I've been "getting my finances in order" for the better part of the year. This has come with a lot of triumphs. For example, I used to owe $8000 in credit card debt. That's down to just over $1000, and is on track to be paid off early January. However, it seems I keep learning about obligations that prevent me from being able to truly celebrate. I just found out about two more, and they're a real bummer.
While waiting for the bus yesterday, I remembered that my income tax refund keeps getting taken by the government. I knew that 7 years ago, I forgot to include a 1099 form on my taxes. I fixed my mistake a month later, but of course as a result I ended up owing money. At that time, my basic idea was to just have additional taxes taken out to cover this over the course of my future income taxes. Well, since I'm on a mission to take care of all this, I called up the IRS.
It turns out, I still owe the Federal government $5000 dollars. So I set up a payment plan, $225 per month. I should have done this long ago, because it drops the interest/penalty rate significantly. Plus I'm now on track to cover this in two years. Still, that's $225 a month I had not imagined being a regular obligation.
Well, knowing I owed the Federal government, I figured I might also owe the state I lived in in 2009. So I called them today. They referred me to a 3rd party agency. I owe a little over $2000 there too. And they wouldn't work with me on a 2 year plan, the best I got them to agree to was to split it into 5 payments. So for nearly half a year, I'll have another "new" bill of $408.20. Plus a bit higher last payment, since interest and such continues to accrue.
Meanwhile I'm paying the minimums on my student loan, which is 100% going to interest. I have a principal of just over $60,000.
So anyway, I'm not so much as looking for advice, just wanted a place to vent. It's rewarding to feel like I'm taking control of my finances, now that I'm not hiding from the things I owe. But at the same time, it is depressing to just keep finding new things which have been there all the time. It's almost like I'm taking care of a kid. And I am, in a way; the kid is me, 7 years ago. I'm supporting my past self. Which sucks, because I was really hoping to get a better start at taking care of my future self.