How to Save with a Special Needs Child

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So I was going to give you part two of how to save two weeks ago, but I decided to take a slightly different turn with the post, so it took me a minute. It’s still going to be all about how to save, but this one will speak to a particular group of people.

If you are the parent of a special needs child, chances are you pay for way more than what it would take to raise the average child. So here are a few savings tips I’ve learned along the way.

Network, Network, Network! – I attend conferences, seminars, and workshops all of the time, not only to learn more about the diagnoses my daughter has, but to meet other parents who may be going through the same trials and have great techniques and savings tips to share. You can also meet professionals and vendors who can help too. For example, I went to a conference in St. Petersburg, FL and that’s where I learned that if your child has Medicaid, they can receive pull ups, bed pads, and gloves for free with a doctor’s note. They can also get the boost nutritional drinks for free as well. Do you have any idea how much we were spending on Goodnites?! I was cutting coupons trying to find a savings any way I could. But now I get them delivered to my door each month FOR FREE! If you want to know more about that one, email me.

The Internet is Your Friend – So, my mom thinks the Internet is the devil net. And while it is true that you can find some really freaky stuff online, you can also find some important information. I surf the next routinely looking for new conferences, parent forums, etc. That’s how I found out about the Family Café. If you live in Florida, it’s a weekend of workshops and events for special needs children and their families. They offer some scholarships for families to attend for free AND, every agency imaginable attends from Social Security to the Agencies for Person with Disabilities. You can go by their booths and get information as well as a contact person.  The next Family Café is June 5-7 2015. Want to know more? Go to: http://www.familycafe.net..

Never Be Afraid to Ask – So if I have learned anything as the mom of a special needs child, it’s that I can’t be afraid to speak up! I know many of you are private people and often you don’t want to  “burden” others but sometimes they may be able to help. It isn’t about begging or anything like that. Here’s what I mean; before I found out I could get pull ups for free, I had family and friends on the great coupon hunt. Very regularly, Goodnites and Depends have coupons in the Sunday paper.  They would be on the look out and send me clipped coupons when they saw them. Sometimes they’ve even let me know when they saw them on sale. Believe me, it was a great help! Here’s another example. Doctors get freebies and discount cards for meds all of the time. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample every now and then (I get one at least twice a year for my son’s maintenance inhaler). And the discount cards will often save you half off for several refills.

Understand your Insurance and Employee Benefits – Let’s face it, most special needs children spend a lot of time at doctor’s appointments. Be sure you understand your benefits plan so that you aren’t over charged. And, find out if your company offers an Employee Assistance Program. You can often get up to 5 therapy sessions at no cost to you through the program. You do have to answer a few questions but trust me, it’s all confidential. I used EAP for my daughter and the 5 visits gave me the chance to see if I liked the therapist that had been recommended to me. She still sees her today.

Good luck!