Maintenance.
There are few things I hate more than vehicle maintenance. Maybe that makes me less ‘man’. Maybe it’s irrational to think that I wouldn’t have to deal with vehicle maintenance, but I don’t care. I hate it. I hate dealing with cars. I hate when they break. I hate that it’s ridiculously expensive to fix anything on cars. I hate that every time I go to fix some ridiculously expensive thing, the guy at the car place somehow talks me into spending three times that amount because if I don’t my wife and kids will die in a ball of fire on the side of the road. And then I believe him and hand over my debit card. I hate even getting gas. Everything car maintenance…. I hate.
In the past two weeks we have replaced the battery, had the oil changed and replaced all four tires. Sure, it doesn’t sound like a lot, but who budgets in spending an extra $1000 or so on car crap? No one. That’s who. So, almost $1000 later of unexpected expense on something I hate is how I started my day today. Neat huh?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful that my wife and kids aren’t dying on a ball of fire on the side of the road and I’d pay far more than $1000 for that to not happen, but I don’t think there’s something that puts me in a bad mood faster than spending money on broken cars.
Anyone else with me on that? If not, what’s the top thing you hate spending money on?
I do most vehicle maintenance myself, but yeah, unexpected things can be quite frustrating. My biggest financial frustration is medical and prescription bills. They kill us.
I’m in the same boat. I don’t get why people buy expensive cars and then it’s even more expensive to fix them. I think maintenance should come with every car. If these manufacturers are so confident in their vehicles for 100,000 I want a mant. plan to come with it. Oil changes, tires, etc.
Don’t buy a Mazda! That’s all I can say. 1st time around we got a lemon (but couldn’t prove it enough) for a court case. Next Mazda we got (which buying another was a mistake) and within 8 months the entire engine needed to be replaced.
Nothing irks me more than to get ahead a little bit and then wham….$1200 bucks out the window! Luckily it was under warranty for another 1,000 miles or else we would have had a 1 year old car needing an engine replacement.
I hate car stuff, I hate it!
Hear, hear. I’m with you.
Had a fuel pump go out… $800. Tires, another couple hundred. Need a new battery, I’m sure and cables for it. Been putting it off.
Car expense is the devil. Next to that is appliances – and why does all of this happen in threes? Seriously – how many times has someone said “well, that is two things, so you only have one more to go”. Or “there you go, 3 bad things – you are safe now”. It DOES happen that way. I’m such a goober that when the washer broke and I had just replaced the stove a month before – I went to Lowe’s and told them to just go ahead and sell me washer and dryer set. Might as well – I knew the dryer would quit in just a few days anyway.
I guess the part that really makes me mad is that my folks had their appliances for 25+ years. And they were still running when they sold it. So what is with the junk that is being sold to us? I could almost get over, or at least be realistic about the maintenance items if they didn’t have to repair or replace something every month.
I’m with ya Brody – especially when the cars are paid off and your not used to spending money on them.
Btw – does this post go in to the (-) negative column?
Probably cars too. I understand they take maintence, so I don’t mind spending the money… I just hate the timing of it. There isn’t a “notice, you’re about to get a flat tire” light… or, “hey, pick one of these up b/c yours is about to go out” voice telling you it’s about to go down. It just happens! Usually on your way to a doc. appt., work, or in July @ 3pm on the hottest day of the year after buying milk and Ice Cream from the store… you get the point!
I hate writing that check for electricity every month! When gas prices were peaking our bill was just over $600 a month. That’s with no air conditioner & hanging the clothes to dry. Now it’s down to around $400.
When I read the bill and see that the energy adjustment charge is as much as the KWH charge it makes me sick. Hawaii has the most expensive electricity in the nation. We still get it from oil and therefore oil prices dictate our electricity prices. On top of that we have a customer charge of about $10. I forget what that’s for.
Btw, the dealer wants $1300 to fix my air conditioner that’s cracked.
So with you there, Brody! I just spent $1300+ dollars of those unexpected expenses on my truck last week and still have to get inspected this week! My husband is a mechanic but just doesn’t want to deal with my car, so off to the shop I go…
I’m with you Bro. Let’s see… since becoming unemployed (the most convenient time for the cars to take a dump on me) I have… Purchased two batteries and installed, purchased and installed six spark plugs, put the fender back on my truck, did a couple of oil changes, rotated the tires on both trucks, and changed the front brake pads on my truck and the rear pads on hers. Unfortunately all the brake disks on both my vehicles need to be turned and two will probably need to be replaced because they will be to thin after turning. However when you are short on cash you adapt and overcome. I didn’t mention that the rear end gear case on her truck is leaking and my air conditioner in my truck has not worked in two years.
But there is a bright side… both truck have been paid off for a long time now!!! Yee Haw! This makes the maintenance part a little more tolerable.
I hate broken cars. That is why I finally bought a new car this summer with 7 miles on it, so for at least the next year I won’t have to worry about it breaking. Once something breaks on a car I hate it forever.
Candles!
Just had our hot water heater explode (in the attic) the other night… so by the time we had a repairman come out and place a tankless heater, it set us back over $2700… ouch. Yeah, I’m with ya buddy… those things absolutely suck (especially with Christmas around the corner), but that’s life, right?!? Car repair sucks too… we call our ford explorer the “exploder” and sometimes I wish it really would. I feel your pain man.
I hate it too, but mainly because I know nothing about cars. I hate taking my car to a shop and them asking me questions that I don’t know the answer to. I feel so stupid going in to get my car fixed and basically talking to them like a caveman “car broke… you fix…. me pay….” because that’s all i know about the situation