Following the death of her husband, Mary’s son found her monthly income would drop. Her son felt that it was important for her to be able to afford elder care services. She was living in the country and no longer drove. Finding ways to save money to pay for a caregiver was important to the family.
Groceries.
Mary always used coupons and thought she was saving all that she could. Her nearest grocery store was about 20 miles away, so it was costing her gas money to get to and from the store. There, she’d buy more than she really needed, so food was getting thrown out each week. Spending $120 a week was wasting money.
Her son found that ordering a week of meals through a food delivery service like HelloFresh would cost $70 and include free shipping. He signed her up for a trial run. She loved the meals so much, they decided to stick with meal services like that. With all the discounted trials, she’s saving a lot of money.
Prescription Eyeglasses.
Mary needed prescription glasses. Her health insurance covered all but $35 of her exam, but glasses were not covered at all.
When the doctor told her that she needed a stronger prescription, she was quoted $120 for the new lenses and $120 or more for new frames. Mary didn’t have that money available. Instead, her son found that shopping for eyeglasses online through sites like Zenni Optical would save her a lot of money.
Landscaping Service.
Mary and her husband were paying $40 each time their landscaper came out to mow the yard or plow the driveway. Her son called the area high school, explained the situation, and asked if the school required community service of the teens. He learned they did require seniors to perform community service. The high school happily arranged to have a teen come each week and all Mary’s son had to do was fill out some paperwork proving the teen arrived on time and did what was assigned.
With the money Mary saved, it helped her son hire a caregiver. Mary needed companionship and help with certain tasks around the home. She struggled to carry a heavy laundry basket down the stairs. After calling an elder care service, Mary’s son arranged to have a caregiver come in twice a week to help with laundry and light housework. All it took was one quick call to an elder care service to get things started.