It is exciting to want to start that new business, but that excitement disappears in a flash when associated with matters of the law. Indeed, navigating through legal compliance can be truly frustrating, and yet keeping abreast of legal requirements while constantly striving to be in compliance is crucial for a startup’s survival in the […]
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Braces can be a significant financial investment, but they are often necessary for health and aesthetic reasons. Many adults are now recognizing the importance of orthodontic treatment, with an increasing number seeking this option later in life. This article explores three practical avenues that can help you afford braces sooner than you might expect, without plunging you into debt. Whether through maximizing financial accounts, seeking affordable alternatives, or optimizing insurance benefits, these tips can make a brighter smile more attainable. Knowing your options can ease the financial burden and streamline the path to achieving a perfect set of straight teeth.
Use Your HSA
An often-overlooked benefit in affording braces is the Health Savings Account (HSA). This type of medical savings account allows users to pay for qualified medical expenses with pre-tax dollars. By leveraging your HSA, you can effectively reduce the overall cost of orthodontic treatment, including braces, thus helping you avoid unnecessary debt.
Moreover, HSAs offer the flexibility to save and roll over funds from year to year, allowing you to plan and accumulate the necessary amount over time. This can be particularly beneficial for adults, a quarter of whom wear braces, according to AARP. By planning strategically, you can use existing savings to cover orthodontic costs efficiently.
Additionally, contributing regularly to your HSA not only aids in managing expenses but can also serve as a financial buffer for unexpected medical costs. It’s crucial to verify that your orthodontic treatment is covered under HSA guidelines to ensure that your expenses are eligible. This proactive approach can help you stay on top of your finances while pursuing essential dental care.
Consider Dental School Clinics
Another cost-effective alternative for braces is to explore dental school clinics, offering reduced-price services from supervised students. These clinics can provide significant savings, often up to 50% off standard orthodontic services. This approach not only helps mitigate high costs but also allows you to support the education of future dental professionals.
As per Marketplace, roughly 32% of adults are currently undergoing orthodontic treatment, and dental school clinics cater to this demographic by providing necessary services at more affordable rates. These facilities ensure that treatment is under the watchful eye of experienced professionals, ensuring quality care. For those without dental insurance or for treatments not covered, this option can be a valuable resource.
Despite concerns about treatment times being longer, the cost savings can outweigh this factor for many. It’s crucial to compare multiple clinics, as fees and requirements may vary. In this way, you can make an informed decision and possibly start your treatment sooner than planned without incurring significant debt.
Work With Your Dental Insurance
Understanding and utilizing your dental insurance can significantly reduce the cost of braces. Start by thoroughly reviewing your insurance policy to identify what orthodontic services are covered and to what extent. By knowing what your policy offers, you can plan accordingly to manage costs more effectively without exuberant out-of-pocket expenses.
Interestingly, adults, who make up a sizeable percentage of orthodontic patients, can still find insurance plans catering to their needs. Communicate directly with your insurance provider to clarify any ambiguities concerning coverage or reimbursement rates. Some plans may offer partial coverage or discounts that can substantially decrease the financial burden.
With 89.4% of the U.S. population residing near urgent care centers, it’s evident that healthcare accessibility is broad. Similarly, checking for in-network orthodontists can prevent higher out-of-network charges. Utilizing your plan effectively and staying within covered networks can prevent incurring unnecessary debt while ensuring comprehensive dental care.
In conclusion, affording braces does not have to push you into financial distress. By strategically using your HSA, considering cost-saving options like dental school clinics, and effectively working with your dental insurance, you can ease the financial burden. Each of these pathways offers unique benefits that can align with your specific situation, enabling you to embark on your orthodontic journey sooner than you think.
The post 3 Ways You Can Afford Braces Sooner Than You Think appeared first on Plunged in Debt.
Discover how holiday marketing tactics, like urgency and emotional appeals, influence your spending and learn actionable tips to stick to your budget and prioritize your financial goals this season.
The post How Holiday Marketing Tactics Can Influence Your Spending (And How to Outsmart Them) appeared first on The Budget Mom.
On 13 November 2024, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced: The FCA will consult on extending the time firms have to respond to consumer complaints about motor finance where a non-discretionary commission was involved, and for consumers to refer them to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a very rapid consultation for the FCA. It […]
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Although I didn’t realize it then, when I was younger, I used gift-giving to gain love, approval, control, and admiration. People seem to think that the less control you exert over your environment, the less control you have over your money, but I found exactly the opposite. The less codependent I became, the less money I spent.
My Codependent Gift-Giving History
My mom was the one who first “taught” me to give excessively (as a codependent child of an alcoholic); she went overboard with buying gifts for my sister and me on every possible occasion. I don’t blame Mom for my gift-giving behavior, but looking back, I can see how I adopted it.
One year in high school, we enlisted the entire family to help make little needlepoint boxes to hold Christmas candy for about 25 classmates. Another year, my dad and I made 20 Zen Gardens as gifts. When I was into ceramics, EVERYONE got one. If I am dead honest, I think giving those gifts was more about making people see me a certain way than any real connection.
A real turning point for me came many years ago when my family agreed to stop gift-giving altogether. I suggested it because the entire process had felt empty to me for several years (as I changed my codependent ways). Now my family enjoys the holidays together without worrying about giving the perfect gift.
Motivations for Codependent Gift Giving
Some people think they’ll disappoint their children if they don’t go full-out with gifts under the Christmas tree. I’ve found that with kids, gift satisfaction can be very short-term. And even early on, kids KNOW whether the gift you are giving is for them, or for you. The gifts you give to satisfy an idealized vision have no value to them.
If you think you might be behaving codependently with your gift-giving, ask yourself if you are trying to:
Be perfect or admired? When I gave out gifts to more than 20 of my friends, I wanted to impress them. I would imagine them saying, “Wow, what a thoughtful, creative gift; Mindy is awesome!” And I would be SO disappointed if someone didn’t properly express their appreciation. It was all about me.
Shape someone? This still makes me chuckle … my mom always thought I never dressed attractively :o) Her gifts in high school were all about form-fitting outfits that I would NEVER wear in a million years.
Avoid focusing on yourself? One year while gift shopping, the store had to call my credit card company to make sure it was me–I had spent so much in such a small amount of time they were worried my credit card had been stolen! I was buying too much because I was trying to avoid acknowledging my negative feelings about my life and the people in it at the time.
Solve other people’s problems? I once bought a book for a boyfriend so that he could learn how to be more emotionally available. This was before I realized that I ALSO had/have emotional availability issues!
Avoid saying no? My dad has 3 sisters and two brothers, so you can imagine the gift-giving chaos with all those nieces, nephews, and cousins! Once we finally said that we would no longer be giving gifts, everyone was relieved.
Make people care about you as much as you care about them? As a codependent, you spend A LOT of time figuring out (or TRYING to figure out) what other people are thinking so that you can manipulate them and bend them to your will—in the most loving way, of course! If I wasn’t sure how someone felt about me, you could be sure they would get a perfect gift from me!
Clean Gift Giving
Codependent gift-giving is all about imagining a “perfect” scenario resulting from this “perfect” gift you’re giving. In the past, I’ve watched my mother get codependent over gifts she gave my cat—picking up the cat and trying to entice it with the new toy or blanket, simply unable to accept that the cat wasn’t interested.
When thinking about giving a gift, it’s good to consider if you have an agenda, such as:
Is this gift a deviation from the recipient’s typical behavior? My mom once got bunny ears for my cat to wear. Are you trying to get someone to wear metaphorical bunny ears to fulfill an idealized image?
Do you imagine this gift will make someone respond differently? My good friend once admitted to me that he was bummed that his girlfriend didn’t “properly” appreciate the earrings he bought for her. But we both already knew she was low-key and hard to read. He hoped the earrings would magically make her more demonstrative of her affection.
Am I trying to help this person keep up their end of the relationship? I hear a lot of women complain that they are the ones who make plans to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays and resent their husbands for passively going along. I have found that many spouses step up to the plate when you stop worrying about perfection and over-functioning.
Is this gift more expensive than I planned to spend? It’s easy to get caught in “This is SO perfect for X, I have to get it!” but the reality is, most people would rather receive a less expensive gift (with no expectations) than feel uncomfortable over how much you spent on the perfect one.
Actions This Week
Eliminate “perfect” from your vocabulary. Take the pressure off yourself and everyone around you. Whatever idealized vision for gifts and the holidays you imagine, purge it from your brain! The best way to do this is to stay present as much as possible.
Evaluate Role Obligation. Are you doing something, attending something, buying or baking something because you think you’re expected to as a mom, wife, daughter-in-law, friend, or community member? This always increased my pressure to be perfect or find the perfect gift.
Review your list of gifts for people. What are your expectations? Do you fantasize about how this person will behave toward you after opening the gift? That might be a good clue for you to reconsider giving it. Gifts do not improve, enhance, or change relationships.
And if you want to learn how to untangle your money behaviors, please check out my free e-book, Money Chakra – you can download that here.
The post Is Codependency Messing Up Your Money? appeared first on Creative Money.
This year, Christmas will be different – in ways I never imagined. Neither the twins or Gymnast will be home. While the girls are both nearby, they have their own homes and won’t likely be staying over. For the first time, the traditions we’ve built around having everyone gathered under one roof feel like they’re unraveling a bit. The crazy of Christmas morning chaos, the shared laughter, and the familiar rhythm of our holiday is shifting, leaving me wondering how to make this season special.
Traditions Must Grow with Us
As I have sat with this the last month or so, I’m reminded that traditions can be beautiful. But they’re also meant to grow with us. Maybe this year will open the door to new ways of celebrating – not as replacements but as additions to our story. Here are a few things I’m considering to bring warmth and meaning into a quieter, different kind of holiday:
- Embrace Simplicity and Quiet Moments
With fewer people at home, there’s a quiet I’m both dreading and looking forward to. It’s an opportunity to slow down, to soak in the little things, and maybe start a tradition that I hadn’t thought of before. I’m thinking about bringing in moments that celebrate this new chapter. I haven’t been able to identify any that appeal just yet, which is a little frustrating. - Stay Connected in New Ways
Just because everyone isn’t here doesn’t mean they aren’t part of our Christmas. I’m planning to find moments to connect with each of the boys over our Thanksgiving together and then from afar. Whether it’s a video call while we open presents or sending each other little photos and memories from the day, staying close in spirit, if not in person, feels like a new tradition worth creating. - Create Traditions for the Ones Who Are Here Now
It might not be the boisterous gathering of years past, but it’s still family, and I’m holding onto that with gratitude. With the girls close by, there’s a chance to focus on creating new, more intimate memories together. Maybe this is the year we add something special just for us. Ideas?
New Kind of Christmas
This Christmas will be a different kind of holiday, with a bittersweet edge, yes, but also with room to rediscover what it means to gather, even if it’s in new ways. In a sense, traditions are less about what we do and more about who we do it with. This year, I’ll hold close to the memories of our past while embracing the chance to build something fresh, even if it looks different from the Christmases we’re used to.
And who knows? Maybe in a few years, I’ll look back and realize this new season was a gift all its own. Have you gone through a season of transition as your kids spread their wings and fly? How did you maneuver the change in tradition?
The post A New Kind of Christmas: Finding Joy When Traditions Shift appeared first on Blogging Away Debt.
Selling on Amazon using FBA is a great way to make money from retail arbitrage. Selling on Amazon lets you reach lots of potential customers and is a great way to start a small business. In this post we are going to explore how to start an Amazon FBA business on a tight budget. Understanding […]
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What’s in your TFSA? A simple question for today’s post…that I hope you’ll answer along with my reply! What’s in your TFSA? Recall if you were age 18 or older when our Government of Canada first introduced TFSAs (in 2009) and you were a Canadian resident throughout this time, had a SIN, plus you’ve never…
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Have you ever heard of a cold plunge?
Maybe you’ve seen those viral videos on YouTube. There will be dozens of folks all dressed up on a cold day (usually not dressed up enough for the weather). Then, all together, they jump into an icy lake as part of a local tradition. It’s fun to watch, but would you ever challenge yourself to do one?
Well, I do cold plunges, and they’re incredible! These days, cold plunges can happen right in your home by either filling up your tub with ice or with a specialty ice bath. As the market for ice baths is expanding, so are the known health benefits. It eases sore muscles, helps you focus, can improve sleep, and decreases inflammation, among other things.That doesn’t make it any easier to jump into freezing water.
Now, they say that the hardest thing about cold plunging is not talking about cold plunging. It’s funny because it’s absolutely true. Once you’ve had the opportunity, you just want another opportunity to do it again.
It almost feels like you’re part of a big family. And when you find out other people do cold plunges, you can’t help but feel an instant connection.
But for many people, a cold plunge is kind of like skydiving. It sounds like it could be a fun bucket-list item, but it’s way out of their comfort zone. Just the thought of putting something like that on the schedule makes us sweat a little bit. But here’s a little secret to success—a habit that can transform your life. Even if something makes you sweat, make the commitment.
When we challenge ourselves in the face of discomfort, we build personal resilience. Here’s how it happens for me.
My Cold Plunge
I do a cold plunge almost every day. When I get back from dropping my kids off at school, I immediately get in my swimsuit and go downstairs where I have my ice bath. It’s set at 55 degrees, which sounds pretty warm. But trust me, once you get in, it’s like jumping into a really cold ocean.
There’s this small moment before every plunge: I stand in front of it not wanting to get in. But I psych myself up, take some deep breaths, and then jump in. Then I just lay there.
The first thing that happens is I always lose my breath. But when I catch it again, my mind goes completely blank. The only thing I can focus on is how uncomfortable it is, and I’m scrambling for the willpower to stay in the tub. I tell myself that if I can just hold on for 90 seconds, it’ll get better. And it does.
The best part is 5 or 6 minutes in. That’s when I start to feel euphoric. Everything starts tingling, and my body feels like it’s warming up—like I’ve been charged up with electricity and have a full battery. That’s when I get out.
Let me tell you, coffee has nothing on a cold plunge. Without an ounce of caffeine, I’m ready to conquer anything the day throws at me. And the only thing holding me back from this feeling was being worried about a little discomfort.
Challenge Yourself Every Day
When you start your day off with a challenge and meet that challenge, it sets a tone.
On a typical day, there are so many stresses and moments that start to pile on. We’re bogged down with so many things. But if you start with a challenge—and complete it—at the top of your day, every other challenge feels beatable.
That daily challenge might not be a cold plunge for you. Maybe it’s working out in the morning (which is known to have fantastic results on your productivity during the day). Or maybe it’s doing yard work. Or a brisk walk or jog. Whatever it is, it needs to be challenging.
When you get it out of the way first thing, you’ll be ready to conquer anything. That determination will help you rise to the challenges of the day, giving you a better chance to turn obstacles into growth.
Speaking of growth, consider your chosen morning challenge as its own opportunity for growth. When I started doing a cold plunge, I could only last 20 seconds. Now I’m doing it for 6 minutes. Likewise, if you do something like a jog, maybe you start with half a mile. In time, that could turn into 6 miles. As your capacity for your morning challenge grows, so will your ability to face daily obstacles.
You will build resilience. And you will crave that feeling of doing better next time. And you’ll see yourself as somebody who can achieve anything, even if challenges are difficult or uncomfortable.
That’s important because, let’s face it, as physicians, we can forget all the challenges that we’re overcoming daily—losing that feeling of satisfaction of triumphing over an obstacle. We’ve been trained to do extremely difficult things in our day-to-day lives. We can forget how awesome it is to do what we do.
When you change up the daily routine, your perspective shifts. Everything you do is recontextualized. Breaking up that routine just a little bit and starting the day with a challenge allows you to have more appreciation for things.
When there’s room for improvement, you feel alive again. What challenges are you putting in front of yourself? Maybe you’re investing in real estate, starting a new business, or building your practice. There’s a benefit to pushing yourself beyond what you’re comfortable with. And that benefit is taking one more step to living life on your own terms.
Push Through Discomfort
If you can handle discomfort and push through, you’ll have put yourself in a position to grow. Do this both physically and mentally. Walk that extra mile. Put in those extra steps. Add one or two more reps. But also, when it comes to conferences or learning something new, put yourself out there. Sit in your discomfort. Change and growth will start to seep in and lead to life-changing results.
By challenging yourself to move beyond your discomfort on a daily basis, you keep your long-term goals at the top of your mind. And that’s where growth happens.
And if you’re looking to grow within a community, we’re here to support you. Consider joining our Leverage & Growth Accelerator Community, attending a conference, or getting on the waitlist for Passive Real Estate Academy. Wherever we see you next, we’re looking forward to hearing about how you challenge yourself daily. Until then, keep pushing yourself toward success.
Peter Kim, MD is the founder of Passive Income MD, the creator of Passive Real Estate Academy, and offers weekly education through his Monday podcast, the Passive Income MD Podcast. Join our community at the Passive Income Doc Facebook Group.
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Creating time isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
It all starts with how you define time.
If you think about it, there is only one time – Right Now.
Everything else is a mind creation.
Your mind is a control freak. Its main objective is to obscure the present moment with the past and future.
Creating time is, in effect, saying no to the present moment in exchange for a world that exists only in your mind.
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