How My Job is Killing My Bank Account

Don't get me wrong. I do a fair share of overspending in some areas, impulse buying and treating myself to things I can do without, but after looking over some of my financials tonight, I realize just how big a role my job actually plays in managing my family's money. Here are just some of the ways it's impacted us recently:

1. Change in Benefits
Going into my job in 2007, I had a pretty good deal set up for benefits: medical and life insurance, continuing education and pension. Two years ago our staff was informed that we would no longer receive continuing ed. We could go to continuing ed conferences and purchase materials--my company just wouldn't pay for them.
Last year, due to the number of dwindling staff members, our insurance company dropped us as a group. I was the only one who was strongly affected by this due to my type 1 diabetes. My company helped me out by paying a portion of my new $801 conversion plan, but I've been hit hard by the $2500 per year deductible and prescription plan. After all, a month's supply of insulin for me is $350!

2. Reimbursements
Also around two years ago, due to some shadiness with a previous employee, we had to give up our company credit cards. For many employees this was having to pay for a cup of coffee or a few weekly supplies out of their own pocket and requesting a reimbursement. For me, it meant paying for 50 teenagers to go whitewater rafting out of state and request a reimbursement for said event. Have I also mentioned that I royally suck at keeping up with receipts? And without a receipt, I pretty much have a better chance of that money falling out of the sky than getting my company to reimburse me. (For the record, I've never lost a major receipt like rafting, but I have lost MANY small receipts that really tend to add up!)

3. "Gifts"
This sort of goes along with reimbursements. Many times I purchase things and say, "well, I'll get this one. No need for a reimbursement." Again, those tend to add up.
Also, I use my personal cell phone a lot for work. I work with teens and they like to text. I use over a thousand texts a month and very few of them are to my friends and family. I also use quite a bit of data on my phone while working. I do not get a stipend for my phone, although some other staff members do. I keep saying I want to ask for a stipend, but I never do.

4. I'm a Couponing Slacker
We've had an incredibly busy summer, but letting this many coupons go to waste should be a crime.

I don't even want to add these up. Last summer I was saving $75 per shopping adventure. I didn't even take my coupons to the store with me yesterday because I just have not had the chance to clip, organize and plan like I used to.


5. Emotions
I have an incredibly emotionally draining job. I can't reveal a whole lot here, but you can read about part of the toll it took on me in my breastfeeding story. In that particular instance, it wound up costing me way more than money ever could--the chance to breastfeed my son after months of trying. I also tend to spend my emotions--"treat" myself after I've worked hard, eat my emotions and thus spend more money, etc.


Nonetheless, we've identified the problem(s) and now I look forward to seeing how much my family can save and see how I can work on balancing my life even more. :)