A little while back, I opened a mysterious, unidentified envelope that ended up being from PayPal.
“Great news… it’s that time of year… yada yada yada… a dividend has been deposited into your account!” Woohoo! I thought as I unfolded the paper to see just how much richer I now was. Would it be $20? $50? $100?
I was a little disappointed when I saw that it was… 33 cents.
And then my disappointment turned into straight-up annoyance as I realized just how much “receiving” that thirty-three cents was going to cost me.
Come tax time, I’m going to have to factor in that thirty-three cents as I gather all my tax information for my accountant. I’m going to have to print off the PayPal tax summary. I’m going to have to take the time to input it into the Excel spreadsheet and balance the rest of my finances with it.
Then, I’m going to hand it all to my accountant who charges a hundred bucks an hour. He’ll have to include it in whatever he does, which I’m sure will cost me a few minutes of his time; a few minutes he’ll have no problem charging me for.
But why stop there? In addition to all that, I have now spent the time it takes to write this post, which could have spent doing something to build my following, writing my new book, or finding some way to bring in some money.
In the end, and being as whiny and grim as I can, I figure that 33 cents actually is costing me about sixty bucks.
Thank you PayPal.
Keep your dividends to yourself.
Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing
PS. Do you ever get annoyed at the “true” cost of things? Like what? 
In the past I got several "bills" from book clubs or music clubs that were for a couple pennies. As long as those few cents are on the account, they keep sending you books or music in the mail, so I had to put a check for a couple cents in an envelope, then stick a 30-something cent stamp on it just to clear my account.
I got the same kind of letter from an online bank savings account I've had for a couple of years. I left it (and left only a few $$$) in it, and they sent the whole interest tax report thingy to tell me that I had made a whopping .57 cents interest that needed to be reported. Yippee for money making money! Boo for having to shell out more than it's worth!
Ha! I got a check from ebay and hoped for the same $20 or $50. My check was for .01. Yep, 1 penny. I thought to myself how much it must have cost them to send me a penny. Paper, ink, postage, some person's pay for printing and stuffing the check, some gasoline (and maybe jet fuel) to deliver it to me and the mail carrier's pay. That's a lot of expense to send me a penny!
I had to file a police report last week. After waiting 1.5 hours at the police station to speak with a less than helpful woman, she told me I would have to wait 14 days and send a check for $0.50 and a self addressed stamped envelope to the city of Chicago in order to get a copy of the report. Come on city of Chicago, how much does is cost you to process that check for $0.50?? What a waste of my time, your employees time, and both banks time...
My biggest money-wasting pet peeve is when I get talked into "free trial" offers, because I NEVER remember to cancel them on time. I have a solemn vow now to never get sucked into one, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time...
@tomiannie It's always best to cancel those right after you sign up, so you don't forget!
*away
I don't usually advocate dishonesty but in this case I'd say throw the letter aaya and "FO-GET about it!"
That's almost like a bill I received for 10 cents...factor in postage, envelope, and printing costs, plus employee pay, I figure they wasted a few dollars for my dime...
Sad part is, the postage to mail you that was more than the contents = )
Dan,
Well maybe you can write off all your expenses from that 33 cents... lol well no matter how you put it that was a funny post. But you are true thats honestly what happens!! You get like a couple bucks and in the end it cost more than it helps! Write them and ask for it cash under the table next time. Well when you get this comment do me a favor, read my post tomorrow. Its funny how you posted about money my post tomorrow will show at 8:00am EST. Take a look, its already set just waiting to post. I think when you read it you will say good minds think alike... lol...
www.rosinisblog.blogspot.com March. 29th post. you will love it.
Keep posting my single dad brother!
oh jeeze Dan... sounds like you are having one of those days!
plus the cost of the stamp wasn't worth the check they sent you!
Or the cost to cut the check, itself. Where I work, it's around $50 to cut a check to someone! So @danoah not only are you having to pay around $60 to receive/claim the $.33, they likely did as well. Insanity.
In canada we would not have to report that. maybe it is the same there
Paypal sucks!
When you realize that the IRS has you round amounts to the nearest dollar, you are going to be reporting that you got $0 from Paypal...
Not being a parent (yet!), I would have to say the cost of owning a pet. Namely, a dog or two (we have 5 cats and 2 dogs, all indoor!). My pups (a Corgi mix and a Pittie/Lab mix) go through toys like no other animal I have ever seen before. And of course we want what's best for them, so treats and every day food are top-quality. Not to mention routine checkups and shots, time and energy put into training (one has been to obedience school twice...), and overall well-being of the animal.
If the cost of keeping up with pets is a surprise to me, I fear to wonder what it will be like with a child someday!
The cost of healthcare....that is not covered by insurance. We already pay so much for our health insurance and when you need (not want) something from the healthcare community that is not covered by your insurance, you start to shake in your shoes as you see your meager savings disappear. It isn't like wanting some new shoes you can wait on. It is, "This is what will help give you your life back and it is going to take time....oh an money because your insurance says no."
It annoys me that they wasted paper and a stamp to send you a notice saying you got .33 cents. Why bother? I once got a check for $2.00 that cost me over $100 to deposit by the time I had to DRIVE to the bank, waste gas, time, and all that jazz. No thanks. I'm even more impressed you reported the .33 cents. :)
@AlysiaSmithCarew Once, just to annoy my former realtor while I lived in an apartment, I sent in 5 or so cheques adding up to that month's rent. For whatever reason, they had sent me a bill for $.50 because a latch needed replacing, so I decided to pay them back in kind.
Okay not exactly in kind but you know what I mean.
@ShaylinSurratt @AlysiaSmithCarew My brother in law was so mad at a lawyer that was supposed to be helping him in a custody issue (and found out he wasn't!) he decided to pay the $500.00 bill in pennies. He went to the bank and got them, unwrapped them all, and delivered them to the law office. They were NOT happy.....but I got a good laugh out of that story!