It’s no secret that one of the scariest parts of LASIK isn’t the surgery itself – it’s the price tag. The words “An average of two thousand dollars” and “per eye” definitely don’t sound like they belong together. But what if that cost could be broken down into something more manageable? As it turns out, it can! Using a CareCredit card, you can take that huge lump cost and spread it out over the course of months, interest-free. That makes a huge difference when it comes to planning out your finances. Now all you have to do is save up for those payments every month! You could try:
- Preparing your own food. That means brewing your own coffee in the morning, making your own lunches to bring to work, and cutting your own fruits and vegetables. Not only will you feel better and look better, but any fat you lose will go straight to your wallet. Depending on how much you eat out and where you live, you could end up saving $2,000 in one year just by making your own dinner alone! There’s half of your LASIK already!
- Using public transportation. The cost of gas adds up quickly when you take your car everywhere. Not many people enjoy taking the T or the city bus, but the fact is, convenience is expensive. In this case, it also happens to be bad for the environment. So by sucking it up and buying a pass on the tram, you’ll be seeing more green in the wild and in your pocket!
- Waiting before you buy. If a video game that you really want to play is released, or you see the perfect pair of shoes that just have to have, don’t buy it. Not yet, at least. Wait at least 2 weeks and if you find you’re still thinking about it, then you can indulge. If it’s a smaller purchase, sometimes all you need is 10 seconds to be completely honest with yourself before you realize you barely even want it, much less need it. More often than not, you’ll find that forcing yourself to delay your gratification will allow you to cool off and make you question why you would even consider spending your hard-earned money.
- Quitting smoking. Easier said than done most of the time, but no one has ever said it wasn’t worth it. Smoking not only entails the egregious cost of the tobacco itself, but the medical costs could end up costing you thousands, or worse, your life. You don’t have to quit cold turkey, but it’s never too late to cut back!
- See if your employer offers a flexible spending account. FSAs allow you to set aside pretax money over the year and use that money for certain kinds of medical expenses that aren’t usually covered by insurance, such as LASIK. This means whatever percentage you’re taxed at is how much you’ll be saving on your LASIK!
Finding little ways to save up really adds up, and along with the significant lifestyle improvements that LASIK can offer and the money you’ll save on never having to worry about contacts or glasses again, it’s no wonder most people think LASIK is more than worth it!