My moving experience has brought a lot of changes to my life. My routines are a little different, and there are also things to get used to, like the traffic that comes with living in a suburb just outside a major metropolitan area. I’ve also had to take a more active role in my son’s homework, since we’re in a more challenging school district, and he’s starting middle school.
What’s really killing me, though, is changing the way I deal with money. Here are some changes to the way I do things with money, based on my move:
Banking
There isn’t a local branch of my main checking account here. This means that I have to plan around mobile check deposit limits, and the amount of time it takes for the money to be transferred from the local bank (I set up an account just so I can quickly deposit checks) to my primary checking account. It’s playing havoc with my cash flow, and I still can’t seem to get things in order. I’m sure it will smooth out when I figure out a system, but so far it’s just been one painful #FAIL after another.
Tipping at the Salon
In the magical land of Logan, Utah, I could put the tip for salon and spa services on the credit card slip. I’ve been to a couple different places here, and they don’t even allow for tipping on the credit card slip. It’s all about the cash. When I take my son for a haircut, or if I go get my nails done, I need to make sure to have the cash with me so that I can tip my service provider. I’m not used to carrying cash, so it’s hard for me to remember.
This is inconvenient because it’s harder for me to get cash from my new bank. I could pay the ATM fees associated with accessing my main account, or I can try to make things work with the new bank. So far, it’s been kind of a pain because I think I set up the PIN wrong. So it’s still hard for me to get cash for tips — and the fact that I need change for parking meters on top of it all is also somewhat disconcerting.
Tolls
Anytime I get on major interstate around here, there is the chance that I will pay a toll. This takes some getting used to when you’re used to just hitting the road for free. Not only that, but you have to know which toll lane to get into. I made the mistake of going through an EZ Pass only lane at one point. I couldn’t pay the toll, because there was no one there to take it, and I didn’t have EZ Pass set up yet. Guess who got an awesome ticket in the mail? This gal! It was even accompanied by a picture of my license plate, just in case I was unsure that my Utah-plated car was the offender.
Overall, I’m settling in ok, and I enjoy living in this area. I just need to get used to the way things are done, and adjust my money usage accordingly.
Quick tip for getting cash: when you’re buying groceries or whatever, get cash back at the time of purchase. That way you’ll have cash and you don’t have to deal with ATMs or their pesky fees. 🙂
That’s a good idea. Unfortunately, some of the stores we shop at don’t offer that solution. But maybe I can find some stores that will let me, and occasionally pop in to take care of the cash.