Fibro-fog and money .... be careful!!!!

I was going to post something different, but instead, I want you to learn from my mistakes and I have a whopper of one, this morning. 

I did a balance transfer to a 0 % interest rate credit card this past March (2012). 

Since then, I have not touched that credit card. 

Two weeks ago, my daughter and I were in Walmart and she realized she didn't have enough money to cover the purchase (she works and wanted to pay and at 21, she should pay for "extras"). I pulled out one of my credit cards that I like using and pay most if not all of the balance off every month. THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO! But, I've got stories for you to learn from that will curl your hair. So if you don't like curly hair, get your straightening iron out...you'll need it. : ) 

Well, the card was rejected for some reason (and when I called the company, they couldn't even figure out why!). But I DO have that other card which has the 0% interest rate. I took it out and my daughter was upset because she KNOWS I do not like charging things on ANY credit card!  

I told her it was fine and that we had a line forming in back of us so we had to use it for the 37 USD purchase. That's a rather "small" amount in the scheme of things. I make payments to that card WAY above that amount every month. I didn't mind...that much. 

So, I just made a payment on that card and went to see if the Walmart charge went through. It did, but then I noticed something else. They were charging me for some kind of  "credit protection" in the amount almost 200 dollars a month!??! This has been going on since March and I never looked at the statement because I wasn't spending on it. However, I could NEVER figure out why I wasn't making a "dent" in a 0% interest credit card. NOW, I knew.  Every time I paid my payment, they were charging me for more than half of it in "Protection". 

HERE, my FIBRO-FOGGY friends, is the LESSON: 

IF YOU USE CREDIT CARDS, WHICH I ADVISE YOU NOT TO DO, EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCIES AND WHEN YOU CANNOT PAY CASH AT ALL, PERIOD, CHECK YOUR STATEMENT EVERY MONTH! READ EVERY SINGLE ENTRY!

Even if you know that you made NOT ONE purchase on that card, you need to make sure there were no "erroneous" charges on the card, or that you are being charged for insurance or some other nasty kind of charge that you weren't aware of or didn't approve.

I have learned many credit card lessons and I will teach them to those of you who may either be young and not yet "money-wise" or have had no choice (like me) but to charge things when money just wasn't there and medical bills abound.

Please be very careful with your credit and try, if at all possible to not use credit cards if you can help it. I have stopped purchasing anything but necessities to get this balance down and finally now I hope to see it go down more. That's 5 months of charges that I never authorized. They are going to try to "refund" that money to me. But I will have to wait 30 days to find out if that will actually go through. In the mean time, I cancelled that "protection". 

Point is, in our society today, "money" is unfortunately very important to survive. Do not take one penny of what you have for granted. I'm not saying to be stingy, just appreciate what you have and treat it like you would something that you value and respect.....after GOD, of course. NEVER put your money before God. 

Until later...when I've calmed down... ; ) 

Blessings.......

Mo M.