Finance

Are Rent-To-Own Chicken Coops Worth It?

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rent-to-own chicken coops

If you’ve visited the grocery store recently, you know the price of eggs and chicken meat, has gone through the roof. That rise in prices has led to some consumers to scale back on how much poultry they eat. Others are taking an approach that may seem drastic but can have a more positive affect on their food budget: rent-to-own chicken coops.

Desperate Times Demand Chicken Coops

An increase in the price of poultry and eggs may seem to some like no big deal. After all, if inflation is going up everywhere, eggs should not be that big of a deal, right? Wrong.

Some egg brands have more than doubled in price, and there’s no indication that the prices will go down. When you take into account that people tend to stock up when things such as eggs are rising in price, that means that eggs are harder to find.

Then you must factor in changing popularity of certain cuts of chicken. At one point it was generally accepted that chicken wings were a “lesser” cut of meat.  Now wings are arguably the most expensive cut to buy by the pound. Chicken thighs were often overlooked in favor of meatier chicken breasts, but now the prices are practically even. There are seemingly no more “cheap cuts” of chicken anymore.

As a means of cutting out the middle man, it could make more sense that a person with the right means would want to raise chickens and save on egg and meat prices. This is a great idea, in theory. However, there are certain considerations that need to be taken into account before making that commitment.

What to Consider

First of all, one must consider that the cost of eggs and the cost of chickens are two different things. A chicken alone can cost anywhere from $10 to $90. That is certainly more than the cost of a carton of eggs. You will likely have to have multiple chickens to meet the demand of your family’s egg consumption. That’s not taking into account the amount of actual work you have to do to take care of the chickens. You’ll likely pay a minimum of $16 for each bag of chicken feed. When you start to put all of those costs together, raising chickens can be quite expensive, that’s before the cost of the chicken coop itself.

Cost of the Coop

Rent-to-own chicken coops can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. Taking a course about the rent-to-own chicken coop process is a good idea if you do not want to shell out several thousand dollars at once on a venture that you may not carry through for the long haul. There are numerous companies that offer rent-to-own chicken coops at different price points and with different payment plans per month. Even for a modestly sized coop, you can expect to pay upwards of $150 per month for a commitment that will last in excess of one year for sure. That is no small chunk of change.

Offsetting the Cost

If the monthly payments worry you, just remember that there are ways you can offset the cost. Some states have agricultural tax exemptions if you raise poultry. You can also look into potentially selling any excess eggs as a means to close the cost gap. As long as you’re selling directly to customers and not trying to work through a store, you can sell your eggs without any kind of license.

Considering Your Commitment

Taking on chickens is not a small decision to make. You are not simply putting new animals on your property, you’re beginning a new commitment. It’s a major lifestyle change. Before taking the plunge, reach out to others who have made the same decision you are considering. Get to know the ins and outs before you fully commit to the endeavor of farming chickens.

 

 

 

Changes Coming to Social Security in 2023

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social security planning

Social Security is supposed to be a sure thing for everyone who pays into it. If there’s one thing the last few years have taught Americans, though, it’s there are few sure things. There are some big changes coming to Social Security in 2023. If you aren’t ready, those tweaks can negatively impact your retirement plans. Here is what you need to know about the upcoming Social Security changes and what you can do to deal with them.

What Stays the Same?

There are numerous changes in play this year, but the debate as to whether the age of retirement should be raised or lowered remains at a standstill. The full retirement age remains the same at 67 years old, a change made in 2022.

Of course, this does not mean that you must wait until 67 years old to begin pulling your Social Security. The minimum retirement age is still 62 years old. However, withdrawing your Social Security checks at 62 will result in a lower payout than if you were to wait until full retirement age (but more on that as we go).

A Change in Cost of Living Adjustment

Due to the rise in inflation over the last year, it is expected that the Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA, will go up. This increase is considered historic. If you wait until full retirement age (FRA) to start pulling your social security check then you can expect your monthly check to increase by $282 to $3,627 a month. If you do not wait to achieve FRA then you will likely only receive an increase of $140 a month.

In theory, more money is a good thing, but the truth is that the increase may not be enough to meet the challenge of inflation. Due to consistent inflation, Social Security benefits have lost roughly 40% of the buying power that they once had. Times are tough all around, but they should not be tough during one’s retirement. Unfortunately, this trend shows little sign of slowing down in the long-run.

Playing the Long Game for Greater Reward

Waiting until the full retirement age of 67 is not required to start drawing social security, but may be the best option for some to consider. Waiting until the full retirement age could net you a delayed retirement credit of 8% of your yearly benefits earnings on top of the maximum benefit earnings amount. That’s a significant chunk of change.

The longer you wait past the minimum retirement age of 62, the more money you stand to collect. It is understandable this isn’t a possibility for all people who reach retirement age, yet waiting to any degree can still net you more money. It is simply a matter of how long you feel you’re capable of putting off retirement.

You also have the option of working while pulling your Social Security. This is a good option for those who need to work yet also require the assistance a monthly check can provide. Be warned, however, you cannot make more at your job than your benefits provide, or they can be pulled from you.

Higher Earnings, Higher Taxes

If you earn more money, then you will have to pay more money into income tax. Prior to this year, the maximum amount of money that was subject to Social Security taxation was less than $150,000 ($147,000 to be exact). This year, employees who make upwards of $160,000 can expect to pay upwards of $13,000. That’s because Social Security funding comes primarily from payroll taxes.

What You Should (Probably) Do

If the new changes to Social Security have you worried, take comfort knowing there are things you can do to put yourself in a better position.

Save Save Save

One of the first things you can do is prioritize bulking up your savings. It is understandable that it putting back money in times of high inflation can be difficult, but if you can bite the proverbial bullet, you just may be able to set yourself up a nice nest egg to go with your Social Security benefits.

Keep Your Eye on the Economy

The best thing that you can do to use your Social Security to its fully potential is to stay vigilant about the state of the economy. Staying in touch with economic trends can help you be able to better allocate the use of your Social Security checks.

Have a Plan

If you want to make your Social Security checks stretch, then you need to have a plan for your money. Some people have enough money from their Social Security checks to cover their needs comfortably, while others may find that they need to get a little more creative. Whichever side of the financial spectrum you fall on, it is imperative that you have a plan.

Creating a monthly breakdown of what you will need during your retirement is imperative. Without any kind of a plan, you may find that it becomes difficult to manage your checks on a month-to-month basis.

Reach Out For Help

If you find that the changes made to Social Security have made things more confusing than necessary, do not be afraid to reach out for help. If you bank with a major banking network then there is a good chance that your bank offers financial advisory services. A financial adviser can help you navigate the murky waters of Social Security changes, both before changes occur and after they have taken effect. They can help you put together both a long-term and a short-term plan for your Social Security payments.

Best Choices For Sustainable Coffee Mugs

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sustainable, reusable coffee mugs

When you’re trying to be more environmentally conscious it helps to buy products that you know you can use more than one time. Keeping in mind what products you can and cannot recycle is important. If you’re the kind of person who likes to frequently drink coffee on the go, you may think that your paper travel mug is recyclable. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Paper travel mugs, the type offered by most coffee chains, are not recyclable because they have a thin plastic coating that prevents the cup from absorbing the coffee and getting soggy. That is not a good thing for the environment. If you want to truly help the environment while feeding your coffee addiction then the thing you need to have is a reusable travel mug.

Benefits of a Sustainable Coffee Mug

A sustainable coffee mug is a great thing to have because it is a small, but effective, way to minimize your waste footprint on the world.

Another benefit, depending on where you like to get your coffee, is that you can get a discount when you bring your own coffee cup. This may not work in all major chains, but it is certainly worth asking about, especially at your local coffee shop.

KeepCup Toughened Glass & Natural Cork Reusable Coffee Cup

A travel mug does not have to be aesthetically pleasing in order to be worthwhile, but it is certainly a bonus. The KeepCup reusable coffee cup is so pretty that it has actually inspired some inferior knock-offs. However, the knock-offs are not of the same quality.

This mug features a natural cork grip to prevent burns. It has a tempered glass body with a white non-spill lid. It is a fantastic eco-friendly travel companion.

Joco Glass Eco-Friendly Travel Mug

This tempered glass travel mug from Joco also has Instagram-worthy aesthetics. While there is nothing to confirm this, allegedly the design of the body of the mug makes for easier mixing of creamer and sweeteners. Like the option from KeepCup, it features a completely transparent glass body, with a silicone grip and a top with matching colors.

HereandNowPottery Large Reusable Mug

If you want a truly unique travel mug then it does not get more unique than these incredible handmade mugs from HereandNowPottery. Each mug is completely handmade and fired with a lead-free white glaze to keep your coffee-drinking experience a safe one.

These mugs are eco-friendly thanks to the fact that they leave zero waste behind. The company even uses an energy-efficient kiln that heats the ceramic material up to a stone quality. This prevents the mug from being able to absorb moisture from the coffee. Not only does it keep your coffee warm for long periods of time, but it looks beautiful too.

Yeti Rambler

If you are looking for a mug that can hold up to 20 ounces and get you through your morning routine, this option from Yeti is what you are looking for. It features a rather plain, no-nonsense design. But don’t let that put you off. This is a workhorse coffee mug made of stainless steel. While the lid does not prevent spills or leaks, it is magnetic, meaning it will lock tightly to the body of the mug. This mug will keep your drinks hot or cold for hours thanks to its double-walled insulation. Best of all, if it should become damaged, there’s a five-year warranty!

bioGo Cup

Sustainable replacements for common products often come with compromises. Fortunately, the bioGo Cup does not come with such compromises. This cup uses rice husk fiber, ditching the typical glass and stainless steel designs. One thing that it has that many travel coffee cups don’t have is a flip function on the lid. It is not spill or leak-proof, but it does offer a further degree of protection than many of the lids used on other travel mugs.

BruMate Toddy

One of the biggest drawbacks to most travel mugs is that they usually do not have leak or spillproof lids. That feature alone would make the BruMate Toddy easy to recommend, but there is thankfully much more going on with this mug. It features a handle, which is always a plus. The handle is placed higher up on the body so that it is easy to place in most cupholders.

Its body is specially insulated to keep your drinks hot or cold for up to seven hours. It is also dishwasher safe, which is not found in a tremendous number of reusable mugs.

Contigo Autoseal Travel Mug

This travel mug features a modern design that will keep your drinks hot or cold for up to 5 hours. It has a durable, stainless steel body and comes in a few different colors. It fits most cupholders, and best of all features an autoseal lid, which makes it spill-proof.

MiiR TruEnamel Camp Cup

If you truly want a sustainable travel mug then it does not get much better than a mug from a company that has been certified as Climate Neutral. This stylish and ergonomic mug may not be dishwasher safe, but it makes up for that with its lifetime warranty. On top of that, it features an ergonomic design that works with many cup holders. Its glass enamel design carries no odors from prior drinks.

Circular & Co. Travel Mug

If you want evidence that a travel mug is reusable, then perhaps the best evidence for this offering from Circular & Co. is its own existence. Not only is this travel mug recyclable, but it’s also made up of recycled coffee cups. It, admittedly, only keeps your drinks hot or cold for roughly 90 minutes. However, it is guaranteed to last up to ten years and features a fully leakproof lid.

Stojo Collapsible Coffee Cup

One of the most frustrating things about carrying around a travel cup is the amount of space the cup takes up when you are done drinking from it. This unique, collapsible travel cup from Stojo solves that problem beautifully. With an integrated straw, you can sip to your heart’s content while you are on the go. When you are finished you can simply collapse the cup to a size that fits perfectly in a purse or even in your pocket.

 

How to Find Sustainable Coffee Shops

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sustainable coffee shop

People are looking for all the ways they can reduce their carbon footprint: driving electric cars; buying alternative home fuel. One small way to lower one’s carbon footprint gaining popularity is seeking out sustainable coffee shops.

A sustainable coffee shop goes beyond being a coffee shop that recycles its garbage. They are committed to keeping their waste and carbon footprint very low. If you’re trying to find a coffee shop committed to sustainability then here is everything you need to know from what to look for in such a shop to how to find one.

What a Sustainable Coffee Shop Does

A sustainable coffee shop will engage in practices that set it apart from regular coffee shops. Here are some of the practices that you can immediately notice about a coffee shop to tell you whether or not it is running on a sustainable model.

An Emphasis on Recyclable Materials

One of the most obvious signs of a sustainable coffee shop will be a reliance on recyclable materials. So many coffee shops utilize coffee cups that are made of paper, save for a thin veneer of plastic that coats the cup’s interior. A sustainable coffee shop would be using totally recyclable coffee cups.

Instead of plastic trays and cutlery, they may place an emphasis on cardboard trays or wooden cutlery. They would also be using absolutely no Styrofoam as it is a non-recyclable material. You will likely not find any plastic drink stirrers either. For stirring you’ll find they use good old-fashioned metal or wood spoons.

Contributing to Recycling Efforts

One of the easiest things to notice about a coffee shop to determine whether or not it is sustainable is if there is an active emphasis on recycling. It does not simply mean that there are recycling bins, but that they are giving clear instructions on what items you have in your order that can be placed in those bins.

Bring Your Own Cup Incentives

One mark of a coffee shop that is dedicated to the ideals of sustainability is the BYOC (bring your own cup) incentive. There are coffee shops that offer a discount to customers willing to bring in their own coffee cups rather than use the disposable options from the shop. This practice not only saves you a little bit of money, but also water.

Do They Use Sustainable Coffee Brands?

There are numerous brands of coffee on the market that have made a commitment to being sustainable and environmentally friendly. You may have to ask around at different shops to purchase their supply from sustainable brands.

What makes coffee sustainable?

A coffee brand is sustainable if it makes the living conditions for the environment and people who cultivate it better. The sad truth of the coffee industry is that many of the farmers who grow and cultivate coffee face poverty. Buying from brands that pay farms fairly is an important marker of sustainability.

Coffee brands that are made from coffee farmed on land that promotes biodiversity are also important. Most coffee farms tend to rely on pesticides and other chemicals that can harm local wildlife. A sustainable farm finds concessions to promote biodiversity so that the growing of coffee beans is a process that does no harm.

Another mark of a sustainable coffee shop is whether or not they place emphasis on using paperless receipts. If they participate in compost programs in your area is also a fantastic sustainable move they will likely make. They will also use either reduced lighting or LED-based lighting to cut back on energy use and promote energy efficiency. There are even coffee makers and espresso machines that are designed to use minimal amounts of energy.

How do I find a sustainable coffee shop?

As with most things these days, if you want to find something you usually want to start with the internet. Coffee shops with sustainability as a point of conduct will typically advertise themselves as such. You can also call around to various coffee shops in your area and ask them directly if they are sustainable. However, this is a benefit that is typically only available to those who live in big cities.

The sad truth is that if you live in a small town, then your local coffee shop is still your best source of coffee. Driving a considerable distance to find a coffee shop that is sustainable burns more gas, which goes against the entire point of sustainability. However, if you are going on vacation or traveling for some other reason you can always have sustainable shops marked for your destinations.

There are also online resources that can help you find sustainable coffee shops. These lists are always updated as shops open and close, so you can stay up to date on the locations you may want to visit. Social media is also a great, real-time solution to finding sustainable coffee shop options.

What You Can Do

If you do not have any sustainable coffee shop options in your area, you may feel somewhat defeated on the subject. That does not mean that you should give up. If you don’t mind stirring the (coffee) pot a little bit, then you can start asking your local coffee shop what they do to be sustainable. Use it as a conversation starter. Make suggestions. If your local shop does not have a “bring your own cup” incentive, then suggest one.

The most important thing you can do is get the word about sustainability and what it can do for the planet, and how even your morning cup of coffee plays a part. The more that people learn about sustainable coffee, the more likely they will be to ask for it in their local coffee shop.

How to Write a Financial Planning Essay

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A woman writing a financial planning essay

Whether you’re running a company or managing your personal finances, organizing finances can be daunting. Some people are able to make it week to week and month to month without doing much financial organization. They’re seemingly able to just work with what they have and not worry too much about staying organized. This is a rare skill.

If you have financial goals that you wish to achieve, then writing a financial planning essay is absolutely essential. A good financial plan has to go beyond merely jotting down what money you have coming in and what you have to spend it on. If you want to make any real progress in getting ahead, then you need a plan that goes in depth. You need a financial planning essay. Here you’ll learn everything you need about how to write a financial planning essay and what one can do for your financial future.

Why Write an Essay?

If you have money, you likely already have some idea of how you need or want to spend it. So, why would you want to write an essay, something most people don’t do past college? The answer is simple: clarity of short-term and long-term financial goals.

When writing a financial planning essay, you’re putting down in detail what your financial plan is. You’re also defining the manner in which you will carry the plan out. It’s one thing to sit down and list your expenses and your projected income, but it’s easy for spending to get out of control without a more meticulous plan in place.

Writing in essay form helps you keep track of how much money you have coming in. You also keep track of where it came from. By sitting down and carefully describing where your money is coming from and how, when, and where you are going to spend you are being explicitly clear in your goals.

What Information Goes in a Financial Planning Essay?

Financial planning is a process that requires you to know how much money you have coming, what expenses you have, and when that money must be paid. It also enables you to factor in money and assets that are already available to you.

Weighing Options

If there is an expense your current budget does not cover, then you need to address it in the essay. Maybe you have goods around your home that you could pawn? Can you take out a loan? Maybe you can borrow money from a friend? Any means by which you can bring in money should be listed in your essay.

If you include borrowing money in your financial essay you need to also include how you plan to pay it back. If you take a loan that requires you to pay in installments, you need to feature those installments as part of the essay.

Structure

When creating a financial planning essay there is no real “right” way to go about organizing the content. However, as with any essay, if you want it to make sense it must have some form of structure. Here is just one potential financial planning essay structure that you can utilize:

  • Money goals – In this paragraph, you should state explicitly what your financial goals are and in what time frame you intend to meet them.
  • Current funds and assets – This is where you list your current amounts of money or assets that can be leveraged to get money.
  • Income – This is where you state your income and the intervals at which you receive it.
  • Outgoing expenses – This is a detailed account of what bills and expenses you need to pay in the given time frame that you have chosen. You must also outline how exactly you will pay each of these expenses.
  • Alternative means of income – This is where you detail any alternative means of bringing in money. These are sources you perhaps had not yet considered in your goal-making. Perhaps you have decided to take on a side hustle? Maybe you are thinking of donating plasma for money? Maybe you are considering having a garage/yard sale? Perhaps a family member owes you some money? Whatever alternative money you could have could make a huge difference in helping you achieve your financial goals in a more timely manner.
  • Goal implementation – This paragraph is arguably the most important one. Here you break down what your goals are when you wish to accomplish them, and how you intend to do it. Putting your goals and your plans for carrying them out is critical because you are giving yourself a perfect guide for how to achieve your financial goals.

Holding Yourself Accountable

The biggest reason for writing a financial planning essay is to hold yourself accountable. When your funding comes in, the essay is your point of reference to keep on track. Think of it as a map that shows you exactly where your money needs to go.

On the other hand, the essay also serves as a means to cushion the blow of any potential disappointment. Life happens, and sometimes when life happens you have to spend money. When this happens you can look to your essay to remember. Remember that the circumstances that set you back were unforeseen.

At the end of the day, all you can do is stick to your financial plan as best you can. It is okay to be a little tough on yourself when you misspend, but you should never beat yourself up over it either. Work your plan to the fullest of your ability. Only then you will be able to meet your goals.

Is Cheap Physical Therapy Good?

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cheap physical therapy

Physical therapy isn’t cheap. Anybody who has had a debilitating injury or condition will tell you that. While an individual session may be affordable, many treatment plans last for months or even years.

The price for each physical therapy session varies, as the treatment plan is customized to the patient’s needs. The most common price for a physical therapy session is roughly $150. Depending on the treatment center, it can be a little more or less per session. That is not counting the cost of the initial evaluation, which is typically more in-depth and expensive than regular sessions.

If you have health coverage, you can typically expect your insurance policy to cover up to 80% of the cost of your physical therapy sessions. This means that for every $150 you spend you can expect to pay roughly $30. That’s fairly affordable, depending on the number of days per week you require physical therapy. There are methods you can use to save even more money on physical therapy, but that can beg the question: Can cheap physical therapy be good?

Defining ‘Cheap’

When talking about “cheap” physical therapy, remember that the term cheap is subjective. What is affordable to some may not be affordable to others. For some, it’s cheaper to spend a larger sum of money up front, but spend less over the long haul of a treatment plan. For others, it will make more sense to spend the smaller amount upfront, even if recovery takes longer. Financial outlay is a tightrope walk only you can assess for yourself.

Quality of Care

Whether you’re paying a large amount of money or not, you’re entitled to good quality care. There’s no reason to opt for “cheap” physical therapy if a basic standard of care isn’t met.

Cost Effective Treatment

Your insurance is usually the first means to get affordable PT. If you’re approved, your insurance will likely handle the bulk of the costs. However, that $30 per visit becomes more expensive if you have to make multiple visits per week for many months. There are cost-effective means to get your physical therapy beyond the amount of money that your insurance covers.

Trainee Opportunities

It is possible to receive free or reduced-cost physical therapy. There are many physical therapy facilities that offer services to patients who are willing to receive the treatment from trainees. To some, this may sound like being a guinea pig, but such sessions are always conducted under the supervision of fully trained physical therapists.

What About DIY Solutions?

If you’re looking to save money, the do-it-yourself approach can be a viable option under the right circumstances. This doesn’t mean that you should go out and start buying exercise equipment and using YouTube for your reference. You still need to speak with a doctor and physical therapy specialist to determine if it is safe for physical therapy sessions to be conducted at home. You probably still need to shell out money for at least an initial evaluation.

Once you have gone through your evaluation, you have the chance to take stock of what you’ll need to do physical therapy at home. You may have to buy things such as dumbbells, ankle weights, a medicine ball, and exercise bands. It’s unlikely insurance will cover the cost of these items, but the money you save in the long run can justify the cost.

Is this method a good idea? If a physical therapist approves of the approach and you’re willing to stick to your therapy regimen, then yes. If you worry you may fall behind, or overdo it, then no. Home physical therapy is like regular physical therapy: You get out of it what you’re willing to put into it. If you’re diligent and dedicated to your recovery then you can stay on track and save money at the same time. If you are lax and fall behind you will end up spending more money. This is because you will spend more time catching up.

There’s An App For That

These days there’s an app for everything. It should come as no surprise that there are numerous apps that can make doing physical therapy more affordable. With these apps, you can stay on track with your PT schedule, discover new ways to approach PT, and achieve your PT goals.

  • PT Pal Pro – PT Pal Pro is a program designed to increase your engagement with your physical therapy. It allows you to access your treatment plans, keep track of appointments with text message reminders, and access notes about their treatment.
  • PT Timer: Stretch and Exercise – It can be easy to say that all you have to do for PT is to exercise. However, you can botch an exercise and hurt yourself even more. PT Timer: Stretch and Exercise is an app that will coach you through your exercises so you do them correctly. It will count your reps and sets and even send a progress report to your physical therapist.
  • MyRehab – This is an app that features high quality videos and images. The images show the patient how to properly do their PT treatments. It also features information on follow-up care and first-ad should you have problems.

Paying in Cash

It may sound somewhat counterintuitive to pay for a physical therapy treatment center in cash to save money. Sometimes, though, the most expeditious treatments that can help end your need for physical therapy may not be covered by your insurance. If your insurance is only willing to cover treatments that may take more time than necessary, paying in cash may be the solution.

Like many medical practices, some physical therapy centers that allow you to pay in cash often charge less money to uninsured patients for treatments than they would normally charge an insurance provider. This will, of course, cost you more money upfront. In the long run, however, you will find that it may save you very real money.

Having this kind of cash on hand may not always be possible. With insurance driving up medical prices, it may be worth moving savings to make it a possibility. Long-term savings could mean the difference between receiving care and not going bankrupt along the way.

Discuss the difference in price paying in cash with your physical therapy center. Consider if the cash payment option is a better way to go. Oftentimes being upfront with what you can afford better enables the doctor to treat you and stay within your budget. Your physical therapist wants to help you. If helping keep your budget is a part of that, most practices will work with you.

 

Can You Do Inexpensive Physical Therapy On Your Own?

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Can you do physical therapy yourself?

When you have an injury or a chronic illness that makes staying mobile difficult, physical therapy is often prescribed. However, physical therapy (or PT) can get pricey, especially if you don’t have insurance. This is why so many people try to find ways to do physical therapy inexpensively, at home.

When trying to find inexpensive physical therapy there’s one question that inevitably comes up: Do I have to go to a treatment center or can I do physical therapy on my own at home? This question is tricky to answer because there are variables that should be considered. Here is everything you need to know if you want to do physical therapy on your own. (Disclaimer: Don’t consider this post the final word in physical therapy advice. Consult your doctor before making any decisions about physical therapy.)

The Major Caveat

The biggest caveat about doing physical therapy at home: it isn’t always possible to do. If you think that you’ll be able to simply look up your condition, find helpful literature or a how-to video, and create a physical therapy regimen that will get you back on track, you are sadly mistaken.

When You Should Not Try Physical Therapy At Home

There are certain scenarios in which doing physical therapy on your own is not only a bad idea but actually impossible. Here are the main scenarios in which home physical therapy should not be attempted.

  • If you are dealing with a recent injury, particularly if it is still causing grievous pain.

  • If your doctor deems it critical you do physical therapy at a physical therapy center.

  • If doing physical therapy on your own poses a danger to you.

If you are attempting to save money by doing your physical therapy from home, be advised that it is never worth going against the doctor’s orders just to save money. You may make your health worse and have to spend more money if you injure yourself because you tried to do your PT in a different way than your doctor’s recommendation.

What a Specialist Can Do To Help

You’ll have to see a physical therapist to determine the best course of action for your treatment. A physical therapist can give you an evaluation to determine what your therapeutic needs are. Once they have a full understanding of your therapeutic needs, they can start to develop your treatment plan.

Your treatment plan is a highly personal thing that is designed to cater not only to your injury or condition but your whole body. The plan that one patient is given will not be exactly the same as another patient with a similar condition. This is a big reason you can’t just turn to the Internet for help.

Prepare Your Space

If you’re serious about using your home for your physical therapy regimen, you need to make sure your home is able to accommodate your needs. You need a space in your home in which you can keep any equipment you’ll use during physical therapy. The space needs to be clear enough that you can do any and all exercises.

Stay Diligent

If you are sincere about doing your physical therapy regimen on your own, you must be diligent and consistent. If you don’t stick to your treatment plan you risk undoing all of your hard work. Not sticking to a physical therapy regimen is a big drawback of attempting to do it on your own. It’s easier to fall out of your routine if you have the convenience and comforts of home surrounding you. Stick to your plan. It’s the best way to ensure recovery.

Take Proper Precautions

Another concern about doing physical therapy at home instead of at a treatment facility? Safety. There are numerous things that could go wrong when doing PT at home that may not have crossed your mind. Here are some things you need to keep in mind in order to do your physical therapy in a safe manner.

Don’t Push Yourself Too Much

The core idea of physical therapy is to push yourself and build your endurance so that you can return to or maintain a life of normal physical activity. Some people make the mistake of thinking that they need to push themselves to extremes in order to achieve desired results faster. This is a big mistake.

You may think that pushing yourself to your limit will make it easier for you to resume normal living, but you can actually set yourself back. Pushing yourself too hard, be it with stretches, exercises, or even how long you make each session last will only serve to tire you out and put further strain on your soft body tissue. This means that you will spend more time trying to recover from your physical therapy before starting your next session.

 

Inexpensive Physical Therapy Exercises You Can Do From Home

If you are going to do physical therapy from home then it helps to know what kind of exercises you can do from home. These are exercises that do not require the extensive equipment that you may find in a treatment center.

  • Stretches

  • Bow and Arrow Stretch

  • Burpees

  • Calf Stretch

  • Corner Stretch

  • Hamstring Stretch

  • Bodyweight Squats

  • Crunches

  • Push-ups

  • Planks with a raised leg

  • Sit-ups

  • Side bends

Master of Your Own Care

Remember that taking on physical therapy on your own is a big responsibility. There will be times when you may not feel it is worth it. There will be times that your health may not seem like good enough motivation to stick with it. In those times you need to think of your loved ones and those who may need you. If you can stick to your PT regimen then you can get your life back to normal.