When unexpected illness strikes, a visit to your doctor’s office may be the only thing that helps you feel back to normal. When a physician writes a prescription for a medication that relieves your symptoms or eases your pain, the effects can be significant on your health. The effectiveness, however, is dependent on the ability to take the medication as directed by the physician. Regardless of your health coverage, medications can add a significant cost to your expenses. Be sure to speak to your doctor about these five money-saving tips when you are looking to stretch your budget further.

1. Ask about medication-free options.

Some medications reduce the risk of certain conditions or stall the acceleration of symptoms associated with diseases. Many times, lifestyle changes can reduce the risks without having to take the prescribed medications. Changes in activities and diet can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and control diabetes. Be sure to discuss these options with your physician to see changes in your diet and exercise routine would be beneficial to your health. If lifestyle changes would help in your diagnosis, it is important to set goals with the help of your doctor. This will allow your physician to check on your progress and confirm that your changes are in fact benefiting you.

2. Discuss generic medication options.

Drug companies have very strict rules that they must abide by when producing a medication. They only have the right to market their drug exclusively for a specific period. After this time, other companies may begin to market generic options of the drug. Using a generic option can save you money.

While the newest drugs on the market may not have a generic option, there may be another drug that is similar or that can provide the similar results. For example, drugs for high blood pressure come in different classes and may help reduce blood pressure in a slightly different way. Your doctor may be able to provide you a less expensive medication in a similar class, saving you money.

3. Consider what a medication will cost in the long-term.

Sometimes a new medication will become a lifelong prescription. Asking your physician for a less expensive option now can save you money down the road. While a $30 a month prescription may not seem like too much now, understand that a year will cost you $360. If a similar prescription can be used costing $12 a month, you will save over $200 a year.

4. Free is not always better.

Pharmaceutical companies provide physicians with free samples to hand out to patients in hopes that the patients will purchase their product after the samples have run out. Unfortunately, these samples are for the newest medications on the market, meaning the prices will be premium once you have to start paying for them. Samples can be helpful when a patient only requires a limited amount of the medication. However, when beginning a new regiment that will span months or years, you should avoid samples. Ask your physician for a generic option that is similar to the offered sample.

5. Pharmacists can provide options as well.

After your doctor writes the prescription, you may think you are stuck with the medication. Your pharmacist can tell you if there are generic options available for purchase. Some pharmacies automatically dispense generic medications without being asked. Also remember that drug companies lose the ability to sell their exclusive product after so many years. Even if you have discussed generic options with your doctor or pharmacist in the past, ask again. There may now be generic medications available to save you money.

(Jessica Bosari writes about money-saving topics for LowIncomeApartmentFinder.com. The site helps those on tight budgets find apartments for rent that they can afford.)

photo by truthout.org

I look back on my days as a grocery bag boy and a grin comes to my face. This grin has mixed emotion.  Working at a grocery store was one of those jobs where you did it because it was the only thing you could think of at the time.  I remember I was 16 and tired of being broke.  I was sick of asking my parents for money every week.  I wanted MORE.  So, this lead me to walking down to the nearest grocery store and getting a job as a bag boy.  Yes, you heard me, a bag boy.

If you look at the way a grocery store is structured, you’ll notice that the “bag boy” is at the bottom of the ladder.

I was the jack of all trades.  If there was a spill on aisle three, I was on it.  If there were missing carts out in the parking lot, I was chasing them down.  If a customer needed help out to their car, I was the guy for the job.  Sounds glamorous doesn’t it?  It actually wasn’t.  Looking back on all the jobs I had, it was definitely one of my least favorite.  However, this is the one job that had the greatest impact on my life. There are just some things you can’t learn working white collar jobs.  Here area few take-aways from working at my local grocery store.

If you want to move up, work harder than the person next to you

Working at a grocery store, actions speak louder than words.  I cannot tell you how many times I heard employees tell managers they were going to do something but never did.  It’s much more impressive to look the manager in the eye, and assure them it will be done immediately and then go carry out your task.  Also, as a Christian, I had a higher calling than simply trying to impress my boss.  God was my boss, and even though I didn’t enjoy waking up at 6AM to go to work, I was going to work my butt off that day.  The hard work paid off.  Within three years, I moved up two positions and ended up landing in the produce department 🙂

It’s the simple things that count

There was something special about helping old grandmother’s get a jar off the shelf or even offering customers help out to their car.  Even though I was just a bag boy, offering this extra “service” really made people’s days.  When I saw their expressions, it made a world of difference in my day too!

The customer never sleeps

There was always a steady stream of customers coming into the grocery I worked at.  During the first few weeks, it was overwhelming but I ended up getting used to it.  With the thousands of customers coming in on a daily basis, I could never let my guard down.  This taught me a sense of personal responsibility to keep my “A game” on at all time during the eight hours of work.  A customer wanted not just a product but a shopping experience.  It was my job to provide this for them.  This has carried over into my professional life in the construction industry.  Now, it’s more like the “owner” never sleeps.  While at work, it’s critical to be on top of your game and provide a superior end product.

Boring, repetitive tasks build your work ethic

I had moved up to the dairy department and one of my duties was to stock the entire dairy aisle.  This included everything from butter to milk to eggs.  It’s probably one of the more monotonous jobs I’ve had in my life.  It taught me discipline and instilled the drive to get things done faster and more efficiently.  I remember stocking shelves one time and found a faster way to unstack milk cases to stock the cold refrigerators.  Not only did this make my job easier, but it became a challenge.  That has stuck with me to this day.  Always be looking for areas of improvement so you can work more efficiently.

All in all, the grocery store treated me well.  I still remember that good feeling of getting a 20 cent raise. Even though it was small, it made my day.  I hope you can take these lessons I learned and apply them to your life.

Comment below and share with us some of your work experiences!

(This is a re-post that I wrote for ChristianPF.com)

photo by polycart

Moving an office or a home is a huge job. There is a lot to do and it can be very tempting to cut corners just to get everything done, but unfortunately mistakes can and do happen. Some are very common and most are avoidable with the right precautions. Here are our top 10 moving and storage mistakes, so you can make sure you’re not surprised!

1. Buying sight-unseen.

Whatever you do, never buy (or sign a rental agreement for) and house or apartment you’ve never seen. Looking at pictures is never the same as the real thing and the descriptions on real estate websites should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Their idea of a spacious kitchen might be very different from yours and there will always be things that aren’t mentioned. Unwary buyers can be caught out be strange smells, faulty wiring, noisy neighbors, busy roads, and a lack of nearby amenities.

2. Handing irreplaceable valuables to packers and movers.

A good moving company can be trusted to deliver goods safely to a new home, but some things travel better with you. Small, highly portable electronic devices like iPads and netbooks, any kind of valuable jewellery, and important documents can go missing. Keep these with you at all times.

3. Leaving packing too late.

It’s important to be ready when the movers arrive. Empty your cabinets, check under beds and in bathrooms, and make sure everything you won’t need before moving is packed up well in advance.

4. Not being there when movers arrive at the new home.

Even if they have a key, make sure to get to your new house or apartment well before the moving trucks do. They’ll need guidance on what goes where and you are by far the best person to provide that.

5. Being caught unprepared on the first night.

Every family member should pack the things they’ll need for the first night into a single box and label it clearly. That way you won’t have to cause chaos but hunting through dozens of boxes to find toothbrushes, towels, favourite teddy bears, and clean clothing.

6. Not keeping the right phone numbers handy.

Write down telephone numbers for the moving company, the local police department in your new town, a local doctor, and anything else you might need in a hurry if something goes wrong. Keep the paper somewhere safe, like in your wallet.

7. Trying to fit large furniture into a small space.

Always remember that your new house may not be as big as the old one, and check that large wardrobes and beds will fit in their destination rooms. They’ll also have to fit through doorways and stairwells.

8. Forgetting to redirect post.

Make sure to register a change of address with your bank, cell phone provider, and let any newspapers or magazines you subscribe to know before you move.

9. Trying to carry heavy boxes alone.

Be careful when you lift a heavy box. A slipped disc is the last thing you need when moving. Either leave the heavy lifting to the movers or be very careful what you pick up and how.

10. Not labelling boxes clearly.

The right labels will make unpacking much easier and it will also give the moving company useful information on what is inside the box. Make sure to note down all the necessary details like the destination room, the type of contents, and whether or not the box contains breakables or unusually heavy items.

(This guest post was provided by FlatRate movers. These NYC movers can help you with residential and long distance moving, providing an up-front all-inclusive price.)

I look back on my days as a grocery bag boy and a grin comes to my face. This grin has mixed emotion.  Working at a grocery store was one of those jobs where you did it because it was the only thing you could think of at the time.  I remember I was 16 and tired of being broke.  I was sick of asking my parents for money every week.  I wanted MORE.  So, this lead me to walking down to the nearest grocery store and getting a job as a bag boy.  Yes, you heard me, a bag boy.

If you look at the way a grocery store is structured, you’ll notice that the “bag boy” is at the bottom of the ladder.

I was the jack of all trades.  If there was a spill on aisle three, I was on it.  If there were missing carts out in the parking lot, I was chasing them down.  If a customer needed help out to their car, I was the guy for the job.  Sounds glamorous doesn’t it?  It actually wasn’t.  Looking back on all the jobs I had, it was definitely one of my least favorite.  However, this is the one job that had the greatest impact on my life. There are just some things you can’t learn working white collar jobs.  Here area few take-aways from working at my local grocery store.

If you want to move up, work harder than the person next to you

Working at a grocery store, actions speak louder than words.  I cannot tell you how many times I heard employees tell managers they were going to do something but never did.  It’s much more impressive to look the manager in the eye, and assure them it will be done immediately and then go carry out your task.  Also, as a Christian, I had a higher calling than simply trying to impress my boss.  God was my boss, and even though I didn’t enjoy waking up at 6AM to go to work, I was going to work my butt off that day.  The hard work paid off.  Within three years, I moved up two positions and ended up landing in the produce department 🙂

It’s the simple things that count

There was something special about helping old grandmother’s get a jar off the shelf or even offering customers help out to their car.  Even though I was just a bag boy, offering this extra “service” really made people’s days.  When I saw their expressions, it made a world of difference in my day too!

The customer never sleeps

There was always a steady stream of customers coming into the grocery I worked at.  During the first few weeks, it was overwhelming but I ended up getting used to it.  With the thousands of customers coming in on a daily basis, I could never let my guard down.  This taught me a sense of personal responsibility to keep my “A game” on at all time during the eight hours of work.  A customer wanted not just a product but a shopping experience.  It was my job to provide this for them.  This has carried over into my professional life in the construction industry.  Now, it’s more like the “owner” never sleeps.  While at work, it’s critical to be on top of your game and provide a superior end product.

Boring, repetitive tasks build your work ethic

I had moved up to the dairy department and one of my duties was to stock the entire dairy aisle.  This included everything from butter to milk to eggs.  It’s probably one of the more  monotonous jobs I’ve had in my life.  It taught me discipline and instilled the drive to get things done faster and more efficiently.  I remember stocking shelves one time and found a faster way to unstack milk cases to stock the cold refrigerators.  Not only did this make my job easier, but it became a challenge.  That has stuck with me to this day.  Always be looking for areas of improvement so you can work more efficiently.

All in all, the grocery store treated me well.  I still remember that good feeling of getting a 20 cent raise. Even though it was small, it made my day.  I hope you can take these lessons I learned and apply them to your life.

Comment below and share with us some of your work experiences!

(This is a re-post that I wrote for ChristianPF.com)

photo by polycart