14 Ways I’m Saving Money With Chronic Illness

Today I’m sharing 14 ways I’m saving money, which is especially important for those of us with chronic illness or disability.

Most if not all of these tips could be used by anybody who is looking to save a few dollars.

Several of these tips are based on preventative measures to make sure you’re taking advantage of savings and not losing money.

Hopefully you’ll be able to implement some of the ideas or they’ll spark other ideas for saving money.

How much do you think I’ve saved recently? I will tally my savings throughout this post, and reveal the total at the end.

Here’s how I’m saving on medical care, services, subscriptions, and more.

I am not a financial advisor or anything, so these are just things that are working for me.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small portion of sales, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog through your purchase!

Save on Medical

Check for health insurance rewards

My insurance incentivizes preventative care like vaccines , so I check in periodically to see what can earn points. I earned a $25 gift card this year by filling out info for an annual check up. (If only my check ups were merely yearly!)

Savings $25

Keep your credit card on file

I charge all my expenses, including medical expenses, and those really add up to earn rewards points on my credit card. (This is the only positive I’ve been able to drum up for high medical costs!)

While writing up my budget earlier this year, I realized that two of my healthcare providers did not have my credit card saved, so I got them my information. Also, in an ironic twist, I’ve found that my insurance requiring me to pay for certain services before they partially reimburse me has also helped me gain more credit card points!

I’ve earned over $200 back on my credit card this year. That’s huge as it pays for one out of network healthcare provider appointment.

Savings $253.78

Research reimbursement opportunities

Sometimes I forget that I can get reimbursed for healthcare expenses besides doctor’s appointments and tests. By doing a little sleuthing, I found out my insurance might cover my TENS unit replacement electrodes. I submitted a claim and they did indeed cover about half the cost.

Savings: $50.97

Buy supplements through Fullscript

Fullscript is a website your healthcare provider may be able to give you access to in order to purchase supplements and vitamins. Savings is typically 10% and sometimes more. Watch for their sales around Black Friday and usually late spring.

Note: I have noticed that two of my supplements are actually a little less on Amazon, so be sure to do cost comparison. I saved over $100 on my last order

You may also be able to use your Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for purchase through Fullscript too.

Savings: $168.87

Check for healthcare providers discounts

I’ve seen providers offer discounts for people on Medicare, Medicaid, first responders, military and students. It doesn’t hurt to look at their website or ask.

Savings: $30

Save on Services

Switch to Mint Mobile

My brother has been happy with Mint since he switched his cell phone over about a year ago. My parents and I decided to switch and were surprised that a less expensive plan gives us so much more data each month. ($15 for 5GB each vs 2GB to share on our old plan.)

I will save $20 a month, as do each of my parents. Paying for a year at a time offered us the best cost.

Savings: $20 a month starting this month

Switch to Sling TV

We just switched over from cable to Sling, a live TV streaming service. We’re really happy with it, especially since one of our major concerns was continuing to be able to access the news, and the picture is actually clearer than what we were getting with cable. We also still have access to several free movie streaming apps.

Since my parents were paying for our cable, I won’t add this towards my savings tally, but they are currently saving $72.34 per month.

Also, services like this can cost less if you pay annually versus monthly. That might be a good thing to check for any of your current subscriptions to see if you can save a significant amount of money in the long run.

We did have to buy a Roku for Sling to work on our TV, so that was an upfront cost.

Savings: My parents saved $72.34 a month

Additional Savings Opportunities

Find Missing Money

MissingMoney.com is the official website for seeing if you are owed money. You can also go to the Department of Revenue for your state and search there.

It’s easy to search by your name to see if any companies or organizations owe you money.

I ran a search and discovered I was owed $62 by a medical provider. (This kind of annoys me, as my contact information has not changed, and they claim they could not find me!)

I got my money back via check and I will be checking this website periodically.

Savings: $62

Try cash back apps

I haven’t tried this yet, but I have heard good things about Fetch, an app that lets you scan your receipts and earn giftcards for sharing about what you’re purchasing. There are other apps available, but this is the one that looks the best for me, and I am hoping to try it in the future.

Savings: A future possibility

Buying directly

I’ve been checking to see if I can save money by buying directly from companies’ websites, especially for companies where I get allergy-free food. Sometimes they will give you a big discount on your first order and offer coupons if you follow their newsletters.

Savings: None recently

Check credit reports

In light of the latest data breach my brother reminded me it was a good idea to run a credit report. It’s free through the three major credit bureaus.

You may also want to consider a credit freeze so no one uses your information to take out a new line of credit. Forbes breaks down the pros and cons.

Here’s more helpful info from PC Mag: What Really Happens In a Data Breach (and What You Can Do About It).

Savings: No one has stolen my identity

Change passwords

Okay, this may be a stretch on a list about saving money, but similar to the above, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And time is money, right? Now is a great time to change your passwords and set up additional authentication on your accounts to thwart would-be thieves before they access any of your info.

Microsoft offers tips for creating secure passwords.

Savings: No one has hacked any of my accounts

Senior discount days at stores

Did you know that some stores offer discounts for people 55+, 60+, or 65+? While I can’t take advantage of these yet, I’ve shared this with my parents so we can keep them in mind for stores like Walgreens, Fred Meyer, and Albertsons. For most of these programs, the discounts only apply on certain days each month.

Who do you think we would have to ask for stores to start offering discount days for people of all ages who are on disability?

Find 75 senior discounts including restaurants and travel in this article from The Penny Hoarder.

Savings: A future possibility

Save on National Parks Passes

Let’s end with a fun one! An annual pass is regularly $80, but no cost for those of us who are disabled. It’s free to get the pass in person, and there is a $10 processing fee if you get it online or via the mail.

I learned about this great resource from Rachel Lundy at Cranberry Tea Time.

Seniors, military and others are eligible for free passes too. The pass covers up to 3 additional adults, or everyone in your vehicle.

Savings: If I get this, I’d do it online, so I’d save $70.

Find help for medical expenses

Little savings can add up, but unfortunately, medical bills can add up even faster.

If you’re one of the many people who need help paying for necessary medical care, prescriptions, mobility aids, etc., I share resources in these two blog posts:

How to Find Financial Assistance for Chronic Illness Expenses

My Experience Fundraising for Medical Expenses

So how much have I saved recently?

Savings total: $610.62

I hope these tips and resources are helpful for you on your healthcare journey.

Have you found a great way to save money recently? Share in the comments!

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