Life is going to happen and we will at some point need to spend money on things we’d rather not. Being prepared for those things makes it a little easier to deal with, at least from the financial perspective. Instead of it being a crisis it’s merely an inconvienence.
At the beginning of this month we spent $900 on our truck. (Getting belts replaced in such. There was something else about tire rods and something else. I’m not a car person. Jared keeps up with that. :))
We are still saving $300/mo to put towards car replacement (cash car) but since we are not finished with baby step 3 we are saving a couple months at a time and dumping it in our emergency fund. (When you are done with baby step 3 is when you can start saving for stuff) Since we are only a 1 vehicle family it makes me feel better about having a little on the side for that. So the $900 wasn’t too big of a deal, we could use it to put back into the truck.
I’ve always heard that once you get one thing fixed everything else goes. So now the truck needs a new transmission. They said it’s gonna go any day now. BOOOO.
This is our 2nd “emergency” since we started FPU. (The first one was Aug 2010- $1500 to replace air conditioner) They said it was going to be $1000. (It’s a refurbised ‘new’ one since they don’t make new ones for the 2003. Yeah I have no idea really what that means. I know coupons and parenting, not cars. haha)
If you know me at all I will eventually have an emergency fund for my emergency fund because I just don’t want to have to touch my emergency fund. Ya know what I mean?! 🙂 We are paying them in the morning so I’m going home tonight and raiding the envelopes that I can. I plan to try and cash flow as much as possible so that I don’t have to get much out of our emergency fund. I’m crazy I know, but that’s how I roll.
So with most things that go ‘wrong’ I like to think of positives or what I’m thankful for. So here goes:
I’m thankful
- For FPU setting us straight with our money to be able to handle these minor emergencies
- That I have the option to ride the bus to work
- That Jared is not in TN, while me and Jaidan are stuck here with a messed up truck!
- That it’s fixable!!