When you have a family member in the hospital, the last thing that you want to think about is money.  Yet, money is often a pressing concern because if you eat in the hospital cafeteria, pay for parking at the hospital, and stay in a hotel if the hospital is far from home, you will quickly rack up an expensive tab.  You may already be anxious about your hospitalized family member; there’s no need to also worry about finances.  There are several ways to save when a family member is in the hospital.

Ways to Save When a Family Member Is in the Hospital

Bring Your Own Food

My mom was in the hospital for a few days after a knee replacement, and one of the best things I did was to bring my own food.  I bought a $13 dollar thermos from Amazon and brought my lunch in the thermos every day.  It was piping hot when I was ready to eat.  I also brought something cold like a sandwich in a little portable cooler for dinner, so my meals were covered.  This also meant that I could keep my mom company all day without leaving to go down to the hospital cafeteria.

If you don’t have a thermos or portable cooler, check with the nurses.  Many hospitals have a refrigerator visitors can use, and nurses may be willing to heat up your food for you.  However, if your family member will be in the hospital for more than a few days, I highly recommend buying a thermos and portable cooler.

Don’t forget to also bring snacks like granola bars, fig newtons, and other small, shelf-stable, filling snacks.

Discounted Parking

I was lucky in that the hospital my mom stayed at did not charge parking.  However, many do.  Again, check with the hospital because some hospitals offer discounted or free parking if you get your parking ticket validated.

Also, if family friends or other relatives ask how they can help, don’t be shy about asking for money to pay for parking.  When my mom was in the hospital, one family member generously gave me money to cover all of my accrued expenses, knowing how quickly they add up.

Discounted Hotel Stays

If your family member is in a hospital far from home, your expenses will likely add up even more quickly.  One way to make a significant difference in your expenses is to find a discounted place to stay.  Many cities have Ronald McDonald Houses nearby.  These facilities offer families with kids in the hospital free lodging and food.

In addition, some hospitals have Ronald McDonald rooms right in the hospital.  In the room, you can heat up food, sleep, take a shower, do laundry or watch TV.

Finally, some hotels near hospitals offer a discounted “hospital rate” for people who have family members in the hospital.  Ask the hospital if they partner with any hotels for this rate.  Also, when calling around for a hotel to stay in, make sure to mention your situation.  The hotel may give you a discount.

Final Thoughts

If you have a family member in the hospital, remember that there are many ways you can save on food, parking, and lodging.  The last thing you want to do is worry about money, so use some of these strategies to save money while caring for a sick relative.

If you’d like to find a little extra money in your budget to put toward savings or toward debt repayment, take a close look at your budget and your daily living habits.  Chances are, you can make small changes such as these 5 easy ways to cut electric and gas expenses that can free up a little money without making significant changes to your lifestyle.

Run Major Appliances at Night

Call your electric company to find out when “peak” energy usage days and times are.  If you run major appliances such as washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers during off-peak times, you may be charged a lower rate, lowering your overall electric bill.  Some companies automatically have these peak and off peak times while others require that you sign up for a special program to take advantage of the lower rates during off peak times.

Lower Your Furnace Temperature in the Winter

How low can you go?  If you normally set your thermostat at 70 degrees in the winter, try to go down to 68 or 69.  You might not notice much of a difference, but you will see a decrease in your heating bill.  Each winter try to lower the temperature another degree until you reach the point where you’re uncomfortable, and then move up a bit.

Raise Your A/C Temperature in the Summer

Just like your furnace temperature in the winter, raise your air conditioner temperature in the summer.  We started out with our air conditioner set at 78 degrees, raised it to 79 the next year, and then 80 the year after that.  We found 80 a bit uncomfortable, so we settled at 79.  Just moving the temperature up a degree in our hot Arizona summers made a $50 to $75 difference in our air conditioning bill, depending on the month.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

A less uncomfortable way to save on your electric or gas is to invest in a programmable thermostat.  When you’re going to be out of the house, lower the temperature for heat or raise it for air conditioning, and then program it to go back to the normal temperature that you usually have it on 30 minutes before you’re to arrive home.  At night, you might lower the heat, too.  You won’t have to do anything once you program the thermostat, but you’ll be saving money.

Unplug Small Appliances When Not in Use

The easiest way to do this is to have them all on the same power strip and simply unplug it when you’re not using the appliances.  If you don’t want to put them on a power strip, simply unplug each appliance when not in use.  For instance, we have a printer that we use only once or twice a week.  This would be an easy appliance to unplug when not in use.  You’ll see a small reduction in your electricity bill because even when appliances are not in use but are plugged in, they take energy.

If you’re utility bills are higher than you would like, these 5 easy ways to cut electric and gas expenses can help you save money, giving you more money to use elsewhere in the budget.

What other ways would you suggest to save money on electric and gas bills?  Have you noticed a difference using any of the above strategies?