Celebrate Labor Day By Searching For Unclaimed Property!
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
Happy Labor Day! This has been a challenging year in so many ways, so I hope you are enjoying the holiday. Here are two quick tips you might find useful:
Unclaimed Property
One of my great passions is searching for unclaimed property (often refund checks accidentally sent to the wrong address). Most states let you search by last name, and if you find something, you can generally file a simple form online and receive the money within a week or two. I’ve yet to find anything, but a recent search under my last name showed that my sister was due a refund check from Rent the Runway. After completing a simple form, a $65 check arrived a few days later.
I’ve definitely gone down rabbit holes looking up family members and, I’ll embarrassedly admit, more than a few random people I know.
Doctors’ Office Balances
As someone lucky enough to have a few chronic conditions, I see many doctors’ offices. Some of them are out-of-network, so I am generally responsible for paying upfront, filing insurance claims and maybe getting something from the insurance company weeks (or months) later. Unfortunately, insurance companies often reimburse the doctor’s office rather than you directly, and not all offices are very diligent about refunding you.
So, I recommend checking for any particularly large medical bills that you paid upfront but never received any insurance reimbursement. Two weeks ago, when looking at my online claim status on my health insurer’s website, I noticed that months ago, they had mailed a $580 check to a doctor I will likely not see again (or at least for a few years). On the phone, the office told me they were holding the money as a balance “for you to use at your next visit” (hah!). A few requests and a week later, I received a full refund.
And without further ado…Andrew’s pick of the week:
Boys State
Until recently, I’d never heard of Boys (and Girls) State, the American Legion-sponsored program that brings hundreds of high school juniors together for a week to form a simulated state government, complete with primaries, elections, and legislation. The new documentary Boys State focuses on Boys State 2018 in Texas, and the fascinating machinations that emerge when hundreds of boys, mostly conservative (and some pretending to be), descend upon Austin to elect a state governor. Like any great documentary, there is a hero, a villain, and plenty of twists.
At the moment, the documentary is only on Apple TV+, which has a fairly weak slate of exclusive shows (though I am kind of intrigued by the Fraggle Rock reboot!). I wouldn’t pay solely to watch this, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that anyone who has purchased a new Apple product since September 10, 2019 is entitled to a free year of Apple TV+. Just make sure to set an automatic reminder for 360 days or so from now to make sure to cancel it so it doesn’t renew.
I hope these tips are helpful. If you liked them, please share with a friend! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.