Flameing Money

[Michaelangelo]

Man this totally stinks!

My family had a very ROUGH Christmas this year.  I mean my mom only went in one store and spent less than $20.  So Christmas was not looking good here.  I wanted to bring the Christmas cheer around, so every week for the last two months I'd take what little money I do get and go Christmas shopping, being broke the rest of the week after one day of shopping.  It made me sick every week not being able to put gas in the car, not being able to get food, not being able to just relax when it came to money.  It was NOT easy at all.  I knew it wouldn't be, but I was doing it for my family and friends.  I don't want Christmas to be so dark as it would of been if I didn't do this.

Well I was going along fine, till this weekend.  When I said on Saturday I was done shopping.  My bank showed me at $20 when I looked at it on Sunday.   So I felt relaxed, but Miki asked me to take her shopping.  And when I saw her looking at things she couldn't afford to do but wanted to do for people I offered to help.  This was when things went really bad for me.  I did five transactions that day with my card... if I only skipped the first one I would of been good.  Though I didn't, and that first one was only $16 but was enough to cause my account to bounce cause really some how even though I double checked, there was only $11 in my account... and the bounces jumped all over the place.

I got SEVEN bounces and most of which are from transactions that happened before Sunday!   Each one cost $21... at the same time all this was going down SW had money going from my paypal back into my bank account... $80... well it came in and was eaten by bounce fees!!!!!   So now my bank account is sitting at -$93    And I owe SW $80.

I complained to the bank, but according to them the computers dont' make mistakes.  Though I showed paper after paper of the math done up, showing that if there was any bounces it would of only been a few items on Sunday.  Esp with my mom putting money in the account 2 different times for two different transaction.   *sigh* they say they'll look to see if there's away to wave the fees.   Though really I just feel sick to my stomach.  

I hate money!  I hate how much living costs!   And I really hate fees like that when it's clear people are having MONEY problems!

 

[Donatello]

Yeah, I had problems figuring out the bank account system with my personal account I keep for my own money (apart from our main checking account - I made up this seperate account so hubby would some nagging me about spending money we need for bills etc).  I had overdrawn a couple times, and after the third time, I decided to always leave a cushion of $50 or so dollars in there so I don't do that. Of course, hubby has a cow about it anyway, cause he says having that happen a lot will just wreck my credit history. *groan*

What I found if I use the debit/credit card to pay for things, is that some of the stores delay on the payment before avtually withdrawing it from the account.  That's what it sounds like had happened with you.  You were only looking at the final balance of what was in there at the moment, and not what will be in there after all your purchases had finally added up.  But if you keep a running total of your deposited money to match against your withdrawn expenses (like use that balancing guide that comes in the checkbook), that should help in preventing you from withdrawing so much (and having so many thiings bounce).

Hopefully this mess will clear up, and not ruin your credit too badly!  

[moronqueen]

Yep, budgetting is tough...ya learn a few things after you do it for long enough with such a limitted income. Most important thing to learn is the difference between "need" and "want", and that's increadibly tough, especially around this time of year.