Clean teeth and thoughts about coughing up funds

I have clean teeth.

Before getting my teeth impressions for my night (mouth) guard, my dentist noticed some "potholes" in a couple of molars and patched those ups. You could see a bit of the dentin, which was scary. It was a cost that I wasn't expected, but I managed to have enough in my emergency fund to handle it.

With my nightguard, the office wanted a deposit for $200. I told her that I didn't have that much. Instead, I managed to put down a deposit of $68 dollars. It costs well over $400 for it. I frankly feel that the restorations and cleaning are my down payment, along with being a patient for nearly two decades.

I'm not a fan of paying up first. I frankly feel that the office is making sure that it gets paid immediately and inconveniencing customers. I learned that I don't need to file the claim myself -- that the office still does it. It doesn't jive with the woman's explanation when I pressed her about it last week. She said that the office was short-staffed. Yet, you can still file claims on behalf of your patients. Interesting...

I dislike policies that only make sense to a business and don't benefit patients.

Dental appointment and an emergency fund

I've got a dental appointment later this morning. I'm having routine cleaning and an impression done to get a mouth guard. I grind my teeth at night. My current mouth guard needs replacing.

In the past, the dental office would submit claims on my behalf. During this pandemic, it now requires that I shell out the cost first, and then submit my claim to get reimbursed. It's quite the hardship for customers who don't have the money available. I have been fortunate to have established an emergency fund, so it'll temporarily pay for this cost and I'll put the money back in this account once my claim is processed.

I'd say that nearly two years ago, I never had an emergency fund. I have come a long way.

Debt reduction update

I haven't written about my debt reduction progress for a bit, other than continuing to save money staying at home. Commuting to the office is gone. I don't fill up my car with gas all that often. I go out twice a week for groceries, essentials, and takeout to help my favourite restaurants out.

As a result, I have more disposable income. It has been great contributing to my retirement saving and regular savings accounts. I had to dip into the former when my debt situation wasn't great. I didn't have an emergency fund. My regular savings account is that emergency fund that I have wanted and needed.

I get paid this week. It's a huge turning point. I will be paying off my line of credit completely. I am thrilled.

I do recommend having a budget and sticking to it, no matter how great or grave your debt situation is. I have been using an Google Sheets spreadsheet for a while and it does wonders. It's a question of being disciplined sticking to your budget, which is the toughest part.

Taxes and financial outlook

On Sunday, I filed my taxes. I am roughly 1.5 months early. I am looking forward to getting money at the end of the month.

Things at work are better. For a while, employees didn't get bonuses for three years because our company was digging itself out of debt. Last year, we got a bonus and it was amazing. I get one again at the end of the month, which is supposed to be better than the previous year. Yay!

I am looking forward to taking that money and paying off my debt. I also hope to invest some of it. I am working on an emergency fund in my savings account. It has been years since I've had a decent one.

I like that my financial situation is getting better. It has taken a while, but it's nice to see things coming together.

Speeding for lunch

On Monday, my guy and I were to have lunch. It was 12:21 pm. I decided to ping him on our internal texting application.

He called me nearly twenty minutes later. He was running late, which is relatively normal in his case. He was ready at long last.

I met him downstairs in the lobby. He was happy to see me.

I needed to get back to work by 2 pm for a meeting. He needed to be back by 1:30 pm.

He drove. He had to asked me where he had parked his car. I told him that I knew where he had parked, as I had passed by his car in the lot.

He drove us over to the restaurant. He was speeding.

"Are you in triple digits?" I asked.
"I am doing 120 km," he said.
"I can feel the g-force," I said, smiling at him.
"I know. In a 60 km zone," he admitted.
"You do know that you are going to use up your $600 fund for driving offences should you get caught, right?" I reminded him.
"It may be worse than that," he replied.

Needless to say, we got to the Chinese restaurant safely and fast. Here's hoping that he doesn't do that again!