My stupidity cost us $200+

[I.Dup.]

I took a traffic ticket to court last year and got it reduced to $100. They never sent a notice, I was just supposed to remember to pay it within one year and we moved and I lost the paperwork. I've been thinking about it lately, thinking I better check in and see when it's due so I don't miss the deadline.

 

I called today and it was due 10 days ago so now I owe the full price of the ticket + court costs = $325. :banghead::crying:

 

Please tell me I'm not the only one whose stupidity has cost us this much money. I feel awful. I always try to be so frugal. $200 is a lot of money. UGH!!!

[KnitWit]

:grouphug:

[Pretty in Pink]

No, you're not the only one. :grouphug:

 

Let's see...my dh once missed his flight (as in, we watched it taxi down the runway as we pulled into the airport parking lot) because I insisted that I knew the way to the airport and talked him out of taking a drive out the day before just to make sure. That one cost us $500.00.

 

When we were first married and couldn't really afford cell phones, dh went to California for training for three months. I told him that while he was there he should just "Dial down the center" (you know, 1-800-CALL-ATT) to call home, since it would only be 10 cents a minute. Well, apparently that only applies to AT&T customers. Who knew? Our phone bill was over $300.00 the first month he was away.

[Rosie_0801]

There was the year dh got fined a few hundred for not voting, and a $900 fine for letting his ambulance subscription run out. That was pretty nasty on a student budget. Lucky he had money in savings that his grandma had given him or I'd have had to pay it for him.

 

So whatever you've done, there is always someone who has done something more stupid!

 

If that's a bright side? :glare:

 

Rosie

[Halcyon]

No you're NOT the only one. When I was younger and (let's hope) stupider, I rarely checked my checking statement. Turns out, no, my gym membership WASN'T cancelled when I called them 9 months ago-I was supposed to send in some official form to cancel (don't recal being told that, but hey, if i'd been checking my statements I would have realized that THEY"D BEEN CHARGING ME $100 A MONTH FOR 9 MONTHS!) And no, they weren't interested in refunding me any portion.

 

It happens to all of us. My DH likes to say "Money comes, money goes. That's the way it is." I like to say "I am a dunce" but that doesn't do much good in the long run.

 

Let it go, hard as it is. :grouphug:

[I.Dup.]

Thank you all. That makes me feel a little better. Misery loves company I guess. ;)

 

I will try to let it go. I have been SO stressed about money lately, I think I have a hate/hate relationship with it.

[Aunty Social]

I just recently backed into our friend's car - right after I had gotten out of it. :001_huh::blush:

 

That cost a bit more than $200. :tongue_smilie:

 

Feel better?

[blakereese]

:grouphug::grouphug: Ugh. I'm sorry. I've done too many stupid things to count. Usually involving late fees or overnight shipping charges. :grouphug::grouphug:

[Liz CA]

:grouphug::grouphug: Ugh. I'm sorry. I've done too many stupid things to count. Usually involving late fees or overnight shipping charges. :grouphug::grouphug:

 

Gosh, I know the sinking feeling. Get it paid fast so it's over fast and try not to get too worked up over it like I always do. Take it from me, it gets you nowhere. :grouphug:

[kchara]

My husband got into an accident when he was 17, and was driving without insurance. Apparently, they paid for the other person's car, but never paid his fine. He finally got it paid this year. :glare: It was $500. He needed to do it, though, b/c he can't get a license in any state except VA without clearing it in NY, and for his job, he needs a local license.

[Mejane]

You're not stupid; you made a mistake. BTDT.

[AHASRADA]

My husband recently told me a similar, but worse, story about a friend of his.

 

He contested a ticket carrying large fines and several points. He pleaded his case to an official worker in the appropriate department, who agreed to reduce the fines and cut the number of points in half. All he had to do was show up in court and have it signed off by the judge.

 

This was a huge relief, as he expects to be laid off soon and hoped to begin training as a truck driver. He could not get the job with the original number of points the ticket would have posted to his license.

 

So what did he do? He completely forgot the court date. The consequence? Full fine, full number of points, no chance at the job.

 

Yes, you are not the only one, and yes, there is always someone worse off.

 

HTH,

[Barb_]

Ugh. That stings. I did a traffic related dumb, at Christmas, no less. Back when we had traffic cameras (put in by Napolitano--the very same Janet Napolitano of the porno-scans and grope-ups at the airports), I got flashed twice in three days. At Christmas time. To the tune of $360. I still shudder thinking about it.

 

I also dropped my cell phone out of my pants into the toilet. Again twice.

 

Look at it this way, doing dumb things helps you stay humble and extend grace to your husband and kids when they do dumb things. Everything in life is a lesson.

 

Barb

[I.Dup.]

 

Look at it this way, doing dumb things helps you stay humble and extend grace to your husband and kids when they do dumb things. Everything in life is a lesson.

 

Barb

 

Wise words, thank you all.

[Ellesmere]

.

[Sparkle]

We've all made them. Poor dh got a ticket a couple of months ago for turning right on a red light - to the tune of nearly $500. That was painful. I am so paranoid now with all the traffic cameras around here - they are definitely trying to boost revenues for the city.