We’re all beginning to look for a few ways to save some extra cash each week. It takes discipline, planning and a willingness to cut unnecessary costs, but, in the end, is well worth it! That’s especially true if you can continue to do a job you love. In this post, we’ll specifically cover how traveling medical professionals can save money on travel nurse housing.
Your housing stipend can make all the difference…
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
Regardless of who you choose to work with, you’re going to need housing. Many agencies provide housing or assist in helping you get settled. While that’s certainly an option, another option with greater flexibility is to take the housing stipend they give. This allows you the ability to choose exactly where you want to stay and for how much. If your housing costs less than the stipend allows, you can pocket the difference!
Of course, an important related question is…how is the travel nurse housing stipend calculated? This can be confusing and sadly isn’t a straight-forward answer. That’s because the stipend will vary based on factors including the state where you’re planning to work. Check out the article linked above for an in-depth look at how these rates are calculated. Then, prepare a list of questions for your recruiter and discuss them together until you feel comfortable with the answers. Make sure you know what the stipend will and won’t cover and ask about tax implications.
Once you know the stipend amount that you’ll be receiving for your new contract, take some time to look online at the area you’re considering. Think about where a good location would be that isn’t far from work and is close to gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants etc. Send messages, call and get more information from potential landlords.
Choose travel nurse housing wisely to make your dollars count
Anyway, to wrap things up, the key to saving money on travel nurse housing is to do your research. Get as much helpful information as you can from co-workers, your agency recruiter, other travel nurses online and more. Here in the Shreveport area, our fully furnished short term rentals are a great solution for traveling healthcare staff. We offer a discount to RNs and our owner, Debi, works hard to ensure that her condos have all the essentials you need. This includes utilities such as trash, electric, water, cable TV as well as washer and dryer units in each rental. In addition, when you rent from Shreveport Bossier Corporate Housing, you get a condo with a fully equipped kitchen area that has pots & pans, fridge, stove, Keurig machine and more.
To ask about current availability or for further details, give Debi a call at 318-548-6156 or send a message via our Contact form. We look forward to working with you!
Sources: https://www.travelnursing.org/hidden-costs-in-travel-nursing-tips-on-how-to-avoid-them/, https://www.passportsandpreemies.com/how-much-money-should-you-save-before-becoming-a-travel-nurse/#/, https://www.policygenius.com/personal-finance/news/im-a-traveling-nurse-heres-how-i-budget/, https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-travel-nursing-agencies-4845995
