Debt Free is the Goal But Dental Work Gets in the Way
Debt Crunch Notes – I’m not very far into my “debt free” journey when I’ve hit another money glitch. Dental Work. I’m learning the hard way that putting of simple maintenance things like visits to the dentist cost more in the long run. A few weeks ago I realized that I was paying for dental insurance but didn’t even have a dentist. The boys aren’t cooperative even getting dressed, let alone willing to let anyone mess with their mouths so it was up to me to put the dental insurance to good use.
In the end, I felt like I had found myself at the local garage waiting for the estimate on what it will cost to get an inspection sticker… Suddenly, I was asking – “What’s the damage?” Sorry I asked. In the end it will cost me $2,600 to get one tooth fixed and several fillings – my dental insurance pays a maximum of $1000 per year per person. Ugh!
Now, of course… I can take this $3,500 dental work bill and divide it by the eight years I went without seeing a dentist for a better view of the numbers. Then it makes my annual cost an average of $437 which brings my monthly expense down to $36 a month. It’s much easier to swallow when I look at it that way – but still… it’s not like I was tucking away forty dollars a month for 8 years. At least if I had been doing that I would also have compound interest on my side.
Instead, I have to figure out a way to get the work done when I’m already pretty strapped for cash. Lesson learned.
Tammy
What are you putting off doing that could cost you BIG money down the road?
Tags: budget, debt, dental work, dentist, money
