Senior News Line: Saving money — it’s worth the effort

Have you applied for assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program? The program is available in all 50 states and is managed by the states. Therefore, there are different eligibility levels in each state as well as different cutoff dates to apply.

Take a look at their main website at liheapch.acf.gov and look up the specifics for your state. Click on “State Snapshots” to find information on the minimum and maximum available per person, the total funding for your state and more.

While the application process can be cumbersome — lots of paperwork and numbers to provide — it can be worth it.

Have you applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for help with buying groceries? At this writing, the work requirements are changing.

It used to be that those under age 54 must do some amount of work each month, approximately 20 hours per week. Now it’s changing and the cutoff is age 64 — below that age, you must work or volunteer.

It’s worth checking into because even one person, depending on income, can get approximately $300 per month.

As is typical with any program, applying can be complicated. Start with the SNAP directory at fna.usda.gov/snap/state-directory to find your state’s information. You’ll likely need documents such as utility bills, proof of identity and more.

Call churches in your area to ask if they have a food bank. It doesn’t matter if you don’t attend a particular church — they probably won’t ask.

Take advantage of the loyalty programs at your local grocery stores. Watch the sales flyers to help you decide where to shop each week and keep a small notebook with a list of the prices you usually pay.

Find out if your stores have senior hours where groceries can be as much as 10% off.

Saving money can mean a bit of work, but it’s worth it!