to Make Creating a Wealth Plan Easier

Use Templates

When creating your actual plan, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s perfectly acceptable to use ChatGPT to create a template. Some AI is geared toward helping you create a financial plan. If you’re short on time, this easy hack can make creating a wealth plan very easy.

Get The Help of a Financial Advisor

If your money is a little more complex, enlisting the help of a financial advisor can be beneficial. They can help you understand your finances, create your wealth plan, and work toward goals. Plus, hiring a financial advisor can save you significant time and energy.

Do you have a wealth creation plan? What does it include?

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Teri Monroe

Swipe, Regret, Repeat: 6 Sneaky Ways to Outsmart Your Impulse Purchases

March 11, 2025 By Teri Monroe Leave a Comment

How to stop impulse buying — Image Source: Pexels

If you find yourself frequently making unplanned purchases, you may be wondering how to stop impulse shopping. While it may seem harmless in the moment, impulse spending can quickly add up, stretching your budget and putting your long-term financial health at risk. Understanding the reasons behind these spontaneous purchases and learning strategies to control them can help you make better financial decisions. Here are six ways to stop impulse buying.

1. Evaluate Why You Make Impulse Purchases

If you don’t dig deeper into why you are prone to impulse spending, you’ll probably never break the habit. For some people, impulse spending happens when there are emotional triggers. If you’re particularly stressed, the dopamine hit that comes with making a purchase could feel like the release that you need. The instant gratification might make you feel joy in the short term, but it is often a fleeting feeling.

Studies have found that women are likely to make impulse purchases due to social pressure and are influenced by their children and close friends. Men are more likely to be influenced by their parents and colleagues. Being aware of outside pressures can help you curb impulse purchases.

2. Wait 24 Hours

Wait 24 hours before making a purchase — Image Source: Pexels

In an era of social media influencers, it’s easy to make impulse purchases on TikTok Shop. Don’t get caught up in the moment, but instead take a pause. If you’re about to make a purchase, a good strategy is to wait 24 hours and reevaluate if you still want the item. Some experts even suggest a longer waiting period for larger purchases, such as anything that is 1% or more of your income.

3. Delete Saved Credit Card Information

Online, it’s far too easy to make impulse purchases. On sites like Amazon, purchases only take one click. If you want to stop impulse buying, try deleting your credit card information from websites you frequently buy from, your Apple wallet, and so on. If you make buying items online more difficult, you’ll probably be less inclined to buy things impulsively.

4. Unsubscribe from Marketing Emails and Texts

How many promotional emails and texts do you receive in a day? While many companies offer discounts for signing up for emails and text messages, being inundated with marketing messages won’t help you make good purchasing decisions. All of these temptations add up to impulsive spending.

5. Make a List

If you’re tempted to buy something, some people find it useful to keep a running list of things that they want. Then, at the end of the month, they evaluate the list and see what they want to purchase. Just like waiting 24 hours, making a purchase list gives you time to think about whether you really need or want an item before buying it.

6. Find Replacement Activities

While many people love engaging in retail therapy, if you want to stop impulsively spending you may have to find other outlets. Replacing shopping with healthier habits that offer the release of dopamine, like exercise, will be beneficial for your financial health. Plus, you won’t have to deal with the regret or stress of overspending.

How do you stop impulse buying? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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