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We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Extra costs as a disabled person - what are your life hacks?

Sam_Alumni

Thank you so much for all your input on the Extra Costs posts, it is so helpful to hear about your real experiences.

Following on from that conversation, do you have any ‘work-arounds’ or 'life-hacks' for the extra costs you face as a disabled person?

What hints and tips would you give to others?

My personal tip would be to google 'what am I entitled to with PIP/ESA/DLA (or whatever benefit you receive)?' as there are a lot of discounts and money off codes for disabled people, for example there is a card that entitles you to a free cinema ticket for a carer or supporter when you buy a ticket that I found out about recently.

Another personal tip that isn't necessarily for disabled people only is that a large bank in our town has a money lounge where you can go and sit, get free tea and coffee and hang out if you have a product with them, I didnt but got an account so I can access this. They have a great accessible toilet and lots of seating and so it eases my mind when I am in town as I know there is a space I can go and sit if I am struggling. Im also saving a fortune on getting cups of coffee!!

Let us know your tips, hacks or work arounds to save money as a disabled person? Let us know today.

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Comments

Nystagmite

Some things that are vat free aren't always cheaper than buying from somewhere like Amazon where you have to pay the vat.

Sometimes, it does pay to shop around.

Sam_Alumni

We have some hints and tips about saving money here too

thespiceman

Hello @Sam_Scope Good Morning How are you ?

I have always got tips, tricks, shortcuts to save money. Especially around food products, items and also many little things our community might be interested in.

My main tip is to if going shopping. Plan a menu for the week.
Do a stock check of all your cupboards, fridge, freezer.
Make a note of what you have. You might have all items for some of what you eat.
I use A4 lined paper with plastic folders and A4 binder includes my stock list.
Recipes and short cuts, tips tricks.
Buy what you need.
Stick to your list
Do not forget kitchen, toilet items.
Make a separate list for them
Have on list Tin Foil, Zip bags for freezing storing food.
Labels sticky ones.

Food Preparation
Buy Food Processor/ Blender Great for saving time chopping dicing. Any left overs blended in to Soup. Sunday Roast Veg for Monday evening meal.
Buy ready made meatballs cheaper than own freeze into zip bags in to sauce.
Most supermarkets sell them.
Plan if you can freezer meals for yourself. I have in freezer Bolognese with Ragu Sauce, Curry Sauce, Chilli and Pasta sauce in portions for me. Put in bags labelled plus into another large one zip bag to prevent just in case leakages
All left overs soup with Passata which are tin toms blitzed up saver there as well. Red Wine Vinegar Preservative.
Sieve for any bits and use either as soup or as stock cube to recipes.
Left over Curry Pastes, Tom Puree or anything with Spices in it freeze in icecubes trays taken out when solid. Into zipbags label
All Herbs chopped up with oil into ice cube trays the same.
Buy dried Herbs and Spices bulk. if you use a lot. Supermarket own brands often cheaper than buying on line.
Left over Cheese grated food processor use then into zipbags. Good for hard Cheese, like Italian or Cheddar good.
Vegetables from Supermarket or Markets most can be blanched and then shocked cold then dried. Then into zipbags.
Peppers can be diced up sliced, into zipbags. Potatoes boil, cool down ice water, zipbags. Ready for roasting or mashing.
Worth buying frozen vegetables like Spinach, Peas, Green Beans, Broad Beans Broccoli. Plus frozen fruit, Pineapple, Mango Cherries and Berries cheaper frozen than fresh.
Buy frozen fish I buy Coley, Mackeral now again Pollack all similar to Cod, Haddock,,Salmon cheaper than fresh.
Use Tin Foil for storing Meat prevents freezer burn, sometimes in polythene if not wrapped too tight. Prevents sticking to bars of freezer. Has happened. Label with stick labels date and what it is.
Then defrost in fridge in tin foil.
Buy cheap cuts of meat. I buy Chicken Thighs, not Breast, for example. Save a lot. Use a Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker saves time and money.

Try to have ago making your own sauces lot cheaper to make than you think. Saving loads on jars.
There are products out there to use like Ginger, Garlic, Chilli already done for you.
Having a kitchen with a food processor, blender.
Invest in a frost free freezer do not need to defrost.

I hope any body finds these useful. These tips tricks savers some I got from worker in kitchens as a volunteer,plus also I use my self from what I been gathering from personal experience.

nanof6

hi i boil enough spuds for a month 20min ( you would have to do 20min for 2 spuds ) mash them then with an ice cream scoop put them on a try, freese them, next day i bag 2 spuds in a bag , when they are all bagged up i put them back in the freeser, every morning when i want mash i just get a bag, of mash, i do the same with stuffing, and when i make a sponge cake i make 3 and put 2 in the freeser.

CockneyRebel

If you own your own car, check your annual mileage. If your mileage is very low consider a limited mileage insurance policy to save money. I saved about 75% on recent renewal

CR

serobinson

I have a large pressure cooker. Purchased from a charity shop for £5. Lots of veg in there for 10 minutes. Make soupe. Freeze what we don't use that day. Also have halogen oven. Can do pies, chips, roste potatoes, chicken and pork. As long as not overfilled. Get things that have reached the sell by date. Freeze or cook and freeze. Sausages and bacon split into bags for 1 meal and freeze.

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DavidM

Remap volunteers make items of equipment to help disabled people free of charge. These range from neat adaptations around the home like making the shower easier to use through to mobility aids and sports equipment. There are examples of their work on the Remap website.

CockneyRebel

If you are paying for window cleaning service there are products on the market that prevent dirt and dust from sticking, often used on car windscreens

CR

Dasiydo

I paid lot #Extra cost but I learn support not get paid for it but have paid for actives I do e.g Cooking, £3.25 £58 per month computer was £2.25 now £8.70 and 50p for Mother Day card and birthday card , At disability group I go to on different day in the morning going Risebrook Cafe have paid there for breakfast and had talk Meath health group well Recovery mealth health but promble on farm because buses won't be run and farm can't afford taxi got paid for taxi now ourselves At upper Morton farm and Lower Drayton farm I sick of #Extracost here give my free time as volutar(Learn support can't be volutar because haven't got funds for my half deaf so can't be volutar now) Just feel it madness

Nystagmite

Victoriad said:

Get a free bus pass plus companion free of charge anywhere within Scotland.

Get a Disabled Rail card £20 per year and enjoy 30%to 50% off all rail travel within U.K.

The 3 year railcard is £54 for the 3 years.

April2018mom

I use the benefit money to get adaptive equipment for my son. Also I am currently looking into alternative funding options.

April2018mom

When I am at a hospital appointment I have a written list of questions. I also found support in the form of online support groups for parents and families too. Being a mom of a child with a disability is isolating only if you let it be that way.

pollyanna1052

DavidM said:

Remap volunteers make items of equipment to help disabled people free of charge. These range from neat adaptations around the home like making the shower easier to use through to mobility aids and sports equipment. There are examples of their work on the Remap website.

I`ve just had browse of Remap`s website and boy! are those guys genious! Marvellous bits of kit!