ignore the collectors and don’t send them a cent.

Keep in mind that the original company you owed the money to no longer will get the money if you pay these “bill collectors”. the orignal debt was sold off to the “bill collectors” for pennies on the dollar.

They are currently trying to trick you to acknowledge the debt by sending in a payment. Once you do that you are on the hook to them for the whole amount.

the really funny thing is that if you try to pay the original company the money instead (to ethically even up the score) they probably won’t accept it because their accounting system won’t be set up for it.

I can see where you are coming from, but I read it as less of a ‘even though there was no relationship, she cashed out’ as more of understanding now that she and her grandfather still had a connection, even if and that by realizing that they share some ideals (even if she came later to it) that she’s able to honor and keep his memory alive.

From her post, she still wishes she could have had the connection that could have been … she still wishes she could have had the penguin-clock moment – but that wasn’t who her grandfather *was*, but that didn’t mean he didn’t think about her.

15 Things/Budgeting – This used to trip us up too. The commenter that added Christmas to the list is right on target too. If your withholding isn’t correct & you ‘always’ owe more at tax time, then you should be budgeting for that, or adjust your withholding.

We also add in a category for travel plans – our family is spread across the country & we know we’ll be making at least a minimum number of trips to visit various people during the year (in addition to, or instead of, a vacation, which is also something people should plan into their budget).