A regular paycheck!

Yesterday I received my first normal paycheck.  It is so nice to be able to now finalize my 2016 budget.  Unfortunately, the paycheck was less than I had expected.  I originally thought that it was taxes but I realize that it was because of certain pre-tax deductibles - like health insurance.  

My HR dept is...well....hmmm...Let's just say that the information I was provided on the costs of health insurance etc. was incorrect.  The amount that was deducted from my paycheck is what I expected to pay for the entire month based on the presentation that was given to me.  So effectively the price I am paying is now double.  (I'm not too surprised since the person that I *think* did the presentation is the same one who sent out wrong information, wouldn't respond to me, was really annoyed when I followed up, and finally caused me to miss a sign-up deadline for another benefit.)  Now that I am remembering, the slide was weirdly worded and it made me flip back to another one to confirm whether the price was per paycheck or per month.  The other slide indicated it was per month.

Sigh.

I have been sick this past week and had an unexpected health expense arise today.  Well actually several if I add up the amount I have spent on over-the-counter medications...  But this involved an appointment and a medication.  Plus more money spent on OTC!  So unless I can manage to massage my budget, it will mean that I've borrowed a bit from next month's budget (i.e. this paycheck).  Sadly this will come out of my savings/investing since there is nowhere else for it to come from.  Life happens!

I'd like to be in a position to execute a trade at the end of the month (i.e. with the next paycheck).  This involves me finishing the research/reviewing of ETF funds.  But also my account at Vanguard seems to be locked as they are transferring my shares from my former brokerage over to them.  (My former brokerage account is locked as well!)  So that needs to be finalized for me to even transfer cash in.  It should clear up in the next couple of days (well by Tues/Wed since Mon is a holiday here).

Pru