Essential Tips for Hosting a Successful Yard Sale TURN CLUTTER INTO CASH
Have you noticed a lot of clutter in your home? Do you want to do something with it before the holidays arrive and family visits? There’s no better
in the days leading up to the sale. If you plan to take Venmo or other cash apps for payment, consider printing out the QR code for shoppers to scan. This will help speed up the checkout process. Promote your yard sale. People will not stop at your yard sale if you don’t do anything to draw attention to it. Post on your local community page on social media, informing others about your garage sale. Put up signs at the entrance to your neighborhood and around the community. You can even create a larger sign to place in your yard to draw attention from passersby. Get help. You cannot run a successful yard sale by yourself. You need someone in charge of the cash box to take payments and make change and at least one other person to roam and talk to customers about the items, answer questions, and oversee the entire operation. Use family members, friends, or anyone else trustworthy and willing to help. Teamwork makes the dream work, especially if your dream is to have a profitable yard sale!
option than hosting a garage or yard sale. Selling your unneeded items is a much better solution than throwing them away, and October is one of the best months to set up a yard sale — weather permitting, of course. If you’ve never hosted a yard sale before, or your previous attempts didn’t bring in the profit you hoped for, don’t worry! You can implement a few effective strategies to ensure your yard sale is a success. Here are a few you can try before your next yard sale. Prepare beforehand. A common trap many fall into is trying to have a spontaneous garage sale. Without gathering your items, determining the prices you’re willing to accept for them, and putting up signs, you will struggle to sell anything. Get everything organized and prepped
Lower Medicare Drug Costs in 2025 What You Need to Know
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is making big changes to Medicare Part D, the program that helps pay for prescription drugs. One of the most important changes is a new $2,000 limit on how much you must pay out-of-pocket for medications each year. This will save money for people taking expensive drugs but could also make it harder for some insurance companies to keep their plans affordable. Why Are Costs Changing? Medicare Part D helps cover the cost of prescription drugs, but it hasn’t always covered everything. With the new law, people with Part D will pay less when picking up their prescriptions. However, this will make it more expensive for insurance companies that offer these plans. As a result, monthly premiums — the amount you pay to have the drug plan — might go up. To help control costs, the Inflation Reduction Act includes a rule to limit how much the base premium can increase each year. In 2025, the base premium increase is capped at 6% over the previous year, although individual plan premiums can vary and might increase more or less. Key Changes Coming in 2025 1. $2,000 Spending Cap: A major change starting in 2025 is the $2,000 cap on
out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs. After you spend $2,000 in a year, you won’t have to pay any more for covered drugs. 2. Insurance Covers More: After reaching the $2,000 limit, your insurance plan will pay a larger share of drug costs, and Medicare will pay less. This aims to help keep the Medicare program stable. 3. No More Coverage Gap: The “donut hole,” a gap where people used to pay more for their medications, will be eliminated in 2025, making your drug costs easier to understand. Will Premiums Go Up? While exact premiums for 2025 haven’t been announced, the government is taking steps to keep costs manageable. CMS has introduced a program to help stabilize premiums, especially for stand-alone drug plans that aren’t part of a Medicare Advantage plan. Despite these efforts, your plan’s premium might still change. What You Should Do • Review Plans: During open enrollment from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, review your options. It’s important to shop around because different plans will have different costs and coverage. • Review Your Coverage: Your plan from last year might not be the best option
in 2025. Check what each plan covers and how much it costs to make sure it meets your needs. • Seek Help if Needed: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the changes, ask for help from a licensed insurance agent. They can help you review plans and find the one that’s best for your needs. Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs: The new $2,000 cap on drug spending will reduce costs for many people. Premiums Could Change: With insurance companies paying more, your premiums may go up, but the government is working to keep increases reasonable. Open Enrollment Is Key: Use the open enrollment period to explore your options and switch to a plan that suits your needs and budget.
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These updates aim to make prescription drug costs more predictable and affordable for people with Medicare. Staying informed and actively reviewing your plan each year during open enrollment can help you get the best coverage for your situation.
2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
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