People ask me, “Doug, what exactly was it you did at the factory before you retired? The answer is more difficult than the job I did. I analyzed data “and stuff”! I made charts that no one used, it turned out, but that would have been of great value had they taken the time to look at them.
Anyway, I created this one last chart showing my finances in vague and altered form to foil the math-proficient. Hee! Hee!
Half of this year, I was dealing with BlueCross BlueShield to re-establish health insurance. I DO have it again, at a cost of nearly 50% of my income! God love AMERICA! On December 15th, BC BS will debit my account for four months’ insurance. At once. To the tune of significantly over $4000. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
When it became clear that the debit would happen, of course, I had to talk really fast with my financial advisor. God bless my financial advisor!
When I started to get all whiney about all that money going out of one account into another so I wouldn’t get another $30 charge for insufficient funds and another $10 charge for accepting a transfer of funds into my depleted checking account, my financial advisor reminded me many people don’t have money they can transfer from one account to another.
(Fie on 1st National Bank anyway! Ho! Ho! Ho!)
He got me thinking.
Christmas will be rough this year but I have many blessings, in no order:
1. Mom is doing well at the care center and will be 97 in February! Praise the Lord!
2. My insurance is outrageous because I have one heck of a precondition, one that makes no insurance suicide, BUT, I have insurance: Millions of Americans don’t. Shame on AMERICA! The Lord provided for me! America?
3. I have food and a warm place to live, even if the rent is going up to well over $600 a month in January. Insurance and rent take over 70% of my income a month! But I have enough. Many don’t. The Lord provides what I need!
4. Seven years ago, I nearly died of Wegener’s granulomatosis. I thank the Lord that I have been in remission for 5 years 8 months! I should be dead!
5. My brother, sisters, and their families are doing well! Praise the Lord!
6. No one in the family died or was hospitalized! Thank you Heavenly Father!
Count your blessings this Christmas, and know that the greatest gift of all is Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s promise to us in John 3:16. So, it turns out “The Greatest Gift Of All” wasn’t that gift-wrapped Lexus in the driveway or that 52 inch HD LED television in the front room afterall!
God’s blessing on you this season!
Doug ~ AKA weggieboy