Kevin McManus Law - June/July 2025

SAY YES TO THE CELEBRATION, NOT THE OVERSPENDING Celebrate Your Loved Ones Without Breaking the Bank

When wedding season rolls around and birthday invites start stacking up, it’s easy to feel like your wallet is under attack. Between flights, gifts, and party attire, the cost of celebrating your loved ones can add up fast. But with planning and savvy spending, you can still show up for the big moments without blowing your budget.

wearing something you already own or borrowing from a friend. If travel is involved, check if you can split an Airbnb or crash on a friend’s couch. BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR BUDGET. Money can be a tricky subject, but being upfront about your financial situation can help you avoid unnecessary stress. If an event is out of your budget, have an honest conversation with the host. Most people will be understanding and actually appreciate your transparency. Be sure to express gratitude and excitement for their big day, even if you can’t be there in person. STAY CONNECTED IN CREATIVE WAYS. Just because you can’t attend doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate! Send a thoughtful gift within your budget, offer to help with planning, or schedule a video call to toast their milestone. Your presence matters more than your presents, and true friends will appreciate any effort you make to share in their joy. Ultimately, celebrating your friends and family shouldn’t come with financial stress. The best memories don’t come from the most expensive gifts or the fanciest flights. They’re built on laughter, love, and the moments you share, no matter what that looks like.

PLAN AHEAD LIKE A PRO. Before you say “yes” to every invitation, take a moment to map out your year. Write down weddings, birthdays, baby showers, and graduations you hope to attend. Once you see them all in one place, estimating your total spending is easier. Set a realistic budget for each event, and don’t forget to factor in travel, gifts, and attire. Always do your research and verify prices for flights, hotel rooms, and registry gifts. CUT COSTS WITHOUT CUTTING FUN. Once you have a budget, look for ways to trim expenses without missing out on the fun. Instead of buying a new outfit for every event, consider re-

A $300,000 Win! HELPING A DISABLED ENGINEER GET THE BENEFITS HE DESERVES

Our client was working as a licensed professional engineer, designing and developing public infrastructure projects in St. Louis, when he sensed something was wrong. Nagging pain in his feet and legs was becoming so acute that he found it difficult to concentrate on his work. Plagued by pain 24/7, whether he was sitting, standing, walking, or sleeping, he sought help from a neurologist. The diagnosis, peripheral neuropathy, was serious and nearly impossible to treat. Our client did everything he could to continue working, but the opioids and other pain medications prescribed by his doctors impaired his thinking. To avoid the meds’ mind- fogging effects, he tried spine surgery, injections, and a consultation with a Mayo Clinic specialist, but the disabling pain continued. The pain and side effects of the medications eventually made it impossible for our client to work. He was approved for long-term disability

payments by Unum, a private disability insurer. When Missouri approved cannabis for medical purposes, our client embraced medical marijuana to avoid the risk of addiction to opioids. But Unum seized on that medication change to deny our client further benefits, saying he was no longer disabled and could perform some other kind of work. Alarmed, the engineer reached out to us. A detailed review of his policy clearly showed that our client was entitled to ongoing benefits. The contract assured coverage if he was unable to perform his “own job” — that is, his lifelong profession. The licensing requirements of his profession prevented him from working during treatment with medical marijuana. Also, an updated EMG reconfirmed our client’s ongoing peripheral neuropathy.

client, a judge quickly agreed and awarded him a continuation of his disability benefits plus all back benefits that were owed, for a total of $300,000. Our client was delighted and wrote in a review, “Kevin and his team … literally ‘snowed the insurance company under’ with a barrage of arguments so compelling that they ‘rolled over and played dead,’ reinstating benefits without question.” For us, helping this engineer get the benefits he deserved was a pleasure! If you have questions about long-term disability benefits, download my free guide on the topic from our website. And don’t hesitate to contact our office today.

After we prepared a carefully researched, well-documented appeal on behalf of our

2

KevinMcManusLaw.com • 816-837-4433

Published by Newsletter Pro • NewsletterPro.com

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator