Can't get enough of high interest checking

So I have some extra cash sitting around. Right now, it is not earning any interest. While inflation is low, it is still slowly losing its value by not earning interest or returns. I did put some of the extra cash in my IRA, but I'm maxed out for last year and this year for contributions. So I can't stash any more there. I wish I could of course. I also want to keep this liquid and don't really have the stomach to invest it in the market. So I came up with a solution. I already have a high interest checking account through one bank. I earn I think 3.26% on up to 25K. So I found another institution that is offering this type of account where you don't have to be a resident of that bank's state. That's pretty rare, as most of these are limited to residents of the bank's state. I just opened the account on Friday. Now I will gather up my spare cash and deposit it in the account. Then I'll get one of my direct deposits switched to this account. I'll sign up for estatements (of course) and then all I have to do is make 12 signature transactions a month. I already have to make 10 for my other card. That's a lot of transactions. But I'll basically stop using my credit cards and just use these bank cards for all purchases. I try to charge everything anyway so I can keep track of all purchases, so I'm optimistic that I'll earn the interest each month.

Spending all my money

When I first started writing (i think about a year ago now) I never would have envisioned that I would be writing about all the big purchases I am making! That said, I am happy to be doing so. Today I bought bedroom furniture. As the man put it in the store, "big girl furniture."I am so happy that I did so. I've never bought furniture. I have a bed w/out a headboard, a hand me down dresser that I dragged out of my grandmom's attic, an Ikea night stand from college and some sort of canvas tent contraption for an armoire. I've had all of these items since the beginning of time.
So, I'm happy that I was able to buy something nice for myself and that I don't feel guilty about spending the money.

That said, I tried to look for pieces of Craigslist, but got tired of waiting for the specific ones I wanted to come up. So full-price it is. I did open a store credit card and have six months with minimum payments at zero percent interest. I vaguely remember reading that these types of deals are bad for your credit score as they are counted as a cash advance or some such thing, but frankly I don't care. My score is in the 800s. Even if it goes down 100 points, I'll still be fine.

Outstanding Money

Ugh, lately I am a little stressed by all of the money that various parties owe me. The total adds up to more than $6,000 and trying to get paid takes a decent amount of effort and is highly annoying.

First, I have a $4,300 expense report that I need to submit on Monday. I should get paid for that mid-month and I've already compiled the report and the documentation, which is tedious work.

I have another $1,800 and growing outstanding from my health insurance company. It's actually from my company, but I need my insurance company to file the claims first before I can submit. That has been going on since the end of March and all I've managed to get through the system is $200. No clear end in sight on that one and a new $200 piles up every week.

The last one is smaller -- $620. But it annoys me. I lent a friend, for the second time, this money to cover her rent because she had a cash flow problem. She was supposed to pay me back, I think it was like May 25th. She claimed the check was in the mail. It is not and now am I wondering when or if I will see that money again. Ugh.

All of the outstanding money has made my expenses a mess and hard to reconcile, so for the first time in years I haven't analyzed my May spending. It's all too depressing and hard to track.

It's odd to feel stressed about this money, as I don't need it to live on and I am confident I will get it all back eventually. The majority I will have by mid month. But having so much outstanding is stressful anyway.

The year of spending

So when the year first started, I thought it would be like last year. Meaning I would try to save every penny I could. But with school paid off and having a full time job, I'm realizing that I've been living in a state of sort of suspended animation for so long. I feel like I need so many things: new clothes, furniture, art, things to organize my apartment. It feels uncomfortable to spend the money, but its gotten to the point where it feels more uncomfortable to not purchase these things. It's not that I'm spending wastefully, it's just that spending at all feels a little foreign. I am of course still saving, but I'm realizing that I need some balance and maybe to do a little more living and a little less saving.

The good thing is that I don't feel some insatiable desire to spend. I don't have to worry that when I start spending I'll never stop. For example: I needed a new gym bag. So I found a cute one on etsy from a woman in Malaysia. It was only $50. So I bought it. It works pretty well (a little small), and now I never think about buying a new bag. Once I have what I need, I'm set.

I'm not as concerned about meeting my (aggressive) savings goal that I laid out at the start of the year. It feels nice to just live and see where things take me.

Spending Comfort Levels

This weekend I went to brunch and then shopping with two friends. These two friends have shall we say a well-developed appreciation for the finer things in life. They think I am a total cheapskate. So we were strolling through Nolita and I saw a beautiful bag that I decided I wanted. It cost $400. To me, that number is ridiculous. But, I wanted the bag and could justify it because I knew I was getting a big tax refund this month. So I bought it. But it just did not feel right. Mostly because I thought it was too nice to really use. I would worry about ruining it and it would be impractical. So the next day I returned the bag. I did get a smaller, more practical bag that cost less (I was too scared to look at the actual price, but it started with a 2 and not a 4, but closer to a 3). And I got a pair of shorts. So I spent about the same, but on two items. This felt much better. I just thought it was funny that I felt almost physically uncomfortable spending so much money on a bag. I know my friends that I was with never have that problem. That said, it's good to splurge every once in a while, as long as its not on credit.

Losses and Gains

So I finally just finished my taxes. After a gruelling search for the cost basis for a mutual fund I sold that I'd bought in 1998. The good news is that I found it. The bad news is that I sold the fund at 1/2 price. And i held $10,000 of it. So I had $6,000 in recognized losses this year. Ugh. The good news is that I am now getting a tax refund, whereas without these losses I would not be. Also, I have $3K to carryover to next year! I guess that is also a good thing, in a way. What would be better is if I could make better investment decisions and pay more attention to my investments. But I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself since 2008 was killer for everyone.

Can't spend enough

There's one thing that I think it's more than okay to spend on. In fact, I can't spend enough on this! It's my health. Okay, that's how I wish I felt. Sadly, I sometimes delay health spending that I need (not critical, but still). That has backfired in the past. In grad school (sans dental insurance) I waited a year to get my teeth cleaned. For most people, probably not a big deal. For me, I knew it could be bad. And it was. I eventually had pain and was then forced to go get a cleaning. However, because I had waited there was so much plaque they had to do it in two visits, hence costing double the normal amount.

So I realized finally hey, I have health and dental insurance. That is a luxury in many parts of the world. I should take advantage of this. So I'm going to the dentist, eye doctor, a therapist (mental health is important too), possibly the acupuncturist and the orthodontist. This in reality shouldn't cost too much, due to my insurance. However, the orthodontist could be a couple of hundred dollars and the therapist could be several hundred dollars a month. I'm forcing myself to spend this money, because there is nothing more important to spend on. This is what my FSA is for, so it's nice to know it will be tax-free money at least. Now I wish I had dumped more in there.