If you have a flexible spending account through work, there's a decent chance you're sitting on a few hundred dollars you'll lose if you don't spend it soon.
Most healthcare FSAs operate on a use-it-or-lose-it basis, and the deadline lands at the end of December for many employers.
Miss it, and that cash simply vanishes from your account.
Everyday health costs have climbed right alongside everything else.
A box of contact lenses, a pair of glasses, a dental crown, even a pack of bandages all cost more than they did a couple of years ago.
The money you set aside in January buys noticeably less now, so stretching it takes a little planning.
The rules aren't identical for everyone, which is where people get tripped up.
Some employers offer a grace period that pushes your deadline into mid-March.
Others allow a carryover, letting you roll a limited amount into next year.
Check your plan documents or your benefits portal before you assume you have extra time.
What actually counts as eligible is broader than most people realize.
Prescription medications, of course, but also sunscreen, first-aid kits, thermometers, menstrual products, and many over-the-counter items now qualify without a prescription.
Vision and dental expenses count too, including exams, fillings, and orthodontia payments.
Dependent care FSAs are a separate bucket with their own rules.
A quick strategy: log into your account, see your exact balance, then work backward from the deadline.
Book that dental cleaning you've been putting off.
Refill prescriptions early if your plan allows it.
Order replacement glasses or a year's worth of contacts through your vision provider.
Stock the medicine cabinet with eligible staples you'll use anyway.
One caution: don't panic-buy random items just to zero out the balance.
Spending on things you'll never touch defeats the purpose, and some retailers mark up FSA-eligible products precisely because shoppers are desperate in late December.
Buy what you'll genuinely use, and keep your receipts in case the plan asks for documentation.
If you're nowhere near using the money, ask your HR team whether a grace period or carryover applies.
If it doesn't, a last-minute eye exam or a bulk order of eligible supplies beats forfeiting the funds outright.
You earned that money through pretax payroll deductions, so treating it like a scavenger hunt you actually want to win makes sense.
The bigger lesson is for next year's enrollment.
Estimate your real out-of-pocket health spending, then subtract a cushion.
Setting aside too much feels productive in open enrollment season and painful in December.
Setting aside slightly less, and topping up only if you can, keeps you from playing this game under pressure. **The takeaway:** An FSA is your money, just held in a use-it-or-lose-it box.
Treat the deadline like a bill you actually want to pay, because ignoring it means paying yourself nothing.
Final Thoughts
A half hour of planning now beats watching that balance reset to zero.