So many of us in the past few years have moved to high deductible health insurance plans. For my family of 7 it’s the only affordable option. A true high deductible plan (meaning you have to pay everything until you reach the deductible) has one large perk that many people over look. You may find that you actually want to pick a high deductible plan after considering this.
Before I go further keep in mind that many high deductible plans still have the same “Max out of pocket” amounts as traditional co-pay plans. However most traditional plans do not count doctor visit co-pay or medicine co-pay amounts towards the max out of pocket. So if your plan has $6500 as your max, you could end up paying around $7000+ once you factor in all the co-pays for each visit and medication! For folks on a high deductible plan, every dollar you pay applies (even medicine) to the deductible, and once the deductible is met they pay everything.
Paying less each month and paying less total out of pocket already gives a high deductible plan two gold stars in my book. There is another reason though that sold me on this plan, Health Saving Accounts.
What is a Health Savings Account?
With any true high deductible plan that has a deductible of at least $1,300 for singles or $2,600 for families you are eligible to open a Health Savings Account. Many people get them confused with Flexible Spending Accounts, and that is a horrible mistake. That makes your accountant cry (or turbo tax if it knew how to cry for you).
Health Savings Accounts are a magical world of tax freeness that anyone eligible should take advantage of. You can put up to $6,750 a year (or $3350 for singles) into a HSA and all the money goes in tax free. Meaning the IRS looks at it as if you made $6,750 less than you really did. This lowers your federal tax levels and also you don’t pay Medicare and Social Security tax on contributions. Total that is around a 20% in tax savings for most tax payers. As long as you use the money to pay for health care needs it will always be tax free, even on the interest the account earns. No other investment account is like this! Retirement plans are either tax free when you put the money in or when you take it out, but not both.
You can put your money in and use it the same year to pay deductibles and other needs, and you’ve already saved the amount of your tax bracket just by “funneling” it through your Health Saving Account (very mafia sounding I know). The better financial option (if you can afford it) is to use your Health Saving Account as a long term savings account though. The money you put in can sit in an HSA account for as long as you want, you don’t have to use it this year or next year. You don’t even have to keep the health insurance plan you have, they won’t take your money from you. You can invest the money in mutual funds, earning a good 7-10% interest every year… As long as you eventually use it for health care needs that money still comes out tax free.
Humor me for a moment and let’s pretend you put $3,000 in an HSA account this year that is invested in mutual funds earning a very basic 5% APR. You invest this for 8 years and then switch insurance plans and never invest another dollar.
In 20 years you’ll have $44,145 in the account. You only put in $18,000 of that. The other $26,145 is your earnings, tax free earnings… Save this for when you are older and you’ve funded your own long term care. In 10 more years (30 years total) you’ve got $82,000 in the account!
These are very conservative numbers since you could invest up to $6,750 if you are married and earn higher interest as well.
How to Get Started
For today only Amazon is offering up to 60% off select sleepwear! This includes pajamas for men, women, kids, and baby.
Go ahead and order now (and choose 2-day shipping) so you’ll have them for Christmas Eve!
Deal Ideas:
Calvin Klein Sleepwear Set $18.99 (reg. $70)
Frozen 2-Piece Pajama Set with Robe $19.99 (reg. $48)
This offer is valid through today only. Shipping is FREE with Prime or with orders of $49 or more.
Read More→
Are you looking for a deal on a Furby Connect? Right now Amazon is offering them for $39! These toys are regularly $100. Choose between several different colors, too.
Amazon also has lots of other toy deals right now as well. Save on VTech, Shopkins, and more.
And don’t forget – you’re going to need batteries. Lots of batteries…
More Amazon Deals:
Deal Ideas
Furby Connect, $39.99 (reg. $99.99)
(deal of the deal – variety of colors are included)
Shopkins Kinstructions Scene Pack- Bakery, $8 (reg. $19.99)
Star Wars Rey’s Speeder Bike (Jakku), $9.35 (reg. $24.99)
VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop, $11.50 (reg. $26.06)
Melissa & Doug Suspend Family Game, $10.99 (reg. $16.99)
Melissa & Doug Spelling Board, $15.99
Triceratops Adventure Game, $18.73 (reg. $49.99)
VTech Kidizoom Selfie Cam, $35.87 (reg. $57.38)
Big Picture Apples to Apples, $7.60 (reg. $19.99)
Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots, $7.88 (reg. $29.95)
Just Dance 2017 Video Game $19.99 (reg. $39.99)
VTech Go! Go! Smart Animals Pet Train $10.25 (reg. $34.99)
ALEX Toys Craft My Embroidery Kit, $10.49 (reg. $30)
Grab last minute gear for anyone on your list that got a new phone or iPad this year! Gresso Miami, a premier phone accessory company that specializes in runway-inspired collections, is offering 15% off their entire store plus FREE 2-day shipping on any order!
Use code LASTCHANCE15 to get the discounts at checkout.
This makes gorgeous and fun phone cases starting at $22 shipped! You won’t find these designs anywhere else, and personally they are a lot more fun that most out there!
Starving in the middle of your Christmas shopping? Print the new Oscar Mayer P3 coupons to save on a quick pick me up!
If you have vowed you are not going back out till after Christmas, then save your coupon and use it on a sale later.
New Oscar Mayer P3 Coupons
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other great coupons to print:
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Do your kids love Berenstain Bears? Right now you can get 19 FREE Berenstain Bears Kindle eBooks from Amazon! This will help for holiday road trips.
Keep in mind that even if you don’t have a Kindle you can download free Kindle apps to read these eBooks on your computer or mobile devices.
This offer can change at anytime so don’t miss your chance to get these FREE eBooks!
See more freebies
Here’s a great deal on Starbucks coffee from Target.com. Today only, you get 30% off coffee and coffee makers, plus when you buy (3) bags of coffee you get $6 off!
Shipping is FREE and they will make it in time for Christmas!
Starbucks Coffee Deal
Buy:
(3) Starbucks Bagged Coffee, 10-12 oz, $7.99
-Get 30% off (exp. today, 12/20)
-Get $6 off (exp. 12/31)
-Choose Subscribe & Save to save 5%
-Use your Target RedCard to save 5%
-Free Shipping (receive by 12/23)
makes it $3.72 shipped each
Note: For Subscribe & Save, you can cancel your subscription anytime after delivery and not be charged again.
Offer ends today, 12/20
See more online shopping deals
A new Bi-Lo ad starts on Wednesday. It’s a smaller ad, but still has a number of great deals in it. Head over and start making your shopping list and gathering coupons.
Here are some of the top deals in the ad (for all the rest of the deals head to the main Bi-Lo deals page).
Bi-Lo Top Deals
-
Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies, 9.9-14 oz, at $3.89 ($1.94)
-$1 off Keebler cookies, 6 oz + (850 points) printable
-$1 off Kellogg’s or Keebler or Cheez-It products (unlock offer), limit 1, excl MorningStar Farms products and Kellogg’s Special K bars, Checkout 51 mobile coupon
(use $1 off mfr and $1 off eCoupon, makes it FREE) - Snack Factory Pretzels Crisps or Tortilla, 7-8 oz, at $3.99 ($1.99)
-$1 off Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps Product, 4 oz +, tearpad
-$1 off Snack Factory pretzel chips, 5 oz+, SS 11/13
(makes it 99¢) - Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bars, 6-10.4 oz, $2.50
-$1 off Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars, Special K Bars or Rice Krispies Treats squares, 5-ct, + (850 points) printable
-$1/2 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars printable (limit reached)
-$1 off Kellogg’s or Keebler or Cheez-It products (unlock offer), limit 1, excl MorningStar Farms products and Kellogg’s Special K bars, Checkout 51 mobile coupon
(use $1 off mfr and $1 off eCoupon, makes it 50¢) - Dixie Crystals Sugar, 4 lb, $2
-.55/1 Dixie Crystals granulated sugar, 4 lb or Poly bag, 2 lb, light brown or powdered sugar, Winter Family Savings booklet or printable
-.55/1 Dixie Crystals granulated sugar 3-4 lb.+, or polybag light, dark or powdered sugar, 2 lb., SS 11/20
-.55/1 Dixie Crystals granulated sugar 3-4 lb.+, or polybag light, dark or powdered sugar, 2 lb., SS 12/04
(makes it 90¢) - Pepsi Products, 8-12 pk. 12 oz, $2.75
-$1 off Pepsi Zero Sugar, 12-pk. 12 oz cans, limit 2, Checkout 51 mobile coupon
-.50/1 Diet Pepsi 20 oz bottles or 12-pk. 12 oz cans, limit 1, Checkout 51 mobile coupon
-$2/2 Pepsi Cola 12 pk., 12 oz cans printable
-$1 off Pepsi Cola Zero Sugar sodas, 12 pk., 12 oz cans printable
(use $1 off mfr and $1 off eCoupon, makes it 75¢) - Town House Crackers, 9-13 oz, at $3.89 ($1.94)
-$1 off Keebler crackers, 8 oz + (850 points) printable
-$1/2 Keebler crackers or Cheez-It baked snack crackers, 8-16 oz, RP 11/13 (EXP 12/25)
-$1 off Kellogg’s or Keebler or Cheez-It products (unlock offer), limit 1, excl MorningStar Farms products and Kellogg’s Special K bars, Checkout 51 mobile coupon
-$1/2 Keebler crackers, 8 oz+, RP 12/11
(use $1/2 mfr and $1 off eCoupon, makes it 94¢ ea.) - Skippy Peanut Butter, 9-16.3 oz, at $2.99 ($1.49)
-.75/2 Skippy peanut butter item, SS 11/13
-$1/2 Skippy peanut butter item, SS 11/13
-.50/1 Skippy peanut butter item, SS 11/13
(use .50/1, makes it 49¢) - General Mills Cereal, 9-12.2 oz, at $3.49 ($1.74)
Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios or Cookie Crisp
-$1/3 General Mills Big G cereals, SS 11/13 (EXP 12/24)
-$1/2 General Mills Big G cereals, SS 11/13 (EXP 12/24)
-$1/3 General Mills Big G cereals, SS 12/04
-$1/2 General Mills Big G cereal: Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex, Lucky Charms printable
-$1/2 General Mills Big G cereals: Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Reese’s Puffs, Fiber One, Cookie Crisp, Golden Grahams, Kix, Total, Wheaties, Dora the Explorer, Oatmeal Crisp, Raisin Nut Bran, Basic 4, Star Wars, Tiny Toast, SavingStar eCoupon
-$1/2 General Mills Big G cereals, SS 12/04
(use $1/2 mfr and $1/2 eCoupon, makes it 74¢ ea.) - Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken Soup, 10.5 oz, 80¢
-.75/5 Campbell’s condensed soups printable
-.40/4 Campbell’s condensed soups, SS 11/06
-.75/5 Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle, Tomato or Cream of Mushroom soups printable
-$1.20/3 Campbell’s condensed soups, SS 11/06
(use .40/4, makes it 60¢ ea.) - Del Monte Vegetables, 11-15.3 oz, 60¢
-.40/4 Del Monte canned vegetables, single cans, SS 11/06
-$1/8 Del Monte canned vegetables, single cans, SS 11/06
-.55/4 Del Monte canned vegetables, 11-15.25 oz, (Publix Coupon), Season’s Greetings flyer or printable
(use .40/4 mfr and .55/4 competitor, makes it 26¢ ea.)
Stock up on Crest toothpaste and toothbrushes for kid’s for only 24¢ each when you pair in a printable coupons with a Balance Rewards deal at Walgreens.
This deal ends 12/24, so print your coupons and head to the store! These would make for simple and easy stocking stuffers if you need a few items.
Crest Coupons
- Buy:
(2) Crest Kid’s Cavity Protection Toothpaste 4.2 oz, $1.99
Use:
(2) -.75/1 Crest Pro-Health Stages or Crest Kids toothpaste, 4.2 oz+ printable
Get Back: $2 BR
like getting them for 24¢ each
- Buy:
(2) Crest Kid’s Toothbrush, $1.99
Use:
-.75/1 Crest Kids, Oral-B Pro-Health Jr. or Oral-B Pro-Health Stages manual toothbrush printable
Get Back: $2 BR
like getting them for 24¢ each
Deals end 12/24
other coupons to print:
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