Stupid tax is money you lose or pay for an avoidable mistake. I am as careless with my money as I am with my calories. The financial debt is evident on my credit card balance, the caloric “overspending” is clearly demonstrated on my body.
Today I finally cancelled a $16/month fee that I’ve been paying for YEARS. Literally getting nothing from it. I have never once utilized the service. It was an automatic enrollment when I purchased something else. Nearly $200/year that I’m just throwing away. Frivolous. Simply from not paying attention.
I have everything on auto-pay, I get a text message with my bank balance everyday, and my statements are all paperless, so sometimes I go months without really looking at my accounts. When I do look, I kick myself for this stupid payment that is just a huge waste.
There are other automatic withdrawals that I could live without. I overspend on food the most… and overeat all the things I didn’t even need. Now that I’m not working, if I don’t get my spending under control, I’m going to drive us further into debt and have to go back to work sooner than we planned.
At the end of the day, I don’t get my money back. I stopped the payment and am actively looking for other places where I can save. I can’t un-spend the money I’ve lost, and I can’t un-eat the excess calories I’ve consumed. Chalking it up to stupid tax, and moving on. I could cry about what’s happened or I can do something about it and move forward.
The Difference A Year Can Make 