This is not the post I had planned for today; in fact, I didn’t even have this post planned to be written at all. I thought I was past the worry, the doubt, the fear. The fear of “Can I purchase enough groceries with the money I have” and the fear of “how the hell are the bills going to get paid”.
Yes, The Budget Mama was in tears yesterday at the grocery store trying to purchase food for my family because we had no money.
This blog is all about my family’s real life on a budget and it ain’t always pretty and today’s story show cases how horribly wrong it went.
Monday I had a baby appointment and after I got home, I decided to sit down and get some work done. While finishing up some blogging to-dos I remembered that I had not had my money minute in days. So, I logged into our bank account and to my utter horror, there was almost no money in our account.
Completely, panicked I transferred money from our slush fund so the automatic bills and savings withdrawals would not bounce. Then looking over our transactions asking, “What the hell happened?” I noticed several charges from my husband’s doctor to the tune of hundreds of dollars.
I was confused as to why there were so many charges and why the amounts were different than what we normally pay and not to mention that my hubs had not seen that doctor in recent memory. I called Pat to confirm that these charges were not supposed to happen. He told me that he was not sure why they charged us but that he would find out.
The first round of calls to them resulted in me having to call Wells Fargo to dispute the charges because my hubs’ doctor claimed they had not charged us and therefore they were not sure why we would see these charges, as they collected no money from us.
After almost an hour on the phone, filing our claim the panic had subsided but only for a moment as I realized that I had very little money to go grocery shopping with and we were low on food. The dispute was going to take up to 10 days so we were definitely not going to see our money for at least another 10 days if not longer and I did not want to keep pulling money out of our slush fund.
To say that I was in a tailspin is putting it lightly. I was in full on freak-the-hell-out-and-scream-cry-break-something mode. I once again felt that helpless, lost feeling I felt at 21 not knowing where or how I was going to feed myself, but now I had three other people to feed plus a puppy and I have no choice but to eat since I am 17 weeks pregnant. Going hungry was not an option this time around.
A few hours later my hubs called me back and told me that apparently his doctor’s office had put our payment information in another patient’s file and so they charged us his bills, including his past due ones. His doctor office told us to just keep the dispute with the bank and that is how we would get our money because they were not going to refund us our money.
Now I was angry.
My husband’s doctor has all over his website, business cards, and other marketing materials that he “operates with a Christian framework”. Apparently, I missed the lesson in Sunday school where they tell you it is perfectly okay to break commandant number eight if you are a business and you made a mistake. That it is okay to allow someone else, in this case my bank, to pay for your mistake.
My husband had to take away my car keys from me (no that is not an exaggeration) because I was getting in the car to go and give his doctor a piece of my mind…and possibly go to jail. I was angry. So damn angry and still am a little as I see in my checking account a $6.14 balance.
But in my heat of fury, this reminder came to me:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV
God provided for me all those years ago when I was broke and alone and I know that he will still provide for us even now. That $6.14 balance may stress me out but the truth is that is more money than I had when I was broke at 21. We still have money in our slush fund, auto fund, emergency fund, and my zombie apocalypse money so even though we have less money than I am comfortable with, we still have money.
There is always hope and we can always make more money if it all dries up. My hubs’ doctor is supposed to be sending us a check now for the money they took, but even if they do not it will be alright, because the one thing that I have to remind myself to never let go is hope.
God has provided me an amazing reminder of the things that I preach on The Budget Mama and so much more. My hope and prayer for you, is that if you are struggling due to unforeseen circumstances or by your hand, that you will never ever lose hope. Because “only in the darkness can you see the stars.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
When the money runs out, never lose hope.
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Elizabeth says
I’ve been there – the Lord knows I’ve been there too many times to count. And each time I’ve pulled through but only through His grace and mercy. I can say that now but when we were actively in our full-on freak out modes (ok, just me. Husbands seem to be the calm ones in these instances.) I wish I had remembered the passage in Matthew. You will get through this and it may happen again but you will get through it then too. Thank you for sharing!!
Jessi says
I do think husbands for some reason have the ability to be more calm in these situations because mine certainly was! 🙂 Thank you so much for your encouragement.
Kristina-Cents and Order says
This is a great example of why people need to review their accounts-both bank accounts and credit card statements. Even if you are meticulous with your record keeping, someone else might make a mistake that affects you-like writing you a check that bounces or charging you for a cancelled service.
Hopefully everything gets straightened out quickly for you!
Lydia @ Thrifty Frugal Mom says
Ugh, what a headache. So sorry you had to deal with that! And I am appalled that the Dr. was going to make you just leave the dispute. I would have been very upset too!
But yes, God does take care of us, often in the ways that we least expect it. I’m glad that He reminded you to trust and rest. And praying you can stay in that place until things get resolved!
Jessi says
Thank you so much for your encouragement Lydia! We just got the check (we picked it up) from them so once it clears with the bank, I’ll take the dispute down. Thankfully they are doing what they should have done in the first place.
Amy @ DebtGal says
That would scare me, too, Jessi! I’m really glad you were able to figure out what happened pretty quickly, and will get your money back shortly. Yeeks!
julie@frugallyblonde.com says
I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I am sure it is really frustrating. Years ago we had a similar situation. Thankfully my grandma had just brought me a bag of potatoes. We ate baked potatoes for dinner every night. It’s been 12 years for us and now we can laugh about the week we ate only potatoes. I hope every gets cleared up quickly for you.
Jessi says
That is such a wonderful story! We are blessed with incredible neighbors who immediately came over with dinner made and my kids’ favorite lunch. We are so blessed and God really does answer our prayers. 🙂
meg says
Of course there’s a bunch of us that won’t allow you to go hungry . I can make and deliver a casserole . I would be super concerned with your privacy … Both financial and medical. How could such an error be made and not noticed on their behalf?! If your bank paid then that other person doesn’t … or your doctor gets paid twice, not ok. I hope your doctor fixes the whole thing along with going one step further.
Once upon a time I finally received my bonus from joining the military only to find out someone used my bank info to charge thousands to home depot. It was a mess because I was scheduled to leave for cali… I had no checks and no debit card. I bummed money from family like I was broke. It was terrible. It eventually got sorted out. These things seem to always be inconvenient.
I hope all will work out!!
Jessi says
Thank you Megan! I love you! 🙂 Thankfully the doctor just gave us the check today so we’re waiting to make sure it clears with the bank and then I’ll cancel the dispute. Pat won’t be going back to them because that was a serious error to make and handled poorly. My question is does that person whose bills we were paying even know that they were trying to charge him? I’m wondering if they just saw the information in his folder and said “hey, he’s past due so let’s get our money”. But who knows.
Jesenia says
Oh Jessi, I’m so sorry this happened to your family. I would be furious too!! Definitely keep following up and disputing the charges. It sounds illegal and I would even threaten the doctor by filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. You shouldn’t have to fix their mistake. God is a mighty God and will always provide. I’ve been a witness to that several times. If you ever need anything, holler. You have lots of friends and online friends that love you. *hugs*
Jessi says
Thank you so much Jesenia! 🙂 We just got a check from them today so once we confirm that it cleared our bank I’ll cancel the dispute but needless to say, Pat is no longer going to be a patient of theirs. I can handle a mistake but the way they handled it has me feeling they are not the business we should be dealing with.
lydia @ frugaldebtfreelife says
Bless your heart! I am so sorry. SO sorry. Can I send you a gift card to help out? To your local supermarket?
Jessi says
Thank you so much for your kind offer Lydia! We just got a check from them today so we should be fine once it clears and thankfully our neighbors are incredible and came to our rescue. The power of community is amazing. 🙂
Joyce @ My Stay At Home Adventures says
I just read this and think maybe you need to switch doctors. No responsibility what so ever about they just did. My husband would of done the same thing and take the keys away from me. This is so shady and probably needs to be reported.
I know you will be OK and you have to right to be upset. Things will work out! Now if things don’t solve and things are tight, please email me. In my thoughts, Joyce
Jessi says
Thank you so much Joyce for your kindness and encouragement. My husband is officially no longer a patient of theirs as this whole situation was definitely handled poorly. My husband did pick up a check today from them so we should have our money tomorrow. 🙂
Aja McClanahan says
Praise the Lord for the slush fund!!!! I’m sure it was the difference between staying a little calmer and going to jail, lol. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jessi says
Hahhahhaa! Yes, it was! 🙂
Becca says
I’m so sorry this has happened to you! Have you called the bank to explain what happened? Perhaps they can make the doctor refund the money – because they won’t be happy having to cover for someone else’s mistake.
We had something similar happen to us when we were overseas in March. We noticed a $200 charge for gas when it should’ve been closer to $50. In a panic we moved almost all the money out of the account, called the bank back home, and cancelled the card that had been used for that transaction. It was pending for about a week; but when it finally went through it went through for the right amount. (Why in the world are gas stations allowed to hold on to a ‘deposit’ like that? It’s not like a hotel, where you could actually do some damage they haven’t discovered! If they can do that, what’s to stop a grocery store from doing the same?) But that meant we had very little money left in the account for a week until our pay went through. To make things worse we came home to fridge that had shut itself off so we even had to replace all the condiments! Thankfully my husband had a couple of gift cards (bonuses from work) and I had the cash my mom had given me for Christmas presents for the kids – that paid for gas and groceries for a while . . . .
Jessi says
I’ll be calling the bank tomorrow to cancel the dispute when the check they gave us clears tomorrow. Thankfully, they decided to do the right thing and pay us our money. And that is crazy that a gas station can hold so much money! That is so nerve wracking to have happen and I can’t imagine being overseas and having that happen to you. I’m so glad though that it all worked out in the end. 🙂
Janeen says
so glad it all ended (mostly) ok. It’s been years since our bank account dipped below a few hundred, but I remember it feeling incredibly stressful. Keep us updated?
Jessi says
Thank you Janeen! It is finally resolved and we got our money back, thank goodness! It was definitely a stressful couple of days but now everything is back to running smoothly. 🙂
Stephanie @ Six Figures Under says
What a nightmare! I’m glad you got the check. That is a huge error! I’m glad you caught it when you did! Another day or two later and the mess would have been even bigger. It makes me wonder how often people are getting fraudulently charge, overcharged or ripped off but they never know it because they aren’t on top of their finances. *hugs*
Rosa @ Cat Lady Confidential says
Unfortunately unforeseen circumstances happen when we least expect. I hope all will work out!
Jessi says
Thankfully it has worked out Rosa! We got our money back yesterday so really this was just a minor hiccup but a great reality check! 🙂
Michelle says
I just read the above comment and I’m so glad that you got your money back! This was so scary to me!
Jessi says
Yes, it was so stinky scary! I still don’t know why they kept our payment info, but at least now they no longer have access to it. 🙂
Tai says
I am happy to hear that everything worked out! Reading your story was a simple reminder for me to always trust God to be our provider. I could feel your fear and panic! Thank you Jesse for sharing and being so transparent. I love what you are doing!
Jessi says
Thank you so much Tai! 🙂
Kelly says
Thank you! I found this post via Pinterest and absolutely loved it. That scripture has saved my bacon more than once. I’ll be following your blog now.
Jessi says
Thank you so much Kelly for your encouragement! 🙂
susanna says
Jessi,
You did so well in this scary situation. Your vigilance regarding your bank account paid off, despite some low moments.
I would suggest that when you are able, start stockpiling key grocery items, so that your family will have some measure of security if a similar situation comes up in the future. Find the best sale/cheapest price on canned beans, rice, dried beans and legumes (chickpeas, black beans, lentils especially, even splurge on a box of quinoa because of its high protein content), pasta and sauce (inexpensive or generic brand), oatmeal, shelf stable rice or almond milk- you get the idea. I will look for a link to a list I saw on the internet years ago about what to buy week by week to build a reserve- maybe you have seen it. Anyway, the idea is to buy one or two items at a time as your budget allows- soon you will have a little home resource shelf or two that will prevent you from experiencing the fearful situation you just came through.
Jessi says
Thank you so much Susanna for your kind words! What’s interesting, is that we do stockpile, I just think that I tend to panic because if we get to two cans of tomatoes I all of a sudden think we have no food. lol 🙂
kayla says
thank you so much for writing this post. i was just in the shower crying because i’m still stressed about not having enough income to pay bills and set myself up financially like i want. I was being negative to myself and yet I forgot how much God has blessed me within these past couple of months by putting resources in my path to financially educate myself,fix my car, even give me a small raise at work just a few days ago. I was a convicted because i had failed to see the blessings in my struggle. I asked God to help me find joy in no matter what circumstance i face…financially or otherwise.
Anyway, so i hopped out the shower and decided to check pintrest and came across your post… And i can confidently say that God used this post to put my heart at ease and bring me joy in my moment of breaking down.
so thank you again for sharing this “not so pretty moment” of budgeting with us and i pray that you’ll be blessed for all the awesome things your doing through your blog. 🙂
Jessi Fearon says
Oh Kayla! You just brought tears to my eyes! What a beautiful testament to God’s amazing glory. 🙂 I’m so happy that I could encourage you and know that I’m praying for you and cheering you on!
Jessica S says
Pinterest picked your blog pin for me this morning and I can’t even begin to tell you how powerful the read has been. I’ve been so stressed out for the last two weeks worrying about money and I have such a sense of peace right now. Unfortunately our financial issues are our fault, but I know that I will get through it. God has seen us through much worse and I have so much to be thankful for. I know I shouldn’t worry, but I can’t help it. Thanks so much for the encouraging post. I know it wasn’t an accident, so I receive it.
Jessica
P.S. I’m a pinterest follower now 🙂
Jessi Fearon says
Thank you Jessica for your kind words and I am praying for you. We all go through seasons like this and I know God will carry you through. 🙂
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says
I think this is an important post, so many people have never considered what they would do, but bad things can happen to anyone. You handled it with grace (after the freak out).
Ann says
I started a post this week almost exactly like you started this one. Life has a way of providing more urgent topics, lol. For us it’s that my husband lost his job… And while we’re not out of money yet, I definitely am comcerned we might get there. Thanks for being real in this post about your freaking out; it’s really comforting to know I’m not the only one!!! But thanks, too, for the encouragement to remember the truths of Scripture. Materially, we may have to go through tough times, but spiritually, we can count on the blessings of God’s presence and care. Pinning this one to have handy for when I need it again. 🙂
Jessi Fearon says
Sending prayers y’all’s way Ann! May God bless y’all!
Ellen Baker says
I had bookmarked this post and just read it now because yesterday’s events sent me into a panic. I have worked for this company for 11 years and love my job. Due to circumstances I knew nothing about my department is being phased out, so my job was cut out. I was devastated. I am at an age that will make it hard to get a job. Reading your post reminded that God’s got my back. I am still scared but I know He has a plan.
Jessi Fearon says
Oh goodness Ellen! I’m sending up prayers for you today darlin’!