Take a Look at What $350 Worth of Sunscreen Looks Like Thanks to an Expiring HSA Card

Laziness led me here.  I have no one to blame for this other than myself.  Regardless of what led me here, here I am, with $1,100+ on my Health Savings Account debit card needing to be spent before March 1st.

My story of sunscreen-excess started in November of 2013.  I signed up for a Flex spending card to take money out of my paycheck before taxes and put on a card I can use on any medical-related expenses.  You know what I'm talking about, but I had to explain for those youngsters that haven't taken that dive into the deep end of life's responsibility pool.

After several years of braces, MRIs and tubes-in-ears I went all-in and put $1,500 on the card, to be used when I needed it.  At least that was the set up until they started looking for receipts.  Despite the fact that the card was used for co-pays at the Dr.'s office and for contact lenses, further proof was needed.

The problem with tracking down those receipts is two-fold.  First, as I said earlier, laziness played a key role.  Also playing a role is my schedule.  I barely have enough time in the day as it is, and tracking down receipts for a medical debit card used for medical purposes is far from the top of my list of priorities.

As much as time & laziness played their parts, I can also consider myself and my family to be very lucky.  We've not had any need for large medical expenses.  A co-pay, prescription or contact lenses were all that seemed to be needed, and those purchases don't necessarily break us.

It wasn't until my doc told me I needed an MRI for my back that I decided to gather some receipts.  Hearing from the clinic that I could get a cash discount that would only cost me a thousand bucks motivated me to find missing receipts.  This was in December, and it apparently didn't motivate me too much, because by mid-January I still hadn't tracked down the receipts.

I'd been notified that, as opposed to years past when the money on the card disappeared as the calendar rolled on to the next year, I'd have until March 1st to spend the money.  When I finally tracked down the receipts a few weeks back, I knew I had to spend the money.  The problem became scheduling another appointment to get the referral I'd need for the MRI.  Nothing was available before the end of February.

The clock was ticking, and the thought of wasting a thousand dollars of my (somewhat) hard earned money got me getting creative.  I visited the online drug stored filled with pre-approved items for the Flex card.  As I mentioned, we're a pretty healthy family (knock on wood), and my needs weren't that large.

After finding much of the site useless to anyone under the age of 70 or anyone without diabetes, I decided on something I could always use more of:  sunscreen.  Summer in Texas seems to never end, and that sun can do damage.  I've got a ginger for a wife that's already had sun-related skin issues, and we're very diligent when it comes to lathering up the kids prior to a day outdoors.

The thought of the money I could save over the summer was too much to resist.  When I finally submitted my order, I ended up with $350 worth of sunscreen & Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts.  When the package arrived this morning, it wasn't as large as I'd expected.  Big things come in small packages, however, and that was the case here.

If you see me out this summer on the Party Pontoon and find yourself in need of sunscreen, I'm your man.  Sunscreen all around!!  The shoe inserts are mine, though, so back off.