Last month, I wrote about how being organized saves money. Having gotten myself all psyched up on how much money I was going to save by being organized, I promptly forgot all about it.
Good intentions are nice, but they don't save you money. I had a frequent-buyer voucher for $60 that I forgot about until three days after the deadline to use it. I also missed the register-early-get-10% off deadline for a watercolor class. Then there was the $300 I missed out on by not participating in a health assessment at work, even though my friend and co-worker (who has requested--rather inexplicably--that I call refer to him as "Just Chewy" in this blog) reminded me three days before the deadline. And in the rush to find a gift for my father, I forgot to check the perk programs my company and Alpay's company offers.
In my pre-Quest days, I would avoid thinking about how much being disorganized was costing me, perhaps with the help of Haagen Daas. But--gosh darnit!--I now have an organization blog (or, as Alpay likes to say,a disorganization blog, but nevermind) which carries with it certain walk-the-talk implications. And so I grabbed my Circa, wrote out my to do list, and started tackling the money-wasters one by one, figuring I had nothing to lose.
Money Waster #1: The Forfeited Voucher
I called the customer service department to confirm the expiration date; it had indeed passed. Before I could ask if anything could be done, the customer service agent offered to re-activate my voucher. Score!
Outcome: $60 saved
Money Waster #2: The Forfeited Health Assessment Incentive
Before I had a chance to call the Benefits department at work, I got an email advising that the deadline had been extended by a week! I sat down right then and there and took the assessment, and had Alpay do the same.
Outcome: $300 saved
Money Waster #3: Benefits Mistake
While tooling about the Benefits website, I decided to check on my benefit enrollments, as that seems like something a responsible, organized person might do. Gazing at the computer screen with increasing horror, I realized that for the past year, I'd signed up and been paying for dependent care, at the same rate as my flex spending. Only I don't have any dependents who need care, unless you count Snapdragon and Lickity Split, and they're pretty independent even though they're only 8 and 9 months old.
I called the Benefits department and groped for an explanation as to why it took me over 11 months to notice I was paying dependent care for non-existing dependents. I thought for sure they would laugh but--no!--others had made the same mistake. They agreed to reimburse me, without drama or mockery. Amazing!
Outcome: $500 saved
Money Waster #4: Missed Discount for Gift
I actually had the gift in my "cart" at an online store, but hadn't yet checked out. Excellent! I went online and found a coupon code for free shipping. I then checked the perk programs at my work and at Alpay's. The purchase entitled earns me enough "points" to "buy" my regular moisturizer from the perk program choices. Excellent squared!
Outcome: $22 saved in shipping costs; $24 saved in free product
Money Waster #5: Missed Early Registration Deadline
This is the only second chance that failed; I emailed the director of the adult education center asking if I might still get the 10% discount, considering I was less than 24 hours late, and I didn't get any response.
Just as well. Instead of counting this as a loss in terms of the discount, I'm claiming a victory. I'll wait until the following quarter to take the class--if I take it at all.
Outcome: $300 saved by not taking the class
Total Second Chance Tally: $1206 saved! Those are real $$$, folks!
What can you do to save yourself some money, just by being organized? Maybe you aren't driving your car as much as you used to; you may qualify for lower insurance rates for low-mileage drivers. With new lower interest rates on the horizon, maybe you could re-finance your mortgage? Can you start a car pool and split the driving, the wear-and-tear on your car, and the cost of gas? Is your water heater properly insulated? Does your company have perk programs you could look into? Perhaps you could join a buying club, like Sam's Club or Cosco? Or maybe--since there's lots of time until April--you could plan on doing your own returns this year, rather than have someone do them for you?
There's real money to be saved by being organized. Start now: make a list the ways you could save. I bet you'll be able to come up with 10 items, easy. I invite you to post in the comments section your own ideas and a tally of money saved.