People owe me money and I'm going to...

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
People owe me money and I'm going to...
4
Tue, 01-20-2009 - 10:38am
Get it! Do any of you have money that is just waiting out there for you to claim, but you're too lazy to do it? I know I do and I want to make it my goal this week to start the process. I bought some games for Christmas and there were rebates for them. That could get me 9 dollars. I got a refurbished phone and it had a problem so they sent me a new one and charged me 9.99. They'll give it back to me once I send the other phone back and they even sent me the shipping slip. I got my car towed last year wrongly and the state said they would reimburse me for the towing but I never looked into it. I don't know if too much time has passed, but that would get me 180 dollars. My health insurance reimburses me a portion of my YMCA membership...around 150 dollars a year I think. I can't think of anything else, but altogether that is $348.99. I could use that money right now! So I need to get off my lazy butt and make some phone calls.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2008
Tue, 01-20-2009 - 11:13am

GO GET YOUR MONEY!


I am always doing rebates FIRST THING when I buy something that has one. Otherwise, I know myself and I know I will let it slack and never do it. I am one of those that will do it - if done instantly.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Tue, 01-20-2009 - 1:29pm

In this household we do a lot of rebating whenever we can I would think it brings in about 500.00 a year or more and using our dividend cards and getting interest on our checking account brings in more I could not do what I do extra as far as putting money in saving or paying extra on the debt without these things Because we are on a fixed income.


Mary Ann


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Tue, 01-20-2009 - 2:05pm

Go get 'em gal.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


Avatar for mahopac
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Tue, 01-20-2009 - 2:38pm

This is a habit I've resolved to change, too, effective Jan 1. I am THE WORST at this. And it's not just $1 or $2. In some cases, I know I've missed out on hundreds of dollars.

I used to consider myself "born organized," but a better description would be "attracted to systems of organization" - however, creating systems that work for ME and make my life truly more efficient and effective was quite another thing. I have been working on improving this for years, and I genuinely am *much* more organized than I used to be, especially if measured by "how much does being organized help me have a better life."

BUT this is one area where I'm still behind. Here are just some examples of money I missed out on being reimbursed in the last year:

Contact lens refund of $70 (I lost the necessary documents).

Dental reimbursements for out-of-network providers (because of my delay in filing, I have probably missed being reimbursed for hundreds of dollars).

Gym membership refund of $150 from my health insurance company (because I failed to get documentation that I've gone to the gym to submit to my insurer).

Orthodontic reimbursement for my 14yo's braces (because I failed to nag DH into getting a "treatment plan" from the orthodontist and then figure out what to do with it - it's worth $1000, and I'm hoping it's not too late, as we're still paying for her braces).

And, the worst by far, I delayed settling an insurance claim and forfeited a ridiculous amount of interest that could have accrued by now. (This wasn't due to disorganization but rather the emotional strain of dealing with the parties involved in this painful episode - still, it's a LOT of money that we forfeited by my inaction.)

Now, in the last two weeks, I HAVE set up a new, simplified filing system at home and eliminated the piles of papers that filled my old file drawers and were spread all over my desk, and I HAVE devoted 15 minutes every night to opening the mail and promptly sorting it, purging my briefcase and purse of papers, and writing follow-ups on my to-do list for the next day. So I have well-founded hope that this year I will firmly establish the habit of following through on getting MY money back, just as I've established habits for cleaning, bill paying, reinforcing good behavior in the kids, and so on.

Sometimes it's not enough to just say "I'm going to develop a new habit" - you have to look at the support systems and emotional logic (or dysfunction, LOL) behind the old habits.

Kelly