Cash Spending Accounts

It's the end of another year and what are you doing like a bat outta hell? You're trying to use up all that cash pending account money you've accrued all year. If you don't spend it you lose it but watch how you try to spend it. You can't just walk into a store and buy $500 worth of Advil and expect this to cover it because it's medically unreasonable. If the doctor gives you a 1 month prescription for mega Advil from the pharmacist that would be reasonable for your your CSA (or FSA) to cover since the doctor said you needed that particular Rx. Two of the biggies are contact lenses with needed supplies and prescription eyeglasses(clear single, bifocal, invisible, tinted, Rx sunglasses). Optical labs are inundated with job orders for people caught in the last minute scuffle to get into the doctor for an exam and get the prescription ordered, which is usually paid in advance with, you guessed it, CSA/FSA money. Contacts are a little more tricky than the glasses for time issues as you usually need 2 appointments, one for the exam and one for the fitting. The fitting exam usually runs about $100 on the average and then you have to wait for them to get shipped in from the mfg or supplier, depending on the type of lenses needed. A search on the Internet will usually show you what is, and isn't, eligible for these funds so look first and then make a list and stick to it so you can use all of the funds and not get rejected for ineligible expenses that you won't be able to return later. These purchases have given me a lot of overtime lately and I look forward to more next year before the holidays.