Served as a Caregiver
Served as a Caregiver
When my mom, who had recently become a widow, needed a shoulder replacement I knew that I would step in as her main caregiver. I took her to appointments and stayed with her in the hospital. After the surgery she moved in with us for a few weeks while she recovered. Our normal rhythms were thrown off a bit which meant dinner was often takeout, and the amount of money we spent on gas increased with trips to and from the hospital, checkups, and physical therapy. Being a caregiver wasn’t a huge financial burden, but I was thankful we had savings to fall back on and to cover those random expenses we didn’t plan for.
MilSpouse Money
Mission Response:
Thank you for sharing your experience as a caregiver, Gina. It is wonderful that you were able to support your mom through her surgery and recovery. What a beautiful photo!
Caregiving when a family member is ill or injured may be an unexpected event in your life. Sometimes we’re fortunate to know ahead of time if a family member needs support through a planned procedure. In this instance, you can plan for changes in your budget and adjust to meet varying income and expenses. Another possibility is an unplanned medical event or accident that can happen without notice. You may have to make significant adjustments to your schedule, employment status, and finances to help. Having financial resources at hand to cover travel expenses, lodging, dining out, and other out-of-pocket costs can help ease the financial burden during what may be a challenging time. Experts recommend having an emergency fund set aside with three to six months of living expense saved in an easily accessible account, such as a money market or savings account. Start with $1,000 as an initial goal and contribute each pay period until your reach the right level for your family. Consider automating your contributions to make saving easier! Learn how an emergency fund helped Ingrid and her family in this short video.
