When it comes to the health of your kids, you should never take shortcuts. But what if you could get the exact the same level of care while saving a bunch of money? We did, and so can you. At the root of the problem is the fact that young kids make frequent trips to the pediatrician for well-child checkups, and they also get an awful lot of immunizations. As it turns out, many health insurance policies cover this sort of care at 100%, but they often place a relatively low cap on the total coverage (say $300-$500). Considering the price per visit to the pediatrician and the cost of certain immunizations, your coverage will be tapped out before you know it, leaving you to foot the bill for the balance of your kids’ well-child care. So how can you get more for your money?

In the case of our oldest son, we found that the local health department was a great source of immunizations. In fact, we were able to get all of his shots for a flat fee of $20/visit, no matter how many (or which) shots he needed. We still took him to his regular doctor for all of his checkups, but then we’d take the short drive over to the health department in order to get his shots. Although we had to pay the $20 fee out-of-pocket, we ended up saving a ton in the long run. Not only that, but our son got the exact same immunizations that he would have otherwise received at the (much more expensive) doctor’s office. While we no longer do this (our health insurance is now more generous when it comes to preventive care), it saved us hundreds of dollars when we needed it. If you’re in the same boat, then you should definitely check out your local health department.