With the variability of dental insurance coverage, certain
dental procedures may turn out to be a little difficult on the pocketbook. We
all face unexpected expenses that become necessary, and dental health is
certainly one that we cannot simply avoid or put off. While everyone’s situation is different,
there are a few recommended ways or guidelines you can use to help you
correctly budget for that upcoming procedure.
1.
Lay the groundwork. You know that you absolutely
have to have a dental procedure, but you know that affording it might be a
little tough. We all have times in our life where we feel overwhelmed and adding
one more item to our list of expenses seems too much. Instead of panicking, sit
down, do some research, and come up with a strategy. It is always a good idea to begin tracking
and analyzing all of your expenses and sources of income. Luckily, technology
has made this a relatively easy task for many. If you have the capabilities,
create a spreadsheet in which you create categories for every expense and
income source. You should then access
your banking statement and start entering in every expense under its
appropriate category. If you have online banking, even better, as you can start
updating your spreadsheet daily. Create tabs for several months and enter in
all the expense data that you can. It might take you some time, but a little
bit of work will go a long way in accessing and taking on your situation.
2.
Assess your situation. Many times, people will
find a couple categories that will quite surprising to them in terms of how
much they spend. Dining out is a common one in which people can save a great
deal of money by simply cutting down how many times they go out to eat. Certain
fixed expenses, such as house payments, utility bills, and car payments can’t
be easily changed, but it’s those other areas, called flexible expenses, that
can be more easily cut. Figuring out how much money you have available after
fixed expenses is the key to budgeting for your dental procedure.
3.
Execute! Ok, so now you know how much your
dental procedure will cost, the timeframe, and how much flexible income you
have available per month. Now you can
make your budget, which will often involve cutting down on some of those common
flexible income expenditures. The key is to have a specific budget for every
expense and to stick with it. Make no excuses, and keep tracking all of your
expenses every day. People who look and update their budget spreadsheets every
day are much more likely to stick to their budget. If you have a family or shared budget, be
sure to let everyone know your plan and why you have plan. Just like a successful
football team always has a good game plan set in place before every contest, so
should everyone on your team at home.
Patrick Toms DMD is a leading Gainesville,
GA family dentist who can provide safe, effective teeth cleanings
for children and is experienced with a variety of cosmetic, restorative and
preventive dental procedures.
Eating cheese and other dairies is good for the mineral content of your teeth. Research has proven that calcium gives your teeth enamel.
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