Monday, April 13, 2009

Really? REALLY?

Around these parts, when it rains it POURS. I'm sure that you're sick to death of hearing me whine about all the super fun vet bills I've been paying for. So, instead of complaining about my dogs I have something new to complain about: my car!

I know that it's not really a new complaint, but last week it decided that it had started for the last time. Well - the last time until I took it to the shop to get it fixed.

According to my dad my car was a textbook case of "dead starter". Which in wallet-speak translates into "an easy $400 bill that you will have to pay. BWA HA HA!". OK, maybe not that last part, but that's sure what it sounded like to me in my head.

Good thing I have an E-Fund that is large enough to help me pay for this bill without incurring any more debt (except that I put it on my credit card for now - I'm going to get some points and make a massive payment from my next paycheck). If you don't have an E-Fund set up yet - DO IT NOW. I cannot tell you the happiness that it has created in my life. When I run out of food and money at the same time? My E-Fund is there for me, holding my hand, telling me that it's all going to be OK.

My BFF Hilda and I worked out a budget together the other day, and while I agreed to cut my car fund savings per month (it was a fairly unreasonable amount anyway) I put my foot down and told her that there was no way I was going to stop putting $200 a month into the general E-Fund and $100 a month into the Dog E-Fund. She was not only impressed that I had an E-Fund, she was also completely impressed that I had set up a fund just for the dogs. But, really, can you blame me? I don't know that I can handle another month like March (it was really expensive, dude!) without any help. Probably I would cry and be forced to move back home with my parents where I would probably cry some more.

But, back to my car. The $400 made my heart skip a beat, until I realized that with a new starter:
  1. My car will start up every time I decide that it should. Yay!
  2. I can put off buying a new car. Yay!
  3. This still might be something I can own:
Yay!

3 comments:

Randy said...

Hi

Why don't you change the starter yourself, they are usually pretty easy. Depends on the model of the car.
I would guess that a starter is maybe $75 depending on the car again.

Just a thought
Randy

Taryn said...

Oh boy- do it yourself? I am all about DIY in my life- but cars- they are another story. I am useless. Glad your E - Fund was there to hold your hand. = )

Caroline said...

Thanks Taryn! I am in the same boat with you on the car fixing thing. While I would love to be able to pt in a new starter, I would rather take it to someone who knows what the heck they're doing. I'm scared that I would just screw it up more and have it cost more in the long run.