Advice ! Saving for surgery

I have been seeing a plastic surgeon and I am planning for an abdominoplasy and breast reduction/lift in 2017. It will be quite expensive, but I am committed to getting the procedures! Although i am so glad for my RNY, the excess skin is severe.

For people who paid for plastic surgery or their WLS out of pocket, do you have any tips on how you saved up? I've cut out my makeup addiction, daily Starbucks, and non-thrifted clothes. Any other tips would be super! 

Brown bagging lunch and cooking at home instead of takeout or restaurants. 

Hi! Hopefully I dont offend any vets with my response. I'd like to preface my response in that I am not a know it all about this, I just happened to have to pay out of pocket for my surgery and have some input.

For my WLS, I paid $10,600 + $1,200 for insurance for complications out to 90 days

I actually took a loan for the entire surgery, and paid the insurance out of pocket. I looked at multiple loan agencies for it and ended up going with Prosper. I got around a 6% interest rate on a 5 year loan, or a $300 payment and I believe the total loan amount was around $11,300 after I pay it off w interest.

For me, that was worth it than trying to save up to lower the monthly bill some. I have full intent of early paying and being done with my loan in a year and a half or so.

I have no idea how much plastics are, so that may not make as much sense.

I work my "big boy job" M-F 8-5pm, and I do Shipt grocery delivery as a shopper in evenings + on Sundays (not for 6 weeks). That lets me bring in around 800 a month in addition to my salary to help with these types of expenses.

By the way, congrats on your fantastic weight loss! 

Thanks Chris! Sounds like that makes sense for you, but I haven't acquired any new debt in 5 years, so I'm not about to start :)

This is also waaaay less medically necessary than my WLS.

My plastics will come to close to $20,000 total, but will be partially covered by health insurance (probably about half). The rest I'm going to scrimp and save for.

If you want to do it next year and it costs half of $20,000 - that's $10,000 or about $850 a month to save to get it next summer. A second part-time job may also help.

PS  As for PS, while I applaud your no-debt philosophy - the longer you delay, the less benefit you get from PS.   That is why most people do a combination of savings and borrowing. 

Thanks for the reply. I think a PT job might be the way to go. 

Wow is that true? I've never heard that the longer you wait the less benefit you get from plastic surgery. 

I meant that as you put it off, you get older, and doing it as 60 instead of 55 means that you enjoy it 5 years less. 

This cost was a huge investment in your health.  I bet you pay if off sooner and, if needed, continue to stash that money away for something important -you will know if you need plastics - or a house, boat, etc.

Get rid of cable and get a Roku box/Netflix account and an antennae for basic channels instead. Get rid of your home phone or switch to VOIP (we just got Ooma). Keep your car maintained so you do not need a new one for a while. I know someone *****nted out her house and moved to an efficiency apartment to save money. Cut back on all non-essentials.

HERE is an article with more good ideas.

If I can do it anyone can. Good luck!!