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actyourwageSo, how did your tasks for finding out your debt go?
I've been thinking. For me, the process of getting myself into financial shape has been mostly one of organisation. Everything seems so insurmountable when you start.
It's one of those saccharine sweet truisms that the hardest part of a journey is the first step. But it's not the whole story, and I think I've worked out what's true for me:
The hardest part of a journey is the first step that you haven't taken before.
Take today, for instance. Yesterday I was rummaging through my filing cabinet when I came across some old receipts from last year for occupational therapy I received. Now, she'd mentioned at the time that I could claim from my health fund for this but it was something I'd never done before and I stuck them in my filing cabinet and forgot about it. I did briefly investigate claiming online but it didn't appear to list my provider as one that I could claim for.
So I hop onto the website today. Turns out that I can't claim online as the receipts are more than 2 months old. So I download a claim form and fill it out and stick it in the post today. I have no idea when it will be processed but that's $120 for five minute's work and 60c for a stamp. And I could have avoided the stamp if I'd gotten onto it at the time.
Another task that I swore I would see to is the transfer of my previous superannuation (401K, to Americans) funds to my new fund. There were multiple forms to fill out, I didn't remember what all of my funds were and I stuck it in the too hard basket. Then I received a note from Choice (Australian consumer testing, very good, the only magazine I subscribe to) about a site that finds super funds where they've lost contact with you.
So I went and filled out my details for a laugh. Turns out there's two super funds that have lost track of me. So I filled out the forms and then I got to the part which needed some numbers (business number and product identification number). I had no idea. But instead of giving up, I actually did something (for me) revolutionary.
I asked for help. I rang the fund and said "I want to transfer funds. I have my old fund details here, but I need to fill in these fields. What do I put in them?"
She told me and I filled it out. Then I went and got a pharmacist to certify some copies of my license and I posted it. So my super can now all be together and incur fewer fees.
The point is with both of these tasks is that at the time, I was so tired and stressed that I just couldn't cope with even thinking about starting the steps I needed to take to achieve them. Now, if it happens again, it'll be a doddle. If I ever have to claim something again, I absolutely know what I need to do. The known holds no terrors for me. It's the unknown that makes me panic and throw up mental blocks.
So: This week's challenge, should you choose to accept it.
START THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR OFF RIGHT.
What administrivia do you have to do to get yourself in position for the new financial year? Do you need to file a tax return? Set up an automatic payment? Review your position. Break it down into small steps and if you don't know, ask!
I've been thinking. For me, the process of getting myself into financial shape has been mostly one of organisation. Everything seems so insurmountable when you start.
It's one of those saccharine sweet truisms that the hardest part of a journey is the first step. But it's not the whole story, and I think I've worked out what's true for me:
The hardest part of a journey is the first step that you haven't taken before.
Take today, for instance. Yesterday I was rummaging through my filing cabinet when I came across some old receipts from last year for occupational therapy I received. Now, she'd mentioned at the time that I could claim from my health fund for this but it was something I'd never done before and I stuck them in my filing cabinet and forgot about it. I did briefly investigate claiming online but it didn't appear to list my provider as one that I could claim for.
So I hop onto the website today. Turns out that I can't claim online as the receipts are more than 2 months old. So I download a claim form and fill it out and stick it in the post today. I have no idea when it will be processed but that's $120 for five minute's work and 60c for a stamp. And I could have avoided the stamp if I'd gotten onto it at the time.
Another task that I swore I would see to is the transfer of my previous superannuation (401K, to Americans) funds to my new fund. There were multiple forms to fill out, I didn't remember what all of my funds were and I stuck it in the too hard basket. Then I received a note from Choice (Australian consumer testing, very good, the only magazine I subscribe to) about a site that finds super funds where they've lost contact with you.
So I went and filled out my details for a laugh. Turns out there's two super funds that have lost track of me. So I filled out the forms and then I got to the part which needed some numbers (business number and product identification number). I had no idea. But instead of giving up, I actually did something (for me) revolutionary.
I asked for help. I rang the fund and said "I want to transfer funds. I have my old fund details here, but I need to fill in these fields. What do I put in them?"
She told me and I filled it out. Then I went and got a pharmacist to certify some copies of my license and I posted it. So my super can now all be together and incur fewer fees.
The point is with both of these tasks is that at the time, I was so tired and stressed that I just couldn't cope with even thinking about starting the steps I needed to take to achieve them. Now, if it happens again, it'll be a doddle. If I ever have to claim something again, I absolutely know what I need to do. The known holds no terrors for me. It's the unknown that makes me panic and throw up mental blocks.
So: This week's challenge, should you choose to accept it.
START THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR OFF RIGHT.
What administrivia do you have to do to get yourself in position for the new financial year? Do you need to file a tax return? Set up an automatic payment? Review your position. Break it down into small steps and if you don't know, ask!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-28 08:18 am (UTC)I've tried giving myself little no-cost awards when I do it but am a stubborn one and will sometimes just forego the reward to not do the bills anyway.
Saying that, one positive thing I did was to buy a replacement jacket. I spent money but I shopped around, then paid for it out of the little stash I had (which is sadly not much now) instead of putting it on the credit card or just taking out of our household savings. Sad to see my funds down so low, but happy to not have contributed that extra bit to my debt :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-29 12:15 pm (UTC)I need to sit down and figure out a contribution to my retirement account. It requires me calling my account servicer or sitting down and reading through fund prospectus-es because it makes me uneasy to just *contribute* without knowing exactly where my money is going.
One thing I did accomplish this year was finally set up automatic transfers to my savings account. It doesn't transfer a large amount of money, but knowing some is going in there without me having to intervene feels nice.