Living on a budget – How to Save on Dental Expenses

Many people who are living on a budget do not have the luxury of dental insurance, even with their employer’s insurance plan.  With that in mind, there are several ways that you can save on much needed dental procedures.

Try Getting All Your Dental Work in Bulk

When I went to the dentist for my normal check up, he provided me with a long list of everything that needed to be completed.  Because I am living on a budget, the first thing I asked the dentist is which of these is non-essential right now.  This means, which of these items are you adding on just for cosmetic reasons that really do not help or harm my dental health.  This cut a large amount off the bill.

Get the Discount

After eliminating the items from the list that were not necessary for my health, I then asked the dentist what type of discount he could provide if I got everything done at once and paid in full with cash.  Cash is key to this principle.  So, be sure you have enough money saved up to have all of the items completed on the list.  The dentist loves this type of client because they are able to bring in a lump sum of money at once without filing for insurance or paying a credit card transaction fee.  You can sometimes receive an additional 10-20% off the services.

Go to a Student Clinic

Another option for people who are living on a budget is to find a near by dental college who may be offering dental work at a deeply discounted price. You will have to be willing to allow a student to do dental work on you but they will be under close supervision and guidance. You also may have to spend more time there waiting for the work to be done, but you will end up saving yourself huge amounts of cash. This can go a long way in helping you to meet your budgeting goals.

Other Options

If neither option works, and you are living on a budget, then you can also turn to a dental discount plan.  These plans are not insurance, but have a network of dentist that are willing to provide a discounted rate for services if you are a member of the organization.  You can check out dentalplans.com.  This site offers a list of dental insurance providers as well as a list of dental discount plans.  Most of the plans offer a 30-day money back guarantee. Therefore, if you join the dental discount plan, you can get your discount and then cancel the plan.  This is an ideal way to get the discount without having to pay for it.

The last option is to use a PayPal Debit Card.  I used my Paypal Debit Card a few years ago to pay for a crown.  It cost well over $1000 to get this work done.  However, I received 1.1% cash back with my debit card.  This is not a huge discount, but it is still money back in my pocket.

By implementing these strategies, you can save some much-needed cash on dental expenses.  Moreover, you will have a beautiful smile!

Related articles

• Saving Money on Dental Service (outofpocket.com)
• Brighter.com: Save Money on Dental Bills & A Giveaway (thehappyhousewife.com)
• Why Doesn’t My Insurnace Pay for This? (davisdentistry.wordpress.com)

Living on a budget – How to Save on Dental Expenses is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

I’m self employed, which means that I don’t always have a steady paycheck coming in. I’m also very picky about my food. If it doesn’t taste good, I will not eat it…I don’t care how much money I’m saving. That means that I need meals that taste good even though they don’t cost a lot of money.

Pizza bagels are tasty treats that I remembered having as a kid and have recently rediscovered. They are great because they taste just as good (if not better) as store-bought pizza. They’re inexpensive and super easy to make. These would be great for an inexpensive family meal or a snack to serve at a party.

Easy Cheap Recipe: Pizza Bagel Ingredients:

• Topping of choice (I used green pepper)
• 1 can of pizza sauce (cost me .87 cents)
• A bag of bagels (cost me about $2)
• Grated mozzarella cheese (around $4 but will cover a lot of pizza bagels)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius), put the bagel halves onto a baking sheet, smear them with pizza sauce, sprinkle some mozzerella cheese on them and add your chosen topping(s) on top of the cheese. Then place the bagels in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly brown. Take them out, let cool for a minute and serve!

Waalaa! Pizza bagels! I just had 3 bagel halves which was enough to fill me up. I figure my meal cost me about $1.50 all together and I still have a lot left in my kitchen, which should last me a while.

Try it out and let us know if you love them as much as I do.

More on Bagels…

• Brown-Bag Lunches and Snacks for Work or School (webmd.com)
• How do I bake a dense, chewy bagel? (ask.metafilter.com)
• Homemade Bagels (goclimbastreet.wordpress.com)
• Family Recipe Friday: Passover Bagels (aquamarinesteph.wordpress.com)

Easy Cheap Recipes: Pizza Bagels is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

Don’t Borrow More Than You Need
Depending on your income level and your FAFSA results, you may be eligible for a higher loan amount than you need to cover tuition charges. It is true that money is tight for most students but what you borrow now is eventually going to be due at a later date. If you have a credit on your student account after your grants and loans are applied, you can always ask your college to cancel the remaining loan amount.

Buy Books off Campus
If you buy books from your college bookstore, you are going to pay full retail price for them. Most colleges will allow students to use their financial aid or student loans to pay for their books. This may seem like an easy and quick way to obtain your learning materials but you may get stuck paying interest on those books in the end. For the most part, you are only going to use the books once and there is little sense in going into debt over the cost of books. Rather than purchasing the books from your campus, try half.com, ebay.com or other Internet websites that sell used college textbooks.

Pay the Interest on Your Loans While Your Are in School
Depending on the amount of student loan debt that you have, the interest payment is likely to be a few dollars a month. By paying the interest payment on your student loans every month, you are likely to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars once you have to start paying the loans back.

Stick with Government Backed Loans
It can get very tempting to accept a loan offer from a private banking institution to help cover college related costs. Private loans can look even better if your grants and federal loans are not covering your day to day living expenses or other necessities while you are in college. While it may sound good, private loans typically come with higher interest rates, stricter terms and no grace period.

By taking preventative action while you are still in college, you could save yourself a ton of debt later down the road. With the current state of the economy, it is more important now than ever to plan for your financial future.

Easy Ways to Manage Your Student Loan Debt before You Ever Leave College is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

You would think that since the housing market is still swimming near the bottom, that you would be able to find affordable homes or apartments to rent. I recently made a move back to my hometown and I was shocked to find out that most landlords have kept their monthly rent the same even in this economy. A few years ago, property owners could get top dollar for their rental homes and apartments but people just aren’t willing to pay what they were a short while ago. If you are looking for an affordable rental property, don’t be afraid to negotiate the price with the property owner.

Point Out Flaws
When viewing a rental property, do not be afraid to point out any flaws that you find. Take a good luck at the carpets, paint, appliances and make the property owner aware of the problems that you find. It might not save you a bundle, but the property owner may be willing to knock a few dollars off of the monthly rent if you make it known that you aren’t going to pay the asking price if things aren’t in excellent condition.

Cosmetic Changes
If you are looking at a rental property that could use some TLC, you can always inquire about fixing the place up yourself for a reduction in rent. Property owners will sometimes reduce rent if the tenant is willing to paint, landscape or make minor cosmetic changes.

Utilities
Most rental property owners require that tenants pay for their own utilities. If a rental property owner needs to rent the property, you may have some luck with getting the owner to pay one or two utilities. While the property owner may not budge on the more expensive utilities such as the electric bill, they may be willing to pick up the garbage or water bill.

Location
You may find a property that will suit your needs in a less than desirable location. If the neighboring property looks a little run down or you have to drive a good ways to the nearest grocery store, make this known to the property owner. Once again, landlords do not want their properties sitting vacant and they may be willing to reduce your rent if you point out a few inconveniences.

You can negotiate the price of just about anything and a rental property should be no different. I believe in getting what I pay for and that includes my housing. Even if the property owner is not willing to negotiate when you first look at the property, they may change their mind if the property continues to sit empty.

Can You Negotiate Rent? is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

As a student borrower you are saddled with certain responsibilities just as you complete negotiating your loan. To maintain a good standing with the lender loan obligations need to be fulfilled diligently. Even one missed payment is an indication of delinquency to the people who may be reviewing your application for a home or a new car in the years to come. Ignoring your loan repayments could place you in default records. However, there can be circumstances where it may become genuinely difficult for you to make timely repayments. In such a situation you need to get in touch with your lender immediately. There are many ways in which you may get payment relief.

In many cases you may not be required to make repayments untill you graduate. The problem is that even after graduation there are many students who may not find suitable placement within the grace period. In other cases even a secured job may initially not pay enough to meet loan obligations along with covering other necessary expenses, which may lead to loan repayment issues. Keeping this in mind there is usually a six month grace period before the repayment schedule kicks in after your graduation.

You need to choose one from a number of strategies available that may help you in repaying your student loan. Nearly all lenders and service providers offer several options by way of different repayment plans and you should check with your lender about the availability of plans. A few of them are discussed below.

Graduated repayment- In this a long term repayment plan option spread over 12 to 30 years based on the total amount borrowed. For example, loans below $7,500 can be extended up to 10 years, $7,501 to $9,999 up to 12 years and so on, with 30 years repayment period for loans of $60,000 and above. You begin by making smaller repayments which gradually increase every two years. Under this option the monthly repayment cannot be less than 50% or above 150% the installment payable under the standard repayment option. It should also be equal to at least the interest amount payable subject to a minimum of $25.

Standard repayment- Standard repayment- For Federal Stafford and Federal PLUS loans the standard repayment schedule is structured over a period up to 10 years with the rate of interest calculated at 8.25%.The minimum monthly repayment installment for both loan types is $50 per month.

Extended repayments- In extended repayments you need to make smaller monthly repayments over a longer repayment period that can extend from 12 to 30 years depending on the amount borrowed. However, the total interest paid over the life of the loan is much higher. For example, if you borrow $20,000 @ 6.8% interest the effect of switching from standard repayment to extended repayment would be:

Income sensitive repayment- This is applicable to a certain class of borrowers and takes into account a specific percentage of the borrower’s income to calculate the monthly repayment.

Loan consolidation- This provides the facility of consolidating many types of loans into a single loan with just one repayment to be made on a monthly basis on a low rate of interest.

Prepayment option- This option offers a very good opportunity for reducing the overall cost of the loan. Most private student loans incorporate terms that allow you to payoff a part of your loan before the scheduled repayment begins. This can be done at any time during the life of the loan.

Additionally, there may be certain programs offered by your state that can reduce or even cancel your loan altogether if you are performing certain services that include teaching and nursing. You can verify the availability of such programs by checking with the state agency for post secondary education of your state.

A guide to paying back a Student Loan in the US is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

Save on Check Orders
You can pay anyone or any bill by using your bank’s online bill pay system. Your car payment, insurance, credit card payments and even your rent can be paid online. Your bank cuts the check for you and mails it to where ever it needs to go. If your bank has an electronic agreement with the company you are paying, then your payment will be made even quicker. Checks are expensive but they are an expense that you can easily get rid of by using your bank’s bill pay system.

Reward Points
If you have a debit card, many banks offer reward programs which are very similar to credit card reward programs. Every time you make a purchase, your rewards account earns points that you can later purchase goods and services with. If you use your debit card to pay directly on a company’s website, the payment could earn you reward points. I use my debit card for every day purchases and to pay bills online. Just last month, I earned enough points to receive a new cookware set for absolutely free!

Stamps
With the price of stamps constantly on the rise, now is a great time to stop mailing out your bills all together. A book of stamps might not seem like a huge cost, but if you pay all your bills through the mail, you could be spending well over a hundred dollars a year on stamps.

If you are still hesitant about paying your bills online, talk to your bank and ask them to provide you with the security measure that they take in order to protect your information. Your will certainly see how online banking is more secure than your standard envelope.

Use Online Bill Pay and Save is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

Shampoo and Conditioner
With three girls in the family, the shampoo and conditioner tab ran pretty high when I was younger. In order to save a few dollars every month, my mom started filling the shampoo and conditioner bottles with water once they were half empty. I used to roll my eyes every time she did this, but the times have changed. I now fill the bottles back up with water when they reach half empty as well. When it comes down to it, my hair feels just as clean after using the water diluted solution as it does when I use it full strength and I save a few dollars every month.

Canning
When I was very young, canning was a fun and exciting time. I had quite a fascination with popping the canning lids in and out as I sat there waiting for the jars to be filled. As I got older however, my urge to help and the fascination with the canning lids started to fade. With kids of my own now, I have recently revisited the world of canning and I am astounded at how much money I save. I can everything from salsa to preserves and vegetables and I rarely have to buy canned items at the store anymore. To get the best prices, I buy all of my produce that I am going to use for canning at local farmers markets and I buy in bulk. As for my canning supplies, most of them have been purchased for a few dollars at yard sales or flea markets. Canning is a great money saving solution and you can keep certain foods on hand for years.

Buying Generic
What would my friends think if they saw generic cereal in my house? That was my typical teenage thought every single time that my mom purchased generic items at the grocery store. Maybe it was just my teenage taste buds, but I was certain that generic tasted awful compared to brand name foods. My adult taste buds are luckily much more mature and they have realized that most generic foods taste the same as the brand name foods.

Mom’s ideas may have seemed crazy to me when I was a child, but they have taught me ways to save money now that I am an adult. I think we can all learn money saving tips just by looking at what our parents and grandparents used to do.

Saving Money Mom’s Way is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

Giving you the chance to pay off all of your student debts and transferring them into one easy to manage loan often seems like an ideal solution. However, there are various things that you need to consider before you take out a consolidation loan. While they can help, there are times when taking out this type of loan could be a very bad idea!

You Will Be Paying Back More Than You Are Now

By taking out a student consolidation loan, you will be paying back quite a lot more than your current debts. For example, if you currently owe $15,000, if you take out a consolidation loan you could end up paying back at least $25,000. Of course it all depends upon the lender and the interest charges, but no matter who you go with, you will always be paying back more than you currently owe.

The reason behind this is because a consolidation loan extends the term of the loan which lowers your monthly repayments. The lower monthly repayments allow you to manage the loan better than you currently do and it can seem like the ideal solution. For once you will have a little money left over to spend on whatever you want to spend. However, you need to understand that you will be paying back more money in the long run.

It Could Affect Your Chances of Getting a Mortgage

When you are a student you don’t always consider the long term implications of a loan. You simply think about the here and now and that can prove problematic in the long term.

If you are 25 now for example, you will more than likely want to settle down in your own house within the next ten years. With many consolidation loans you will be paying them back for a minimum of ten years. That would take you up until the age of 35 and only then will you be able to start thinking of buying your own place. For many people their consolation loans last for fifteen years or more. That is really something that you need to consider as a loan could affect your chances of being accepted for a mortgage.

Overall consolidation loans can help. If you know exactly what you are getting into then it can be an excellent way to manage your monthly debts. However, you should think about the negative implications of a consolidation loan too if you want to make the best possible decision for you.

What to Consider Before Taking Out a Student Debt Consolidation Loan is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

Bankruptcy should always be seen as a last resort option. Unfortunately many people do not understand the implications of bankruptcy or how they can avoid filing it. Thousands of people are made bankrupt in America each year and many of them could have been avoided if more knowledge had been available to them.

If you are facing bankruptcy and you want to know what your options are then read on. Remember – bankruptcy can have a huge negative impact on your life!

Contacting Your Creditors

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you have at least tried to contact your creditors. Many people avoid their debt problems and by failing to contact the creditor to let them know what is going on, they burry their heads in the sand and end up losing everything.

By letting your creditor know what is happening, it could be possible to work out a repayment plan and avoid losing everything. If you haven’t tried to contact your creditor then do so now!

Sell Whatever You Can

If the problem has become severe then it would be worth selling whatever assets you can to pay off some of the debt. Obviously the more you can pay off, the better it will be. Creditors will often consider cancelling some of your debt if you can raise the money to pay off at least part of what you owe.

Jewellery, your car and even old clothing and books can make a difference. It is easier now than ever before to make money from your possessions. Try listing things on auction websites such as Ebay.com. Basically anything at all that you can sell can help you to pay off your debts.

Ask For Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Maybe you could get financial help from family or friends? Nobody likes to ask for money from the people they care about, but if it comes to you facing bankruptcy, it has to be worth asking.

If family and friends can’t help you, seek advice from a consumer credit counsellor. They may be able to help you to negotiate with creditors to arrange a payment plan. This often works if you have had no luck with creditors by yourself. When you use a consumer credit counsellor your creditors know that you are serious that you have no way of currently paying the full balance off.

The thing to remember is that your creditors would rather receive some money from you than none at all. Therefore they will also more than likely try to help you to avoid bankruptcy and arrange an alternative method of repayment. If you use some of the tips mentioned above, you should easily be able to avoid filing for bankruptcy.

Avoid Filing Bankruptcy the Easy Way is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips

Coffee to Go
A few weeks ago, I met a friend of mine at the local park for a quick lunch. With chasing around two small kids on a daily basis, I fully admit that I am a coffee nut. Prepared for exhaustion, I lugged my large coffee thermos with me to the park and planted myself on a bench to watch the kids play. While my friend was discussing her money woes, I noticed the four dollar latte she was drinking from the local coffee shop. A four dollar cup of coffee every day costs over a thousand dollars a year! Making your own coffee at home costs around half as much every week as buying it from a coffee shop does.

Cable
If I was told a few years ago that I could live without an expensive cable package, I would have laughed hysterically. In a crunch, I bit the bullet and canceled my movie channels package and went with basic cable only. It saved me over sixty dollars a month and in the end, I was able to survive quite well.

Designer Clothes
Due to being a little clumsy, I tend to wear more food than I eat. While this normally would not be a huge problem, it was making a serious dent in my wallet. Rather than spending the money on designer clothes, I tend to buy store name brands for my every day basics. I never feel as guilty throwing away a ten dollar shirt as I do throwing away a fifty dollar shirt and it saves me money in the long run.

Cell Phone Usage
I used to argue that a cell phone was not a necessity and actually went years without having one. After having kids however, I did find a need to carry one on me, in the event that someone needed to reach me about the kids. I also however found that I was not using as many minutes as my plan allowed for. Cell phone plans vary and most carriers will not penalize customers if they change plans during their contract period. I ended up saving over thirty dollars a month just by changing to a cheaper plan.

Four Things that you can Go without or Reduce is a post from: Saving money tips - frugal living tips