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I loved Elizabeth’s post last week on cutting her spending and eating through her pantry. As much as I enjoy time in my kitchen, I am definitely not at her level…making her own pizza dough. Wow, I am thoroughly impressed and have decided I want to be like her when I grow up…or maybe when my kids leave the nest and I can cook what I want and not consider any of my picky eaters.

The kids and I are also eating through the pantry this month. While I did have to buy a few staples – milk, sandwich meat and some fruit, we are working hard to eat what we have. I chose to do this for two reasons:

We are leaving town for a week next Sunday so I would prefer not to leave the refrigerator/freezer stocked.
Saves us some money toward 1) our travel and 2) restocking the cupboards, etc. when we return.

We’ve tried some vegan recipes and a few other new recipes I found on the internet. I’ve been looking for new things to try based on the ingredients I have on hand. The ones we like get pinned to the fridge and the others go in the trash.

For December, I’m planning to do a month long meal plan instead of the weekly ones I’ve been doing. By doing this, it will make more sense to do a Sam’s Club run to buy some things in bulk. And probably stock our freezer again.

It will also be a good test of a new grocery budget…

Hope

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.

Are HSA’s Good for Large Families?

by Beks

I’m back! In case you don’t remember me, I blogged here while paying off my debt from April 2009 to February 2012. I went into debt again shortly after leaving BAD then spent years getting back out. I’ve been debt free for nearly three years now. YAY! The kind team who manages BAD asked if I’d be interested in guest posting. The community here is awesome so it was a no brainer – YES!

I’ll get into my debt mistakes in future posts but first I want to jump into a healthcare topic. I’m in the thick of healthcare Open Enrollment and I’m guessing many of you are too. My healthcare is provided by my employer and they have the traditional options: HMO, PPO, and Savings Plan (HSA).

WHAT IS AN HSA?
If you don’t know what an HSA is, this video explains it best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8SFZf3MLCM

I tried an HSA a few years back in between pregnancies because my employer was offering a $5,000 incentive. We had two kids at the time. At the end of the year, we spent a whopping $0 on healthcare. We didn’t make a single doctor visit outside of preventative care. That $5,000 is now invested.

WHAT’S THE RISK?
My husband, kids, and I are healthy and we don’t have any ongoing health issues. So why am I not jumping straight into the HSA? The incentive from my employer added to the amount I’ll save on the monthly premium is just shy of $3,000. The maximum out of pocket is $6,000. I need to evaluate the likelihood I’ll spend more than $3,000 on healthcare next year. If I think I will, we should stick with the HMO.

Part of the reason our family is healthy is because we spend a lot of time outdoors. We hike, we paddleboard, we bike, we MOVE… A LOT. While those are healthy habits, they are also riskier. Scrapes and bumps are part of the landscape. For example, our son fell a few months ago while we were camping and he needed stitches.

Historically, we haven’t incurred more than $1,000/year in medical costs (amount our HMO insurer paid was $1,000, we paid $0), pregnancy/delivery expenses excluded. The most serious has been stitches (once), a hand injury, and the occasional ear infection. But as the kids get bigger, I worry their health costs will increase. We have less ear infections but have more physical injuries. Lots of skinned knees as they learn to ride bikes, hike, climb rocks, etc.

BIG FAMILY = MORE RISK
When we first tried the HSA, we had two kids. We have four kids now. There are six people on the plan. SIX! And I’m crossing my fingers, hoping we won’t spend more than $3,000? Am I an idiot?!?

I’m leaning toward an HSA – I like a good gamble. Open enrollment closes in 7 days. Tell me why I’m crazy… or reaffirm I’m making the right call.

*And yes, I am aware that my healthcare situation is better than many others. I am tremendously grateful.

Beks

Beks is a full-time government employee who enjoys blogging late into the night after her four kids have gone to sleep. She’s been married to Chris, her college sweetheart, for 15 years. In 2017, after 3 long years working the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, they paid off more than $70K and became debt free. When she’s not working or blogging, she’s exploring the great outdoors.

Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

Eating thru the Pantry

Are HSA’s Good for Large Families?