Finding affordable health care insurance
Research all your options so you have the information you need to make your medical decisions with confidence.
While there is a lot of talk in Washington about health care reform, it probably doesn’t help you if you need medical insurance TODAY.
If you’re in the market for health insurance–whether you recently lost your benefits or you’re just looking for better rates–here are a few tips to finding affordable, comprehensive health care insurance for you and your family.
Use a health insurance broker
Brokers know the market. They can help you shop for the lowest prices, and they also know which companies offer the best coverage for your needs.
For example, Tech CU offers medical and life insurance. The credit union works with such companies as Blue Anthem, Blue Shield of California or Kaiser Permanente to find its members medical and life insurance at affordable prices. Tech CU representatives can walk you through the pros and cons of each plan since there are so many options and it’s easy to feel confused or overwhelmed. (Here are some good questions to ask when choosing a plan.)
The National Association of Health Underwriters can also put you in touch with specialists in your area too.
The Internet is your friend
You can find lots of online sites that can give you instant quotes. For example, did you know a healthy 30-year-old single female can find health care plans that start as low as $40? Do this to compare rates and make sure you’re getting the most for your money.
Use government resources
The state of California has dedicated online sites to help you figure it all out: http://www.ca.gov/Health/HealthCareServ/HealthInsurance.html
You can find information for everything from help for drug and alcohol abuse to contacts for caregivers and mental health programs.
Can COBRA help?
COBRA is more expensive but it can be useful if you are in poor health, in a market with few choices, or you want to stick with your current doctors.
Don’t take something as important as health care coverage lightly. Research all your options so you have the information you need to make your decision with confidence.
Get a FREE day at the museum
Get a free day at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.
There are a number of museums in the Bay Area that are either always free, offer a free day weekly, or are free one day per month.
The guide at About.com is useful to find these absolutely free deals. This particular Web page not only provides information about free days in San Francisco, but also in other parts of the Bay Area.
Of particular note: Cable Car Museum (always free), Cantor Arts Center at Stanford (always free), Asian Art Museum (first Sunday of month free), de Young Museum (first Tuesday of month free), Museum of Modern Art (first Tuesday of month free), and the Exploratorium (first Wednesday of month free).
Although I didn’t see the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park on the list at this website, I do know they offer free admission on the 3rd Wednesday of the month (and this is listed on their own website).
Another website listing free days at museums in San Francisco is www.museumfreedays.com. This website lists free days for museums in Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, and New York City, in addition to San Francisco. So, you may even be able to find a free day at a museum while traveling on vacation.
Be sure to call to double check that the free admission is still offered on the day you plan to visit before heading out. Also, some museums may be very crowded on the free days (in particular, I waited in line at the Califronia Academy of Sciences for more than an hour to get in).
Discounts in the Bay Area
Sign up at www.goldstar.com for a weekly newsletter (plus occasional special updates) containing discounts on shows, musicals, lectures, comedians, tours, performances, and sporting events in the Bay Area. Discounts vary, but can be substantial compared to normal ticket prices at the box office.
Save some money on DVD rentals
There are plenty of ways to save on DVD rentals, such as finding the right Netflix plan for your movie viewing habits.
There are a number of ways to save a little money here and there when renting DVDs.
Most people are familiar with Netflix, which can certainly save some money over a traditional DVD rental outlet. But do you really always need 3 DVDs out at a time?
By changing your subscription to a less costly plan (with fewer DVDs), you may save a few dollars.
Also, if there are certain months when you just don’t have the time to view a movie, or maybe you are going on a long vacation, there is a way to save a little money. Netflix allows putting a hold on your account for up to 90 days (which could save you more than $50). During the hold, you credit card will not be charged for the Netflix service. You will not receive new DVD shipments nor will you be able to instantly watch movies on your computer or Netflix ready devices. It appears as though you can still hold onto any movies you have already received in the mail. Search “hold” in the Help Center for more information.
For traditional DVD rental outlets, you may be able to find gift cards priced at a discount, or other coupons available. If going the gift card route, just be careful since with the money problems of the firms in this business, the location nearest you may close unexpectedly.
Here’s a helpful article:
Five Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Netflix Subscription
One relatively new entrant to the DVD rental business is Redbox. They usually charge a flat $1 per day rental fee. Of course, if you are in the habit of keeping a DVD for a long time, this could cost you. But if you rent, watch, and return the DVD the next day, this service could save you money.
Furthermore, Redbox often has specials where your first or subsequent rentals are free or discounted with a coupon code. Be on the lookout on the web for these kinds of offers. One other advantage of Redbox is that you can reserve the DVD of your choice before running out to the machines (so no wasted trips).
Q&A with Sophie – GYG $100 winner, September
Sophie Martinez won $100 for being a great GYG saver.
What are you saving for?
My husband’s health insurance changed. Our deductible went from $0 to $5,000, and we had to pay for $10,000 in medical bills. We started the ‘Grow Your Green’ account to save more after dealing with these expenses. I’m excited about winning the monthly prize. These are good incentives to continue saving.
What steps are you taking to save each month?
We’re definitely trying to budget better. A percentage of my paycheck goes straight into my savings account through direct deposit. I opened our ‘Grow Your Green’ savings account in July. We just set aside a certain amount each month and it stays there, untouched.
What is your biggest obstacle when you’re trying to keep a consistent savings plan?
Medical bills are our biggest challenge right now. However, with the right savings plan and some real discipline, it’s doable.
Has the current economy affected your savings plan at all?
My husband was laid off earlier this year. Luckily, he was able to find another job in three weeks. We know that’s amazing in this economy so we’re very grateful. Also, his former employer was affected by the economy so the company had to cut costs, which then affected us.
Do you have any savings tips for other ‘Grow Your Green’ savers?
I highly recommend designating a certain amount of EVERY paycheck for a savings account. If you use direct deposit, you don’t even see it so you don’t miss it. That is, you’re not tempted to spend it. It’s great that this money goes to a certain account and, if you don’t touch it, it just sits there and grows.
Congratulations to the East Side High School Educational Foundation for winning the ‘Save 4 Your School’ Savings Challenge!
Courtesy of Tech CU
Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) is proud to announce that the East Side High School Educational Foundation in San Jose, California, is the deserving recipient of a $1,000 donation match for winning the credit union’s Save 4 Your School Savings Challenge. The money will be used to pay for the foundation’s after-school sports programs in the East Side Union High School District. Full story
Make your clothes last longer
With everyone trying to stretch their dollars further these days, it makes sense to take care of the things we have, rather than buy replacements. This goes for clothing as much as anything else we own and use on a daily basis.
If you’re trying to stretch your dollars further these days, it makes sense to take care of the things you already have, instead of always buying replacements. Having said that, here are some tips on how make your clothes last longer so you can always look like a total fashionista–even if you’re on a budget. Full story
Free shipping at Amazon.com
You can get free shipping from sites like Amazon.com
Most folks are aware that if you shop from Amazon.com, you can qualify for free shipping when you spend $25 or more (as long as Amazon is the seller or is the fulfillment agent, you select super saver shipping, and agree to have your items shipped to you in as few shipments as possible). But sometimes, the item(s) that you want to order are just a bit under the $25 threshold.
There is a website called www.superfiller.com that can help. Just enter the amount extra you need in order to qualify for free shipping, and SuperFiller will suggest items that will push you over the $25 threshold.
SuperFiller also has another interesting feature. Choose a category (such as Books, DVDs, Electronics, etc..) and a discount amount (90%, 80%, etc.), and SuperFiller will show you items in that catergory that are discounted by at least that percentage.
So, save some green and never pay shipping again when ordering from Amazon.
And remember, as another post entitled Finding the best online deals points out, you can find other sites that offer free shipping by going to www.freeshipping.org.
BayAreaOnTheCheap.com
You can find bargains for tickets to such musicals like "Wicked."
While surfing around the web, I tripped across this site: www.BayAreaOnTheCheap.com.
They advertise themseves as a site for “Free and affordable things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area”. Maybe you will be able to find your next activity with the family here, and save some green while doing it.
Enjoy the theater for free!
A night at the theater? How cultured.
For the last 5 years, theaters (the live performance kind, not movie theaters) in the SF Bay Area have gotten together and offered various performances for free.
While the first batch of tickets are mostly gone for this year, another batch of tickets will be released on October 14. There are limits to how many tickets you can get. In the bay area, the list of free tickets available is at www.tixbayarea.com/fnot_list.jsp (if this link doesn’t work, start at www.theatrebayarea.org and find the link for “Free Theater Night”).
Nationwide, information on free theater day is available at www.freenightoftheater.net.
If unable to snag a free ticket to a show of your liking, www.theatrebayarea.org also has 1/2 price tickets to some shows available.
