Frugality Archives — Beating Broke

Now Is the Perfect Time to Increase Your Pantry

June 1, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

In the first few months into the global pandemic, you might have had trouble finding the food you prefer to eat. However, now that the supply chain issue seems to have eased, finding the particular food you want to eat is easier. That means now is the perfect time to increase your pantry.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Increase Your Pantry

There are several reasons why you might want to consider increasing your pantry goods now.

You Should Have at Least a Two-Week Supply of Food

If you do happen to get COVID-19 or get exposed to it, you will likely either be unable to leave the house or need to quarantine for 14 days. That means you should have at least that many days of food in your home because you won’t be able to go to the store.

Keep a Stock of Specialty Foods

If you have food allergies or intolerances, having an ample pantry is even more important. For instance, if you can’t have gluten or dairy, there are many items you can’t eat. You can’t go to the store and buy whatever foods you may find on the shelf as other people can.

Take the time now to stock up in case there is a supply shortage later.

The Supply Chain May Be Broken

Now Is the Perfect Time to Increase Your Pantry — Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

In our city, the local UPS hub has nearly 50 cases of coronavirus, and the union wants to temporarily shut down the hub. Like many people, I’m trying to avoid going to the store by buying items online. Now, if our UPS hub closes for a few weeks, I won’t be able to get many of my orders. Having a pantry and freezer full with enough items to feed my family for a few weeks or a month gives me peace of mind.

States May Shut Down Again

No one knows what will happen in the future. If cases of the virus continue to climb, government officials may have no choice but to shut down the states again. If that happens, there may be another run on groceries as there was the first time the states started to shut down. You don’t want to be in the same position you were in March when there were very limited groceries to buy and the shelves were bare.

How to Stock Up

Of course, you don’t want to be a hoarder. Be prudent and fill your pantry and freezer with enough food to last for a few weeks.

If you don’t have a lot of extra money in your grocery budget (and who does right now as the price of groceries continues to rise?), stock up little by little. Maybe one week buy a few extra pounds of beans. The next week, buy a few extra cans of veggies and fruit. Each week that you do this, you’ll be expanding your pantry. In addition, you won’t feel the financial hit as much as if you bought everything in one week.

Final Thoughts

Having a full stocked pantry is always a good choice, even in normal times. In the time of a pandemic, which we currently face, now is the perfect time to increase your pantry.

4 More Ways to Save on Medical Bills

May 18, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Previously, we talked about four ways to save on medical bills. Most of those techniques involved ways to delay or forego medical expenditures. However, sometimes medical care is necessary, and in the case of a major injury or mental health crisis, the amount you spend on medical care can be large and sudden. When faced with large medical bills, you may feel discouraged and overwhelmed, but there are still 4 more ways to save on medical bills.

Offer to Pay Cash for a Discount

If your large medical expense is not the result of an emergency that requires immediate attention, you may be able to offer to pay cash for the procedure in exchange for a discount.

When a woman is planning to have a baby at a certain hospital or birthing center, she can often negotiate for this type of discount, for instance. By paying cash, she saves the hospital the trouble of going back and forth with insurance. Therefore, the hospital may gladly give a discount.

Negotiate with the Provider

Another option is to negotiate with the provider. Julie’s insurance didn’t cover psychologist appointments, so when her son needed therapy, she negotiated with the provider. While the rate to see a more experienced psychologist was $125 per hour, she was offered the chance to have her son see an intern for $50 per hour. The intern was supervised by one of the experienced psychologists. This helped Julie feel comfortable going this route.

Create a Payment Plan with the Provider

4 More Ways to Save on Medical Bills — Photo by H Shaw on Unsplash

If you are facing medical bills in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, make sure to not only negotiate with the provider, but also to ask to go on a payment plan. When my children had orthodontic work done, I paid a down payment and then took advantage of the orthodontist’s payment plan. I paid the same amount for 18 months, and the orthodontist charged me no interest.

Hospitals and other medical providers may offer you a similar type of payment plan. Many will provide these payment plans free of interest, while others do charge some interest. Make sure to get your payment plan in writing. If your financial situation changes, contact the medical provider so the arrangement can remain in good faith.

Seek Assistance

If you or a loved one is facing long-term medical expenses, research, research, research. You may find organizations that can help you pay for the services you need.

One of our children was diagnosed with high functioning autism a year ago. We have literally paid thousands of dollars out of pocket for services. However, even after spending that much money and seriously straining our budget, there were services like occupational and speech therapy that we could not afford. A friend told us about an organization that helps families like ours. We went through a lengthy application process and were approved. Now our child is receiving speech and occupational therapy at no charge to us.

Similarly, a family friend’s husband had a catastrophic stroke from which he’ll never recover. She found an organization that will help her pay for her husband’s long-term care. This is something she desperately needed because her husband will be institutionalized for the rest of his life.

High medical bills can be overwhelming. However, there are 4 more ways to save on medical bills that you can use to get the help you need and to reduce the amount that you need to pay.

Have you faced high medical bills? If so, what strategies did you use to remain financially solvent while paying your medical bill obligations?

10 Everyday Items You Can Save Money On Today

May 6, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Saving money is the safest way to build assets, as investing money always carries risks. That’s why the best way to take control of your finances often involves creating a flexible budget that ensures a certain amount of money will go toward savings every month. Here are ways to save on 10 everyday items.

1. Food

The best way to save money on food is to not each out as much. It doesn’t mean cut all restaurants from your budget, it means focusing more on preparing your own meals. If you can’t stop eating out, at least look for coupons or gift certificates.

Fruits and vegetables are still fairly cheap yet are high in nutrition, giving you more quality for your money. You can save hundreds of dollars per month by making your own salads and sandwiches. Mixing water with juices is an economical way to get the benefit of diverse flavors and nutrients at low costs.

2. Energy

Cutting down on dependence of electricity is important for various reasons. You never know when there may be a disaster with the electric utility company and you’ll be without power, so it’s good to prepare for such catastrophes. Conserving energy helps the environment by reducing fossil fuel emissions. Energy costs can also be unpredictable, so it’s a good idea to adopt energy conservation techniques. Smart tools are spreading to help remind consumers the amount of energy they are using. Turning off all appliances when not in use is a major key.

3. Water

Water bills can get surprisingly high in the event of a water leak. As with energy, there are now smart tools to detect water losses in piping systems. The key to adhering to values of sustainability is to simply not waste water. Use it as necessary, but don’t turn water on and forget about it. If you don’t have timers on sprinklers then be aware of when it’s time to turn the water off.

4. Transportation

A good way to save money on transportation is to walk more when it comes to short distances. If you live near a store, for example, save gas by walking. For longer distances, consider riding a bicycle or public transportation such as trains and buses. You can save money on daily rates by purchasing a monthly pass.

5. Disposable items

Part of regular expenses are often disposable items such as paper towels and tin foil. These items can be purchased cheaply at discount stores that sell items for a buck. These stores also carry a wide variety of soaps, cleansers and personal care products.

6. Entertainment

Spending money online for entertainment can add up to big bills if you watch a lot of movies. Playing Mini Lotto is a much cheaper alternative than other forms of online spending. At least with a lottery you have the satisfaction of enjoying the thrill of possible winnings until the numbers are called. Joining a lot of different streaming services can add up to a lot of money even if each one only charges $10 per month. Lotto is a fun affordable way to be in the running for expensive prizes.

7. News consumption

At one time everyone used to subscribe to newspapers delivered to their doors. Over time these papers would stack up and occupy space in the garage. Eventually online publications became the norm for keeping up with news. Ask yourself if going completely digital works for you and if there are online sources that publish the news you want for free.

8. Exercise

Instead of investing in a physical fitness gym, you can stay fit by doing exercises at home. Walking or jogging around the block is one way to stay fit for free. If you live in an apartment complex with a swimming pool, think about how swimming uses every muscle of the body. Finding a track at a nearby public school with a basketball court can also help cut fitness costs.

9. Clothing

One of the most important things to remember about saving money on clothes is that practicality often has more value than fashion. One of the reasons people buy new clothes is to keep up with the latest fashions. Then when the clothes go out of style they just take up space in a closet. Consider cleaning out your closet and selling old items to used clothing stores. Then make room for clothes you know you’ll need for every season.

10. Internet

The internet is a great tool for saving money on anything. Mobile phone users can use digital coupons offering discounts while they visit stores. Thanks to many businesses emphasizing the internet as a way to find them, there are countless promo codes and ways to learn in seconds with search tools where the best deals are online.

Image source, Pictures of Money, Via Flickr.