But man, am I sore.

I’m also a little frustrated.  A few months back, a friend was having some money troubles, and as she’s a big jewelry maker, I made a big order from her store to the tune of about $100.  It was stuff she had pre-made, and I knew it would make good gifts.  She was having some personal issues too, so I didn’t press her on the speed of the shipping.  And when I asked, she said it was coming, that she was just doing something a little special for me.  I was getting suspicious, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.  Then her pet got sick.  Then he got better, thanks to the donations of others.  Then her other pet got sick, just as people were starting to ask about their jewelry shipments.

I’m thinking I got scammed out of $100.  I’ve bought from this girl before, so I know she has a valid business, and she’s got great etsy comments.  But I waited too long to dispute the transaction, so I’m stuck.  She’s not answering my emails.  Part of me thinks “Well, if she needed the money that badly, I will consider it a Christmas gift and be done with it.”  But this isn’t some stranger.  And it really bothers me.

I’m still giving her the benefit of the doubt, as you can see.  I won’t publish her name or any identifying details.  But I’m really frustrated and hurt.  And I’ve learned my lesson.  The benefit of the doubt will only last so long.

But typically, the better the bling, the more expensive the race.  It makes sense, after all.  Those races have to be paid for.  And my favorite bling?  That’s right, Disney bling.  Those are some expensive races.  But I love them.  I love the whole experience, from the fireworks at the start to the characters cheering you on along the way to the super awesome medal at the finish.

I’m to the point where I won’t sign up for a half-marathon if there isn’t a medal.  Ten miler?  Sure.  But not a half.  If I run 13.1 miles, I want some bling to show off!

A lot of people disagree with this.  They’d rather go for a simple race.  They say the fun of the run is the running.  And I agree.  On every day but race day.  It’s just one way that I choose to spend my money.

All the heat reminds me of my days in college.  We were in the midwest, where it got super hot in the fall and spring and super cold in the winter.  My dorm was built in the late 1800′s, and we definitely didn’t have air conditioner.  So we went for the next best thing – a giant bowl of ice sitting in front of a fan.  It’s amazing how great that feels.  I still set it up in my apartment from time to time when I really want some cold air blowing on me.  Of course, then I have to keep the cats from spilling the bowl of water (they like to drink from it), but it’s a great feeling for not a lot of money.
What are your favorite “stay cool” tips?

Why do you need a website to do that? Well, you don’t.  You just need some paper and a pencil.  But the advantage to the website is that it’s there and easily accessible, but better than that, it’s got a scoring system.  You get points for writing every day, and points for making your 750 words.  The scoring is similar to bowling style, where the previous day (or frame) affects your score for today.  What do you win?  Nothing.  Well, you do get cool little icons on your info page, and that’s enough to keep me writing. 

I’ve been doing this for a few weeks now, and I really love sitting down every morning and doing a bit of a brain dump.  It’s frequently just rambling, and I love that my writing is private.  Blogging is great, but sometimes you just need to vent and don’t want others to read it. 

So if you’re looking to get back into journaling or just want an easy place to write, check out 750 words.

So for now, I can post from my phone. Exciting.

I have been waiting to post about this until I knew more and until my friends knew what was up. I’ve been going through some health issues as of late. I am pretty sure it boils down to allergies, stubborn fluid buildup in my ears, and stress, but it has meant a trip to the ER (I got dizzy at work and that is the standard office response – and it meant missing PF Blogger Happy Hour), a myriad of tests, and some various medications.

So far, it looks like I’m fine. But it has made me do a ton of thinking. Of course, all these tests aren’t free, and while I have insurance, it will cost me a pretty penny, but I can’t bring myself to care. In fact, to try to destress and ignore my upcoming MRI, yesterday I hit up the bookstore and bought a new release, something I rarely do.

The thought of being sick has really reinforced just how far I am from my family. I am not planning to move anytime soon, but I really understand why one of my friends left a sweet job in a fun city to move back to her hometown after her dad had a major health scare. But it has made me realize how great my friends are. I had a friend sit with me through my MRI which was awesome. (Note to anyone freaked out by an MRI – having someone sit in the room with their hand on your ankle hemps incredibly.) So far, the tests have all come back clear, meaning that its probably just allergies and stress. But it has reinforced what is really important in life.

What I didn’t realize was just how low that number was going to be.

I’m going to be out of money in my FSA by the middle of the year.  Possibly by the end of May, even. 

 What happened?  Well, it’s not that I’ve been overly sick.  Some of it is stocking up.  The OTC allergy meds I take were on crazy sale,and won’t expire soon, so I bought a few boxes.  I also discovered that my FSA will cover the expensive anti-aging/acne gel I use on my face.  Awesome!   And some of it was just poor estimating.  I didn’t think about what I spend in certain areas. 

But really, that’s okay.  I still got the benefit of some pre-tax spending and I now have a better idea of what is and what isn’t covered.  I’ve got all my receipts in a folder right now, so I’m going to be sure to continue that folder so I know what I really spend over the course of the year.   In YNAB, I have been using a budget category called FSA Expenses, and I may continue using that category even after the FSA money has run out.

So, lesson learned.  I’m definitely glad I tried the FSA and I was pleased at just how easy it was to use.  My previous experiences with FSAs have involved debit cards for FSA expenses, whereas with this plan, they automatically reimburse doctors appointments and prescriptions (often before I get the bill from the doc), but I have to fax or mail in the paperwork for OTC stuff.  I know a lot of people struggle with that, because it means paying up front and getting reimbursed, but the reimbursements are fast enough that if I put it on my credit card, I get the money deposited into my bank account before the credit card payment is due anyway.

Here’s looking forward to next year’s FSA!  (Though I hear they’re getting phased out as part of the new healthcare bill.  Better get my savings in while I still can!)