It’s a good feeling when you make that last, final, soul completing car payment. You stroke the check lovingly as you sign your name. And sliding it into that prepaid postage envelope… oh yeah. You actually savor the taste of the glue on that envelope.
For the next 3 weeks it’s like driving a car for free.
Then the engine light comes on.
*bing*
And you are stalled at an intersection during rush hour.
Two days and $1800 later, you are back on the road in your 100% paid for car.
Three months later the engine light comes on.
*bing*
It runs fine… ignore it.
*bing*
Fine… diagnose it and it’s no big deal. Emissions issue with gasoline vapors. Won’t pass inspection, but you’ve got almost a year before that becomes a problem. Vapors aweigh!
And now it’s the middle of summer. A car’s favorite time of year for one of two things to go wrong. Either the A/C quits, or it overheats. Your car is overheating AND you can’t run the A/C. As a matter of fact, you get to travel down the interstate with all four windows down blowing the heater at full blast to keep your car from literally catching fire while you drive.
Your radiator is “blocked”. You need a new one. And a thermostat too. They go bad. You’ve got two broken engine mounts, by the way. That’s bad. Real bad. As in you shouldn’t be as worried about your engine catching fire as a maybe the engine just jumping out from under your hood. Oh, and your yearlong engine light thing? Yeah… there’s a pump to detect problems with your vapors. It’s broke. Oh, and yer washer spray don’t work cause both yer nozzles are AFU.
That’ll be $1800.
Still cheaper than a car payment though.
Ok, so this story was more about me than you.
But you get it, though. Right?
 |
| *bing* |
sweety, come out of the dark ages,
ReplyDelete1. When was the last time I even LET you write a check
2. They don't pay your stamp when you mail in the checks
3. #2 is the reason online billpay was invented (oh that and have you seen how much they charge for checks OMG!)
My frugal savings crown would be revoked if I didn't use FREE online bill pay and save on postage AND checks all at the same time!
Clicking the button for this $1800 is gonna hurt though :(
Just popped over from the Mrs to check out your blog. I am not ususally a blog reader (except for the Mrs) but since I wish I could be a stay at home dad and we both seem to enjoy good beer I thought I would give it a read. I got through the first few posts. Good stuff. I will be back later to read more. Good luck with the Founders.
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