It's been a busy, and financially trying, couple of weeks...
- Right before the kids and grandkids came to visit we looked at the tires on our car and decided they were looking a little old. Although they were only five years old (as old as the car) that's kind of like eight years old in Vegas years because it is so dry and hot here that rubber and plastics age really fast. So we got new tires for the car ($500, not a bad price) at Discount Tire (we love this tire shop as they do good service at reasonable rates and also put air in the tires and do tire rotations for free any time we ask!).
- When I drove everyone to the airport on their way out of town I noticed the car was pulling to the right a lot so I ran by the tire store and they diagnosed a nail in one of the tires :( Fortunately they patched it for free but it's a bummer this happened to brand new tires!
- Then a few days later we went to take the car out of the garage and the garage door wouldn't open. After a quick inspection we found that the garage door spring had broken in half. So we got this fixed (after watching some YouTube videos to see if we could DIY it, the consensus was that messing with garage springs could kill you so we called a professional--$275). The guy said it wasn't unusual for this to happen as--again, due to it being very hot and dry--garage springs don't last very long here either. Ugh
- Next, a few days ago, hubby was driving on the freeway, a rock hit the windshield and left a small hole, which quickly turned into a very long crack. It can't be repaired so we have a guy coming to change out the windshield next week for $275.
- We've done a couple shopping trips to Costco and Sam's Club and it seems like everything has increased in price! And while it may only be 50 cents or a dollar increase on each product, that really adds up when you buy dozens of products which have all increased in price. Add to this random trips to other stores where even basic items like hair gel are sold out and shopping has turned into a very frustrating activity!
- Our house has developed a bunch of tiny, niggling problems that are, while not emergencies, they are nonetheless annoying so I ran by Home Depot today and bought everything needed to fix these issues--a light switch with a short, a leaking kitchen faucet, caulking coming off sinks, toilet water valves that don't close all the way--and tomorrow hubby and I will have a field day of fixing things around the house.
- Finally, on a happy note, I got an advertisement from Costco that says they now offer insurance so I called and found that going with their home and car insurance plans would save us about $250 a year so we switched! Needless to say, I am always on the lookout for ways to save extra money!
You certainly had a lot of things go wrong this week! I would hate a new tire with a nail. At least you can fix the things around the house.
ReplyDeleteYep, I guess when it rains it pours!
DeleteOh, it's all those little things that add up to lots of money and aggravation, especially the windshield problem. Living in a hot climate, the ceiling in my car (the headliner) gradually came loose over time until it looked like a circus tent inside my car. I finally had it replaced. It cost $300, but it was worth it. Stuff like that doesn't happen up north.
ReplyDeleteExactly! We never had car tire problems, car battery problems, or other problems when we lived up north in a cooler area!
DeleteGee when it rains it pours! And its tough when your a money saver and you get hit with so many expenses..
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! But fortunate we have an emergency fund so while it wasn't a financial crisis, it was disappointing to have to take money out of this fund!
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