My mission to control the nonstop freaking out over financial issues continues. It has not been easy, let me tell you. But I do find that the teachings of the Dalai Lama about taming one's mind have something to offer me.Example: Two things in the mail today. First, a notice from ACS, which handles one of our college loans, saying we're overdue by a month. This despite the fact we've had no notices that the newly negotiated payments were starting back up again. Or what date they were due.
I went straight to anger, as usual. What do they mean overdue? Where was our paper or electronic notice? What do they think they're trying to pull?
Then despair. How will we ever get out of this black financial hole? We're stuck. We don't deserve a trip this summer.
Later, though, we found ACS was glad to correct the situation, send us a notice and restart the payments so we wouldn't start a month behind. All my emotions were unwarranted. Fail.
The second was a notice of telling us we have a $500+ shortage in escrow.
I will be as a stone. I will be as a block of wood.
$500? Really? But yes. According to Wells Fargo, our payment will go up by $30 a month if we pay it as a lump sum, or $74 a month if we use their 12-month plan working the shortage into the payments.
This is perplexing. Last year's escrow shortage was just over $250. I can't remember ever having a shortage of more than $350. What gives?
I can't imagine taxes went up by that much. So maybe it's the insurance. And what's insurance doing with increases by that much in such bad economic times?
I will be as a quiet pond. I will be as a granite statue.
Ahhh. I guess we'll just have to do some digging and find out.
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