Blasted Cars! Why is it that whenever we seem to be getting ahead just a little, the blasted car issues come up? ARGH!
THE GOOD and the BAD
First the BAD:
Coming back from mother-in-law's house Jan 5th we started to smell a weird "wire burning" smell from the Saab. We were just pulling of the interstate and headed home. No warning lights, no hot gauges- so we got in the drive way and popped the hood. Smelled like an electrical fire- but no smoke. So, we used the Volvo until I could get it in a week later to be looked at. I thought I'd start it up and would hopefully drive it out the the mechanic. Um, NO! The cabin immediately started filling with stench and smoke! I called a tow truck and cancelled my chiro appointment. Grrr! Tow truck guy thought maybe a belt, but I was thinking the worse- it smelled like the engine went. It was smoking in and out of the car! Fear kept me from calling the mechanic the next day. When I'm afraid to hear the truth, I often run from it. Finally, I had to make the dreaded call. We were going to have to make a decision as to whether to fix it. But, alas it wasn't as bad as I feared. Wow!
Now the GOOD:
Thank goodness. It was a belt and it took out some other belt. The smell was burning rubber/plastic. I dropped the Volvo off for an oil change and help with a headlight and took the Saab home. Was just fine and no lingering stench. The total for both cars was $400.98! While that is a bite in our cash reserves and is not pocket change, it surely is better than having to fork over $2000.00 for an engine or a different car. So, with 226,000 on the Volvo wagon and 98,000 on the Saab and a few more hundred $$ into the cars, hopefully we'll be good for a bit. It sure beats monthly car payments! Actually, this is the first money that we've put into the Saab in the 1-1/2 years that we've had it. We are hoping it is the last for a while. I feel a little bit here and there is expected. Like I said, we aren't plunking $200-$300 monthly on car payments- older cars by far are the better investment in my opinion. The mechanic said the Volvo is running soundly, but needs some axle boots. A bit more money to put into it, but then it should be good for quite a while. Still a solid car at age 14-yippee!
And, on a side note. While we are no thrifty, penny-pinchers and often have a few too many extravagances imho, we don't roll in the money and expect to live high off the hog. Or, in that case, live far beyond our means that everything is spiralling out of control. I read an article in the paper about a local woman (I have some interactions with her through kid activities and certainly people know about her). Apparently she so needed everything, she started kiting checks and such to pay for those pretty things. Now she is going off to jail for a year for her criminal actions (poor kids). Yikes! No thank you, I'll just live in my 68 year old house, with the one bathroom and two cars from the 1990's.
Well, that is my rant for the day. Perhaps I shouldn't bring up that situation, but it struck me again how crazy things are in this world. How crazy we can get- caught up in all the material wants and then losing face because of it. Well, I think she lost more than face, but somehow I think she is quite oblivious to the whole seriousness of the situation. Don't know, just my humble opinion.
With that, go on and have a nice day. It's gonna be a COLD one out there! Keep warm and find the little things in life to rejoice today. I think I'll bake some cookies to warm the house up a little ;)
First the BAD:
Coming back from mother-in-law's house Jan 5th we started to smell a weird "wire burning" smell from the Saab. We were just pulling of the interstate and headed home. No warning lights, no hot gauges- so we got in the drive way and popped the hood. Smelled like an electrical fire- but no smoke. So, we used the Volvo until I could get it in a week later to be looked at. I thought I'd start it up and would hopefully drive it out the the mechanic. Um, NO! The cabin immediately started filling with stench and smoke! I called a tow truck and cancelled my chiro appointment. Grrr! Tow truck guy thought maybe a belt, but I was thinking the worse- it smelled like the engine went. It was smoking in and out of the car! Fear kept me from calling the mechanic the next day. When I'm afraid to hear the truth, I often run from it. Finally, I had to make the dreaded call. We were going to have to make a decision as to whether to fix it. But, alas it wasn't as bad as I feared. Wow!
Now the GOOD:
Thank goodness. It was a belt and it took out some other belt. The smell was burning rubber/plastic. I dropped the Volvo off for an oil change and help with a headlight and took the Saab home. Was just fine and no lingering stench. The total for both cars was $400.98! While that is a bite in our cash reserves and is not pocket change, it surely is better than having to fork over $2000.00 for an engine or a different car. So, with 226,000 on the Volvo wagon and 98,000 on the Saab and a few more hundred $$ into the cars, hopefully we'll be good for a bit. It sure beats monthly car payments! Actually, this is the first money that we've put into the Saab in the 1-1/2 years that we've had it. We are hoping it is the last for a while. I feel a little bit here and there is expected. Like I said, we aren't plunking $200-$300 monthly on car payments- older cars by far are the better investment in my opinion. The mechanic said the Volvo is running soundly, but needs some axle boots. A bit more money to put into it, but then it should be good for quite a while. Still a solid car at age 14-yippee!
And, on a side note. While we are no thrifty, penny-pinchers and often have a few too many extravagances imho, we don't roll in the money and expect to live high off the hog. Or, in that case, live far beyond our means that everything is spiralling out of control. I read an article in the paper about a local woman (I have some interactions with her through kid activities and certainly people know about her). Apparently she so needed everything, she started kiting checks and such to pay for those pretty things. Now she is going off to jail for a year for her criminal actions (poor kids). Yikes! No thank you, I'll just live in my 68 year old house, with the one bathroom and two cars from the 1990's.
Well, that is my rant for the day. Perhaps I shouldn't bring up that situation, but it struck me again how crazy things are in this world. How crazy we can get- caught up in all the material wants and then losing face because of it. Well, I think she lost more than face, but somehow I think she is quite oblivious to the whole seriousness of the situation. Don't know, just my humble opinion.
With that, go on and have a nice day. It's gonna be a COLD one out there! Keep warm and find the little things in life to rejoice today. I think I'll bake some cookies to warm the house up a little ;)
1 comment:
yeah for the older cars!
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