So I'm using YNAB, but it was the end of my first month and I don't have my buffer built up yet. So at the end of month 1, I had $10 in my checking account after the rent comes out next week.
I have all my bills perfectly timed, so I wasn't concerned. I should have been concerned. For some reason, the car insurance people pulled out our payment a week early. We aren't supposed to pay them until October 4th! So I logged into mint so I can see all my balances at the same time and realize I have nearly $200 lower than I should in my bank account right now.
So I immediately look and realize that the stupid car insurance came out way before it was scheduled to. Ugh! I hate autopay!! But it gives us a discount for paying that way and we didn't have the money to pay the premium up front. Ugh!!
So I logged into my bank account and had to move $200 from savings into checking to keep myself from overdrafting just in case they take the rent payment out before I get paid. I hate everything right now.
I'm happy I was able to catch it before I was overdrafted. I think I'm going to take the rent off autopay, that way I have more control over when it's taken out. Also, I'm slowly starting to dislike so many people having access to take money from my checking account whenever they want.
Once the paychecks come in next week, I'll transfer that $200 back. Just a slight crisis.
Near Disaster
September 27th, 2014 at 02:21 pm
September 27th, 2014 at 02:54 pm 1411829673
Have you considered just keeping that $200 in the checking as a cushion against hiccups like that? It makes me really nervous to take our checking account below $1000 just for that very reason, timing all the bills down to the very correct day and the very correct number.
September 27th, 2014 at 05:23 pm 1411838605
September 27th, 2014 at 06:14 pm 1411841648
The few accounts I have set up on autopay charge a credit card, that way it doesn't really matter *when* they charge it. Then I pay that card off every month.
September 27th, 2014 at 09:56 pm 1411855015