LASIK has helped millions of people achieve great eyesight, permanently making their lives more enjoyable and their experiences more memorable. You can even read about some of our patients’ personal LASIK testimonials. One thing about LASIK that can turn people away is the intimidating price tag. While LASIK can be very cost-effective long term, at around $2,000 dollars per eye many, many people just don’t have the ability to handle the upfront cost. Not to worry, there’s plenty of ways out there to help you save money – and here’s three to get you started!
Make a Budget and Stick to It.
It’s easy to make small purchases here and there and never really keep track of how much you’ve spent. If you’re not careful, all of those little $5 – $10 snacks and trinkets can really burn a hole in your pocket.
Sit down and make a realistic budget that you can maintain. Look at how much you make in a month and subtract all of the necessities. That means, housing costs like rent or mortgage, vehicle costs like insurance and gas, and food. Be as honest as possible with yourself on how much you need to spend on the ones that don’t have a specific cost- set a limit for yourself and physically record each time you go grocery shopping or fill up your tank. This will allow you to check in every once in a while to make sure you aren’t going over. Don’t forget to leave yourself just enough money in your budget to have some fun- saving money is a marathon, not a race. If you wear yourself out, you won’t make it to the finish line!
Think About How Much You Actually Need What You Are About to Buy.
Stores (both physical and online) are designed to feed off of your impulses. The longer you stay in them, the more susceptible you are to buying something you might regret. Whenever you are about to purchase something not specifically outlined in your budgets like clothes or a videogame, try waiting for a day or two after your initial impulse. More often than not, you will realize that you already have too many tops, or that you might not even have time to play another video game.
Another similar tip is to visualize your money as the time spent earning the money. Say you make $10 dollars an hour after taxes, and the thing you are about to buy costs $60. This means you are effectively spending 6 hours of your time on this purchase. If you really want to buy that new game or a fancy new shirt, think hard about how much joy it will give you and for how long. Smart investments are ones that payback!
Keep Dining out Special – Cook at Home More!
Going to a restaurant is fun, there’s no doubt about it. Saving yourself the trouble of cooking leaves you with time to talk with your friends and family, and is less stressful (unless you enjoy cooking, of course). However, buying just the ingredients to make your food cuts out a huge expense. Restaurants charge so much because they need to pay their overhead- wages, business costs, and the food while maintaining razor-thin profits. By skipping all of that and making the food yourself, you will end up saving thousands of dollars over the course of the year.
Plus, most restaurants aren’t too concerned about how healthy the food is. They want to be cheap to make and tasty so you’ll come back. When making your own meals, you’ll probably think twice about pouring half a shaker of salt onto your fries!
The Goal is Achievable.
Remember as you start your saving journey- you are saving up for something that will change your life. Transitioning may be difficult, but absolutely worth the battle. You will form habits that will last long after you save up for LASIK, and you’ll be able to see the results with your own eyes! We are located right in Boston, and setting up an appointment has never been easier!
