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!
