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💸🛡️ Fall “Bandwidth & Budget Reset” for Caregivers (2-Week Plan to Cut Costs + Stay Healthy)

Stuck in the Middle — Issue 218 — Monday , September 29, 2025

👋 Welcome

If you’re caring for parents and kids while working and trying to keep your relationship steady—you’re home. Today’s issue tackles a timely squeeze: rising bills + fall illness season. We’ll reset your budget, line up your legal leave options, and prep for flu/RSV in one simple plan. If this was forwarded to you, reply SUBSCRIBE and I’ll add you.

🧠 Big Thought: Small Systems Beat Big Willpower

When money is tight and someone catches a fall bug, chaos explodes. Don’t rely on willpower—build two tiny systems now:

1. a money autopilot (bill calendar + one-page budget), and

2. a health autopilot (vaccination plan + sick-day roles).
   These remove dozens of micro-decisions later and protect your energy for the emergencies that actually matter. (CDC recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone 6+ months; adults 75+ and many 50–74 with risk factors are eligible for RSV vaccination—ask the clinician.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/2025-2026.html https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/adults/index.html

🧰 Money Moves (2-Week Checklist — copy/paste this)

Goal: Free up cash flow, avoid late fees, and safeguard your job if caregiving spikes.

Day 1: Bill Calendar (10 min)
Download and fill this once; it kills late fees and surprises:
CFPB Bill Calendar (free PDF)
https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_well-being_bill-calendar.pdf

Day 2: One-Page Budget (15–20 min)
If it’s not on paper, it’s leaking. Use this simple worksheet:
Consumer.gov Make a Budget (free PDF)
https://consumer.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-1020-make-budget-worksheet_form.pdf

Day 3: Subscription Sweep (15 min)
Open your phone’s Subscriptions and bank “Recurring” list. Cancel anything you wouldn’t buy again today. The FTC’s “click-to-cancel” standard means companies must offer easy cancellation—use it:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-click-cancel-rule-making-it-easier-consumers-end-recurring

Day 4: Leave Safety Net (10 min)
Know your FMLA basics (job-protected leave for family/medical reasons). Skim this page, note your HR contact, and save it:
Department of Labor FMLA for Family Caregivers
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla/family-caregiver
FMLA Fact Sheet #28 (what’s covered)
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/28-fmla

Day 5: Sick-Day Roles (10 min)
Assign who covers meds, rides, meals if someone gets ill. Put phone numbers on the fridge.

Day 6–7: Health Autopilot (20 min total)

• Check fall vaccines and timing with your clinician:
  Flu season 2025–26: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/2025-2026.html
  RSV (adults): https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/adults/index.html

• Add your appointment dates to the bill calendar so they’re in one place.

Day 8–14: $100 Mini-Wins

• Call internet/phone provider and ask for promotions/loyalty rate.

• Move two prescriptions to a preferred pharmacy or mail order (often lower cost).

• Price your top 3 monthly expenses and switch one if the math makes sense.

🛠️ Tool of the Week: CFPB Bill Calendar (printer-friendly)

Pin it to the fridge. Late fees vanish when due dates are visible next to paydays.
https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_well-being_bill-calendar.pdf

📰 Reads (all free, no paywalls)

1. Consumer.gov: Make a Budget — dead simple monthly worksheet that actually gets used.
   https://consumer.gov/content/make-budget-worksheet

2. DOL: FMLA for Family Caregivers — your rights to job-protected leave.
   https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla/family-caregiver

3. CDC: 2025–2026 Flu Season — what to expect and who should get vaccinated.
   https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/2025-2026.html

🤝 SKOOL COMMUNITY

Daily support, live Q&A, templates, and people who are in the same trench.
https://www.skool.com/stuck-in-the-middle-community-1730/about?ref=4956bcfb588b4962b89c23002360ff83

💬 Connect With People Who Get It

Caregiving can feel isolating — and so can relationship stress.
Join our private Facebook group to talk to others who truly understand.

👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/stuckinthemiddlenews

💸 TOOLS YOU CAN USE — $9.99 “What Can I Let Go Of?” Checklist

Cut decision fatigue fast. Work through this worksheet bundle to find tasks to delegate, defer, or delete—and stop the guilt spiral.
https://briansacks.samcart.com/products/sandwich

💬 Reply & Engage Prompt

Which one mini-system do you want to implement this week: bill calendar, one-page budget, or sick-day roles? Reply with your pick and I’ll send a micro-guide.

↗️ Share the Relief

Know a friend in the squeeze? Forward this issue so they can set up their own 2-week reset.

P.S. Bonus

Reply SCRIPT and I’ll send a ready-to-use FMLA request email template + a 3-line “cancel that subscription” script.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS YOU CAN READ IF YOU ARE FRUSTRATED WITH A PARENT OR OLDER RELATIVE

grab a copy here https://amzn.to/3QIhlx7

If you are in this situation I think you will enjoy it!