by Hope
My entire family has traditional health insurance for the first time in many years. We’ve got a high deductible health insurance, dental and vision. It is causing a pretty penny, but the feeling of security on that front is really nice. It costs approximately $1,070 from my monthly income, but I am happy with my choices.
In addition, I am maxing out contributions to my HSA (my company contributes $1,200 and I will contribute $6,000.) It’s me and three of the kids on everything and I added History Buff for he insurance he does not currently get through his full time job.
And we’ve already put it to good use…several times.
Princess cut the tip of her finger off in welding class which landed us in the ER. (We tried an Urgent Care first, but they took one look and sent us off to the ER. No charge.) There wasn’t enough rescued of the tip that was caught off to sew it back on or enough skin to put in stitches. So she’s letting it heal as an open wound. Thank goodness for youth and quick healing.
The 10-12 hour work days have forced me to regular chiropractic visits. After the first visit with x-rays, each visit has been $45. Very reasonable and effective, in my opinion.
And we are all scheduled for our dental cleanings. Unfortunately, the closest dentist that takes our new insurance is right at an hour away.
I am so grateful for this new adventure and the opportunities and stability it has brought to our lives. It’s certainly a change and a lot of stress. But I continue to love my new job AND even better my newly hired assistant started this week so I anticipate getting a bit more stability with dedicated back up.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
