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Overspent

I had the oddest nightmare last month, one that seemed to last forever. I dreamt that I went shopping, and while at a local market there was an offer to sign up my favorite person for a beauty contest. Since I think she's beautiful I did just that.

Some disclaimers before I describe the rest of the nightmare:

1. I don't like beauty pageants.

2. I would never sign up someone else for something without consulting them.

3. I have a budget for everything, and I look at the prices of everything before I buy it. I also calculate my spending while I'm shopping and check the receipt immediately after I've checked out. I never break my budget. Never.

Okay. I didn't look at the receipt, which was weird thing #1. I paid for it with my only credit card, which was weird thing #2 (the limit on that credit card would never have allowed me to check out successfully.) I got home, put away the groceries, and then took the receipt to put it in my family box (I save all receipts, even if I don't need them for taxes.) Then and only then did I see the total: $386,999.99, most of which was for services involved with the beauty pageant.

I became paralyzed by this huge total. I knew the credit card company wouldn't pay it, and I certainly didn't have that kind of money in my checking account. I'd have to tell my guy, who is just as frugal as I am. How could I have been so foolish? I tortured myself over it for what seemed like hours and hours.

Just before I woke up I resolved to return to the market and ask for a refund. Even if it meant my favorite person couldn't go to the pageant, which totally distressed me, I couldn't afford to do this for her.

On some level throughout the dream I knew it wasn't real. I would never behave like that. Also, I am not intimidated by money or make such bad financial decisions, so I'd never end up in that situation. It should have seemed silly, but I was very anxious and upset, as if I had to work out something via this ridiculous situation. I think the whole thing was triggered by the health insurance nonsense now. I have to sign up for coverage without knowing exactly what I'll be paying, which seems like the kind of thing my thrifty, budgety brain considers a nightmare.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

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