Confessions of a Soccer Mom

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The Confessions of a Soccer Mom

Confessions of a Toddler Mom

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Confessions of a Toddler Mom: Toddler Mom Survival Tips

How To Save on Prescriptions

As many Americans struggle in the current economy it’s time to look at ways to make our dollars go further, especially in the prescription medicine arena. Here are some tips to save some money while taking care of yourself.

Some Americans have been driven to extreme methods to afford their medications, such as traveling to Mexico or Canada to fill their prescriptions. While this may work for some, keep in mind that other countries have different regulating laws. There may be additional inactive ingredients or variations in the levels of active medication. But there are other ways to trim the amount you spend each month that don’t involve being bussed over the border.

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR
Sadly, the insurance companies sometimes dictate which medicines will be covered. Be sure your doctor is writing a prescription for something that your plan will pay for. If you don’t have prescription insurance be sure to ask for the generic version of the medication and have it filled at a pharmacy that offers the lowest price.

Your doctor may also be able to help you by prescribing a longer or larger supply. For example, if you pay $10 per prescription and your doctor is providing you with a month’s supply, ask him or her to write the prescription for a 90-day supply. That will save you $80 a year on that one medication. If the doctor is writing a prescription for 30 tablets, ask if he or she will make it for 90 tablets. Are you willing to cut the tablets in half if it will save you money?

Always ask for samples. Doctors often have boxes to give out, but with all they have on their mind they may not offer this to every patient. But it never hurts to ask! Keep in mind that the samples will probably be the brand name medication, so be sure your doctor gives the pharmacy permission to fill your scrip with the generic version.

PRESCRIPTION ADVOCACY
Many pharmaceutical companies have advocacy programs to help consumers gain access to their products, but the paperwork can be complicated and the deadlines vary from brand to brand. Some states have prescription advocacy services to help residents bring the cost of medication down. There are also discount plans that have a prescription advocacy program available to their members. This is an excellent way to save a lot of money on a long-term or maintenance medication.

DISCOUNT PLANS AND CARDS
Some pharmacy chains have special plans for their loyal customers or for senior citizens. See if you qualify for some additional savings in this way. You can also check into a discount plan, which usually gives you a membership card for an annual or monthly fee. The card slashes the price of prescription medications when used at a participating pharmacy. This is a terrific strategy for people who are uninsured as the discount cards and plans are usually very affordable in comparison to insurance premiums.
This is also a great option if you find yourself falling into “the donut” – part of the year when you have maxed out your benefits or have gone over your plan’s limit and are expected to pay for everything out of pocket until the new calendar year begins.

MAIL ORDER
Many insurance plans and discount plans have pharmacies that will deliver medications directly to your home, usually at a huge savings. This is perfect for those maintenance medications that you want to have on hand in larger quantities to be sure your supply never runs out. This also saves you a trip to the pharmacy, which is an added convenience.
As our economy becomes more difficult to navigate people will come up with even more strategies for saving money on medications. Please always keep health and safety in mind as well as minding the laws of our great nation.

Pancake Puffs Are Fun and Yummy!

Last year I asked for a Pancake Puff pan for Mother’s Day. DH thought it would be another one of those gadgets that would take up space in our tiny, already overstocked kitchen. No Pancake Puff pan arrived and Mother’s Day came and went. Not only was I disappointed, my kids were totally crushed. My boys don’t need much persuasion to eat anything covered with maple syrup, but my daughter has an aversion to most solid foods. I have tinkered with my pancake “recipe” – which is actually pancake mix with added whole wheat flour and PediaSure instead of milk or water – and now she actually downs plates of pancakes, so surely the Pancake Puff would be all the more appealing. Not to mention all the other treats I could turn out for desserts and bake sales (no more tired rice cereal treats from our house!).

Then the holidays began to loom in the near future, and DH and the Beloved Offspring searched for the perfect gift for me. After many failed attempts he finally asked me what I wanted, and I jumped at the chance – A Pancake Puff! He was cornered, and I had him right where I wanted him!

On Christmas Day we welcomed the cast-iron Pancake Puff into our household, and the next morning we set about to make our first batch. I had secretly been doing research online, reading consumer reviews and comments, so I was prepared for the learning curve about how to flip them over just right, how long to heat the pan and how melted butter worked better than non-stick spray. I am a notoriously poor cook (must be all that recipe tinkering I am forced to do) but my little Pancake Puffs turned out great! And they got better and better the more I practiced my flipping technique.

I had family in town, so I whipped up a batch of cake puffs for dessert. They also got rave reviews, although I had no idea how very many puffs one little box of cake mix would make! I was shackled to the stove until all the batter had been puffed. But we have plenty of yummy, fluffy puffs to share with neighbors!

I mentioned my Pancake Puff to others, and soon we were swapping ideas and comparing results. I think maybe we have started a little cult. I was blown away at the idea of making corn bread puffs, while my egg-and-cheese puffs had everyone drooling with possibilities.

Bottom line – the Pancake Puff is fun! It pretty much works the way the ad says it will, and although we haven’t had any luck filling our puffs yet so far it’s been a big hit with my family and friends. I would say it was certainly worth the wait!

Happy New Year!

Here we are in 2009! Seems as if "change" is the word of the year, although to me change is what I count while trying to scrape together money for groceries.

But seriously, folks, this is the time of year when many of us try to overcome our bad habits and adopt new, healthier ones. Are you one of those people? When I was in Weight Watchers my meeting leader once told us that it takes 9 months to create a new life, so why would it take any less time to form a new habit? I tend to agree with her, although sadly bad habits seem to take hold immediately.

AmeriPlan has a great Online Wellness Program that will help you, whether you're trying to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more. We have an entire panel of highly qualified physicians, exercise physiologists, nutritionists and dietitians who designed our unique programs that will provide guidelines and tracking of progress to help you achieve a healthier more balanced life. And best of all, it's included with our discount health benefits plans!

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