Just when you think you have it all figured out

About a week ago on a Friday night, I opened the mail.  Since I had been away for a few days the pile of mail was bigger than normal.

I opened up each envelope. It was almost as if the mail-person had seen inside each envelope. As I opened each one, the dollar amount of the bill inside was larger and larger.

An invoice for my part of my mammography bill from last July.  Why did it take so many months to show up in my mailbox?  And why is it when this procedure used to be covered fully by my health insurance, I now have to pay for 25% of the procedure??

Next was the car tax bill.  Yes, in  South Carolina we pay a property tax on our cars EVERY year.  Fortunately, since my car is old and has high mileage the bill was not huge but it was bigger than my balance of the mammo bill.

This was followed by my club dues.  Yes, yes I know, I chose to live someplace where this is a mandatory fee and due monthly.

My Home Warranty bill for the next year also arrived.  The time from year to year for this bill seems to fly.

Loews also hit my table with the credit card bill for my new appliances.

Lastly, my HOA dues for the year arrived along with all the other items listed above.

Talk about lousy timing.

And coming up, 4/1- quarterly HOA dues (in addition to the annual dues listed above).

Life Insurance will come due in May.

UGH !!

I sat at the table with my checkbook and this stack of bills along with the normal monthly expenses (cell phone, water, electric, internet and on and on).

I looked like a Poker Dealer in Vegas.  I shuffled the bills by amount, date due, date late and priority.  I also made sure to leave enough money for gas, groceries and the vet.

Finally I had a game plan.  I wrote out the checks or scheduled the payments.

Mission accomplished!!

That was on Sunday.

Then Monday arrived.

My phone rings and it's Jenn.  "Mom, there is something wrong with my car."  We arrange to meet at a nearby gas station.  If she can't make it there I will go find her.  Jenn pulls in right before I do. They take the car into the bay and after a little while come out with the news.

The transmission is on it's way out and so is Jenn's car.

You reach a point when you stop investing in a 17 year old car with almost 200K miles on it.

My car is 12 years old and has over 210K miles on it.

We are down to one car and a long commute

We had prayed our cars would hang in with duct tape and paper clips for just 5 more months until Jenn's student loans are paid off.

Oh well, the best laid plans.

At least I bought the new kitchen appliances before the car issue came up or I would have lived with the old stove, microwave and dishwasher for another year.  Too late they were bought and paid for already.

Once again it is Sunday and I am figuring out our options. I am the Black Jack dealer today.

As usual we will find a solution.

Anyone want to play 52 pick up?

See you next week !!