Lessons From the Non-Scam
I ate a massive slice of humble pie yesterday, and one of the perks of this blog is that I get to turn my horror stories into writing inspiration (and your entertainment).
While eating lunch yesterday, I received an image from an unknown phone number. No text, just an image. The image was a screenshot of a court date I've apparently been summoned to. Included in the screenshot were a time, a place, and an issue: next week, Chicago, delinquent tolls.
I don't know about you, but for the past 18 months, I've been inundated with scam calls, texts, and e-mails about tolls I allegedly owe. Tolls from states I've never even been to. Needless to say, I ignore every single one of these scammy messages.
Yesterday's random court date screenshot felt different. I wasn't about to scan the QR code in the image, so I found an Illinois DOT phone number to contact. I explained to the agent on the other end of the phone that I think this message is a scam, but I want to check to be sure. She asked for my license plate numbers.
There's a long silence on the other end. At first, I thought we got disconnected. Then, I realized she was processing what she saw and was figuring out how to communicate it to me. "You owe $1,255 in past due tolls."
Excuse me!?!?! After asking several questions, I learned that the original tolls totaled less than $100. However, after YEARS of fees and penalties, I now owe $1,255. Oh, here's the little cherry on top. Since the court date is already scheduled, they aren't willing to negotiate. I was dead in the water. All these years, while I was avoiding the scams, I was simultaneously ignoring real citations. Ouch, just ouch.
Is there a moral to the story? Perhaps the moral of the story is the immense weight I felt yesterday as I was dealing with this mess, and the instant relief I felt when I used the emergency fund to quickly pay for my stupidity. In another place and time, this weight could have sat on me for months.....or years. Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
This is one of the reasons why it's so important we get on the positive side of our finances. Money is never about money.....it's always about something bigger. And sometimes, "bigger" means not feeling like our chest is going to get crushed in from the weight of our burdens.
I'm grateful Sarah and I are in a place where we can address this mess without it blowing up our lives. The emergency fund is key. Margin is key. Having no debt is key. Being able to sacrifice is key. All this to say that while yesterday's slice of humble pie hurt, it was a mere bruise compared to what it could have been. Take stock of your financial house, and be prepared for whatever insane storms come your way.
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