Ouch, My Checkbook Hurts

Our "new" car is a 2008 Scion XD. It's not pretty, but it's paid for. This one had better make it longer than 9 months- that's all I'm saying.

Our old "new" car was deemed officially totalled today by our insurance company. I hope the insurance check is not tear inducing.

What's Going on Around Here.

1. It was my turn for the nasty stomach virus so the past 24 hours have been a blur. So far, I've had half a juice box (Little Guy demanded the rest) and a Slim Fast bar and they seem to be staying put. Yay!


2. Hubby thinks he found a "new" car (Scion). And I need to drive him around to get it checked out with our mechanic and we'll write the check today or tomorrow. GULP!

3. We had a tiny disagreement about money for a new Yaris versus money for an older car. Of course, this was after two days of driving around looking at and test driving cars. I voted for getting a new car (which we've always said we'd never do) and Hubby said I was being ridiculous since I spend hours clipping coupons to save $50. My only comeback was that I actually enjoyed clipping coupons and I hated shopping for a car.

4. We are out of pop. All I really want is a fizzy coke or pepsi right now too. At least I have coupons for Pepsi when I get around to going to Wal-Greens.

5. We've eaten out a little more since we've been out of the house and I've been sick. But, Pizza Street and Taco Bell are at least on the cheaper side. We have two more weeks of Little Guy eating free before he turns three.

6. I'm feeling better but not great and now I see how much housework I need to get done. I even let a load of clean wet laundry sit until it soured. The kids and Hubby keep commandeering my laundry baskets for toy storage.

7. Despite the messy house, broken car, and illness- I still feel very blessed. I have showered and put on clean clothes (ok, sweats and a t-shirt) and I am ready to take on the world one slow step at a time. We even have fresh bread that I made before I got sick and it's pretty good.

Here We Go Again with the car shopping.

First of all let me say that if this is my biggest problem than I am so blessed.

Hubby got broadsided on his way home from dropping Big Girl off at school. Thankfully he was alone in the car and other than being very sore with a few abrasions he is fine. We spent the morning in the ER getting him checked out. I am so thankful that he is sitting across from me watching a Monty Python video with a dopey, drugged grin on his face. Things could have turned out much worse.

His "new" car that we bought last April (after the last car accident) is probably a total loss. I'm thinking in my head whether or not we can feasibly be a one car family for any length of time. This for sure is making public school seem more attractive since we wouldn't have to provide transportation anymore. Lots to think about, but right now I'm just so darn happy that my beloved husband is home on the couch resting and indulging in his love of Monty Python.

The difference between then and now

Hubby in college. Love the mullet.
Then is 1997. We are a newly married couple living in a rental home run by a slum lord company and saddled with about 30 grand worth of student loans and credit card debt. We had very little to our names but some cheap clothes, cheap furniture and one old car.
In a heartbeat I would have given everything (maybe even my custom designed engagement ring)to be free of debt.
And that debt was a small 30 grand that we paid off in three years.
The frugal family at the zoo. Summer 2008
Today is 2009. We own two nice paid for vehicles, have a few nice pieces of furniture and twelve years worth of accumulated treasures. Our credit card bill is paid in full every month and we live comfortably within our means. But, we owe 96 grand on our mortgage. 96 grand that makes me itchy when I think about it. Would I trade all of our material possessions to be rid of that debt? The truth is, I don't know. When I think about having to car shop again or look for second hand treasures to use as furniture I get stressed out. We could (and can) live with much less than we have. But, it takes a lot of time and effort to shop for cars, furniture, and even nice second hand clothing. Starting from scratch has it's appeal. Being debt free will be exhilarating I'm sure. But, if someone knocked on my door and offered to pay my mortgage for all our possessions I would probably say no. I want to be able to say that Hubby and I paid our mortgage by ourselves. It's a chore I look forward to completing- a mountain I want to scale.

Could you give away everything to be debt free?

One big decision made - one big $chunk$ taken.

After a long few days of searching and researching and test driving everything from ten year old 'nice' beaters to a brand new Yaris (nice, basic and very fuel efficient) we have a car.

Hubby is now the proud owner of a 2003 cherry red four door Toyota Echo. He did the Kelly Blue Book research and the Consumer Reports research and the Echo is fairly fuel efficient. I won't get into the graphs and scales of fuel economy that he had going- he's an engineer after all.. but, we haggled and got the price to right where we thought it should be and now it's ours.

I'm relieved. I'll worry tomorrow about our funds and my grocery challenge which has taken a back seat while we've been so very busy driving around looking at cars.

Happy Hubby took the kids to Lions Choice to celebrate with ten cent kiddie cones.

Whew.

And now I'm going to celebrate by taking a little nap. We used a free Redbox coupon for Beowulf tonight after the kids go to sleep. I've got to prepare for the cheesy horror. Though I don't doubt that it will be more entertaining than trying to read Beowulf in ancient English like when I was in college.

Dilemmas- Decisions- Debt-free car shopping.

How much do we spend-- basic replacement of the car we lost for just a few grand- although that car was 12 years old already. Do we upgrade for a newer car with less mileage and more fuel efficiency? And take a bigger chunk out of our funds?
How many bells and whistles do we need? Does it need to be a four door? How many dents and dings are acceptable before a car just looks too hoopty? How much do we haggle?


Oh, we are so not going down the road of car payments because our mortgage is enough of a debt. But, I am beginning to understand why it would be a lot easier just to pick out a new one and have a monthly payment.

My husband is a born researcher and hand wringer. I am much more impulsive. "Hey, this looks ok, it's cheap enough, let's buy it and get on with our lives." Between the two of us I don't know what we'll end up with.

The only thing I do know is the house is a mess of toys and anything else that they can reach and pull down. Dinner is planned and prepped (wheat noodles with broccoli in a Thai peanut sauce) and those hairy sweet potatoes finally got made into a pie for dessert.

And then life happens- $30 grocery challenge.

While Driving home Monday night my sweet husband got distracted for a minute and the guy in front of him braked suddenly. Thank God no one was seriously hurt and hubby was well protected by our air bags. Long story short- we're now a one car family who needs two cars.

The last two days have been busy dealing with selling our wreck to the salvage yard and searching Kelly's Blue book for a decent commuting car for hubby. I'm so thankful that we hadn't yet sent our extra 'chunk' to our mortgage yet but now that extra 'chunk' is going to be sunk into a 'new' car. Emergency fund, Goodbye.

The grocery challenge update- We ate at a nice sit down restaurant (after car shopping)
with a gift certificate that was in my wallet. It was $9.00 out of pocket for the remainder + tip. Today (during more car shopping) we stopped at Taco Bell for lunch and spent $5.00. That leaves my grocery tally at $2.99 for the month.
Somehow I don't think I'm going to make it since that won't even cover a gallon of milk.

I have lasagna roll ups already prepped for dinner and hubby is out car shopping. I'm praying he finds the right one at the right price.

This little mishap has done three things for me:

1. I was so sad about our car. It was the last thing I bought with my working money before we had kids. It was technically my first car and I was attached to it. This is a good reminder not to cleave to material things. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." Matthew 6:19

2. Be so thankful that we have the money right now to buy another work car for hubby.
After this purchase we will have to- (have to) tighten our belts and prepare for another financial blow. No more nice cushion.

3. Made me talk with hubby about replacing our lost money and discuss an increased budget tightening. I didn't realize how many little money leaks we had. I can nickel and dime us to the poor house with trips to the Goodwill. Hubby asked me not to buy the kids anymore new clothes for awhile. I just went through their drawers and I can safely say that we are all set until school shopping starts. I've pulled the cloth diapers back out for days when we're just staying at home too.


Although $30.00 was a very lofty goal I think I might have made it if we didn't slip up with our little 'surprise.' I'm not giving up though. I'm so charged from the good food we've been eating and the fridge clean out. The fact that we actually need to save money is just another reason to keep it up.