In a series of exceedingly sexy tasks during my Spring Break last week, I took my car in for its 100K service, went to the dentist, and, later in the week, went to the periodontist (gum guy). (I also got a hair cut, a wax, and a pedicure, so, you know, sexy.)
At the visit with the periodontist, I told him that my last dentist referred me to one, whom I’d seen about 2 years ago, and he was extremely intent that I needed near-immediate gum surgery to restore/delay (slight) gum recession on my two lower teeth.
Well, gum guy, how much will this run me? Well, with your dental insurance, it will cost about $2,400. Ah huh. Okay, well, thanks for the intel, I’ll start saving up and when I have that amount, I’ll come on back.
And so it’s been. I began saving a little a month toward that surgery in a Capital One savings account until I paused last Fall when I changed jobs. I didn’t know what my new benefits would cover, and now I had an FSA account through work, so let’s just keep that $1,100 in savings and wait til I’m ready.
In December, I figured I was, called up that periodontist to schedule the surgery… and then had one of my financial ladies monthly meetings. I told them about the upcoming surgery and how I was going to split the 2 teeth over the change of the calendar year so that my dental benefits would cover more.
No! one declared, eyes wide. She’d had that surgery and it was an incredible amount of recovery time, there’s no way I could do it on a Friday and go up to the mountains on Saturday for New Year’s.
Ugh, really? Yeah, it’s best to do them both at once.
Okay, so I cancelled that appointment (had a great time in Tahoe), and considered that I would do the surgery over my summer break.
Well, I switched dentists and saw this one for the first time last week. With her fingers in my mouth, she was saying that their periodontist was great and that the gum surgery wasn’t traumatic.
Not traumatic? I replied, aghast. They tear a chunk out of the roof of your mouth and staple it to your gums!
No, no, she said. We don’t really do that anymore. Our guy has different techniques now. You should see him. And so I did, last Friday.
This guy agreed that the old way was barbaric and awful to heal, so they have a new procedure (using cadaver tissue…) that is much less invasive and much easier to heal. He also said that, yeah, I could do the surgery, but it certainly wasn’t imminent and we will do a “watch and wait” and I’ll come back in the Fall.
Hm… okay, well, how much would this one cost anyway? About the same.
Okay, so my FSA this school-calendar year all went to therapy (oy), so I’ll have to wait for it to re-up in August, so it won’t be until next summer when I do the surgery if I do it at all.
So… what do I do with this $1,100 that’s been sitting in savings?
WELL (and here’s my whole point!), in a blog post or many to come, I will describe to you the mind-altering/shattering revelation of J’s explaining “inflation” to me last Saturday. It has exPLOded my brain to realize that the happy-joy-joy I receive from adding $.07 to my Dental Savings each month is a growth-rate that is FAR BELOW INFLATION, so that what looks like $1100 today will go way less far next Summer.
HOLY. SHIT.
So, in an effort to end this blog quickly and get off to work, I will say this summary:
I did a BLIZZARD of research in the last 4 days, discovered what a CD is, and have moved that dental money into a 12-month CD. This means that I can’t touch it for a year, but I don’t want or need to, and that my money will make a LEEETLE bit more in interest than in the Capital One account, though it still won’t match inflation.
There’s a lot to come here about all the mind-blowing info I feel like I’m just opening up, but the general idea is this:
I have been saving $$ diligently for years. I have been so STOKED about those seven cent increases each month. I have felt adult and pleased and competent. AND I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT.
I’m so f’ing excited by this, I have to tell you. I have opened more accounts in the last 4 days than I have in the last 10 years, and there is more (way more) to come.
Money, work for me better while I sleep, while I drive to work, while I dig plaque from receding gums.
I am f’ing psyched.
Owning Voice 