My SiL advocates calling the creditor and telling them you'll only pay if they remove the black mark. That might work with the $1600 if you can work out some sort of installment plan. Maybe.

And I just remembered the time my sister was getting calls from collection agencies over $1.85. $20 almost as silly. Though they apparently saved on collection costs by not mailing a bill.

I shake my head sorrowfully at them.

When we moved to Brazil, I forgot about two bills - one for $37 and one for $19. I didn't find out about them until we were turned down for a loan. I think it's mostly resolved now, but it was so frustrating to be turned down for something so small.

Aimee, I don't want to get all in your business but it seems that you might have some recourse if there was a judgment against you and you never had notice. I know it's probably easier to just leave it, but it might be worth the battle, especially because it's so much.

When I went to see that really stressful lactation consultant, she tried to get me to use the SNS for Ellie. That was the "your baby will starve if you don't use this" part of the consultation.

(can I just say how glad I am to hear about another baby sleeping with her parents? I'm not sure why I'm so self-conscious about this but I'm glad to know other parents I like are doing it.)

That sucks Aimee.

I'm in my typical money rant myself. I'm waiting on as assload of checks and am still without them. I'm so fucking sick and tired of places that won't mail checks in a timely manner. It's not like I don't make a good income most of the time, it's just not fucking possible to budget (Or as least I fucking blow at it) for month long lapses between checks. My money is on a pile of checks arriving tomorrow about 1 PM, so that the banks will already be closed and I'll be hosed until Tuesday, and then I'm quite sure my bank will put a couple of days hold on the checks just because they can. One of the checks I'm waiting on is quite large and I'm sure that if I get it tomorrow I won't see more than $100 of it for at least a week.

I'm so fucking tired of this.

When I am less angry and frustrated and more into "cause" mode, I'll look into the judgment. Right now, I just can't handle it.

I have written the letter to the collection agency about the $20. It's posted and ready to go out. At least I did something constructive.

{{{{ND}}}}

Also, I found out that I passed my drug test (d'uh - I'm high on omnipotence) and background check, so I start my second job tomorrow.

Woo.

Also, it turns out, my POS insurance benefits had a $20 co-pay on ER docs that aren’t regular staff. And now, it’s on Joe’s credit. Twenty fucking dollars for SEVEN YEARS.

Aimée, I had the same thing happen to me with a $50 ER co-pay. It sat on my credit report for years and I didn't find out about it until I was trying to buy my house. The bastards *never* sent me a single notice for the bill. {{{you}}}

That's just not natural, Nicole. One should hoard them, and dole them out to oneself a few at a time over many months.

Okay. I'm sorry but you people that have GS cookies still sitting around, hidden or not, for *months* are almost as crazy as my GS cookie sharing co-workers. IJS. Especially the Samoas. Or the Thin Mints. Or the Tagalongs. Or... ohmygod why didn't I steal anyone's cookies???

I am most pathetic when it comes to money matters. I tend to use the rack up big debt and pay it off when the checks come in method of cash management. I learned nothing from my mother. She is brilliant at that stuff.

can I just say how glad I am to hear about another baby sleeping with her parents? I'm not sure why I'm so self-conscious about this but I'm glad to know other parents I like are doing it.

We found it the least stressful method. After Bobby was born I had the crib flush with the side of the bed with the side off and a single bed lengthwise at the end of our king bed. The four of us slept together until Brendon was interested in actually sleeping in his room. Then at some point Bobby wanted to sleep in the same room as his brother. They always outgrow it.

I got a lot of grief from some family members. My take was that I got more sleep when the boys slept with me. As much as I dislike sleep deprivation it made a lot of sense.

ohmygod why didn't I steal anyone's cookies???

See that's why you hide the extra box of Thin Mints in the freezer. Eventually you forget they are there and then in the middle of the summer when you would KILL for a frozen Thin Mint... there they are, just waiting for you to scarf them all!

Okay. I'm sorry but you people that have GS cookies still sitting around, hidden or not, for *months* are almost as crazy as my GS cookie sharing co-workers. IJS. Especially the Samoas. Or the Thin Mints. Or the Tagalongs. Or... ohmygod why didn't I steal anyone's cookies???

Seriously, yo. I've been known to actually break the sound barrier as I plow through a box of Samoas.

ION, I'm drinking some good red wine b/c it's been a hell of a week, and now I want to call umfriend. Hmm.

See that's why you hide the extra box of Thin Mints in the freezer.

I subscribe to this in theory, except that I have never, EVER managed this step:

Eventually you forget they are there