Explanations

Amount spent: $24.40
What: gas

This purchase comes at the end of an exhausting bout of check writing, in which my checking account was severely depleted. However these expenses (not exactly purchases, I would say) were not recorded here for several reasons. First, they came at a severe emotional toll and left me completely unenthused to record them. Second, I believe I was trying to deny to myself that my bank account was growing dangerously low, and perhaps I thought if I denied that I spent that money, I wouldn’t have spent it at all.

But the fact remains that I did write a $274 check to Uncle Sam for taxes owed, and a $875 check to NYU housing as a deposit for their Summer Publishing Institute, which I will be attending in June.

But don’t hyperventilate yet. Let me explain. First of all, the $875 will be paid back to me because while I will be paying for the bulk of the NYU program (to be explained at a later date), my family has graciously volunteered to pay for housing. Unfortunately, I had to send a check for the first three weeks with my deposit and letter of intent, and so I had to cut the check. However, my mom has said this money will be refunded me soon, or at least whenever I see her next. I’m not going to press her too hard because I’m really appreciative of their help, however that sum will be returned.

The $274 comes with a bit of better news. You see, when I first did my taxes I believed I owed that amount, which was unfortunate but I wrote the check anyway. Well, yesterday I received word from my mom that after going over my taxes a second time, she realized that I missed a worksheet and didn’t include a deduction that I was due. She will be filing an Amend Sheet for me, but because of this goof-up, I will not only be receiving the $274 back, but I will be receiving a refund close to $400!

You see how complicated this can be? Although I won’t get refunded in full for awhile, knowing that I have this money relieves me to no end. My checking account was dangerously low (well, it still is) for awhile, and so I have plans on transferring $1,000 to my savings account once I hit $3,000 in checking. Knowing I have $3,000 in checking allows me too much freedom in my purchasing power, and I need to be reined in. Plus, squirreling away that extra $1,000 somewhere safe will make me feel much better in the long run.

In other news, I have learned that this obsession I have with saving (see above paragraph) is a psychological condition, known as hyperopia—marked by far-sightedness and an inability to enjoy the fruits of my labor in the form of purchases. Well, at least it has a name. Like I said, I do have a plan for paying for NYU but due to time constraints (I’m hoping to duck out of my internship early) I need to cut this short.