3rd Stimulus Check Is on The Way-Tips for Stretching Your Dollars & Saving Money

President Joe Biden signed off on the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act Thursday.

Now, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin sending payments to eligible households. The third economic impact payment is worth up to $1,400 per individual and dependent.

What to Think About Before Spending the 3rd Check?

When you have $1400 coming in, it is best to really look ahead and plan. This money, especially for those out of work, has to be used wisely.

Take care of your needs first, such as your utilities, your food, your shelter, and your medications. Those kinds of things are your needs and those are the kind of things you should use the money for.

Although these are the types of expenses that are usually set in stone, there are some expenses where we have some control over. Why not take the time to see how you can lower those expenses to stretch your dollars?

Prioritize Paying High-Priority Expenses

Currently, federal student loan borrowers are automatically being placed in an administrative forbearance. Most homeowners are now able to defer their mortgage payments for 180 days with no penalties as well.

Focus on high-priority payments instead, which includes other bills that you cannot defer, healthcare expenses, essential items such as groceries and clothing, plus any high-interest (20% or more) credit card debt you have that your card issuer will not let you defer or that will accrue too much interest if you postpone paying it off.

Find What Expenses in Our Monthly Budget Are Flexible

Jeanette Pavini shared some useful tips on thestreet.com.

• Things like grocery shopping and personal care items are very flexible.
• You can do things like sign up for loyalty discount programs, plan to shop for only what is on sale, and use coupons to significantly lower these costs.
• Call your cell phone and cable/internet carrier to see if they could lower your monthly rate.
• For utilities, your gas and electric bill can be lowered by doing simple things like lowering your thermostat by just a couple of degrees. Alternatively using a space heater instead of heating the entire home is another option.

How to Save on Prescription Medications

For anyone who needs regular prescriptions to manage serious chronic health conditions, the soaring cost of their medications creates a real burden, especially during COVID-19 when many find themselves out of work.

Health care and what to do about it - particularly the high cost of prescription medications - is a perennial debate in the United States.

For years, people have traveled north for prescription savings. Certified online Canadian pharmacy are able to fill prescriptions for a fraction of the U.S. cost.

According to the survey, conducted by the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation (CPPI), Americans ordering their prescription medications from certified online Canadian pharmacies are saving an average of $228 per month - or $2,736 per year.

Recent price comparisons show that online Canadian pharmacies consistently offer Americans savings of 50-90% on brand-name prescription medications compared to leading U.S. pharmacies as well as GoodRx and Amazon Pharmacy.

The Real Impact

For example, patients who have heart condition require medications (i.e., Eliquis, Xarelto) to treat and prevent blood clots for everyday use.

Let’s compare the price of Eliquis (apixaban, 5mg), which is brand name medication manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb.

• The U.S. average retail price of 60 tablets Eliquis (a 30-day supply) is approximately $571.22 from local pharmacies.
• On Amazon Pharmacy, the price is a bit lower - about $509.30.
• The lowest GoodRx price for the most common version of Eliquis is around $499.48.

However, ordering from an online Canadian pharmacy instead of shopping locally, patients can save $4,165.80 a year, getting the same brand name Eliquis for only $152.33 per month.

Fortunately, some Canadian pharmacy also can source the same manufacture’s brand name medication from Turkey. The price is just 81.22 for 56 tablets.

How to Find A Safe Pharmacy Online?

CanadaOnlineHealth is certified by Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA). No hidden costs, no membership fees, just great savings on all your prescription needs.

Next time before you place order, especially on brand name medications, call them to see if they can match the price and help you keep more money in your pocket.

References:

• sfgate.com
• personalimportation.org
• thestreet.com
• earncheese.com
• cnbc.com