My Car Is Well Again

Originally I was planning on putting what would normally go to my mortgage in to savings since we refinanced and get to "skip" a mortgage payment this month. I had also planned to put an additional $400 on my car payment this month. I took my car in for service today.

• New timing belt
• New water pump
• New pulley's & tensioner's (for timing belt)
• Transmission flush
• New radiator cap & random hoses
• Car rental for the day since we are down to one car
• Brakes were checked but they are good
  

They forgot to do the oil change or forgot to charge us. We will call on that tomorrow. This is all stuff that needs to be done and is the way I am going to be able to keep my car alive until I can pay it off and buy my Mini Cooper S in chocolate brown.


Total damage - $1349.67.
Total budgeted - $1360.00
Total left over - $10.33 boo ya!

Even though we have debt. It's a pretty good feeling to be able to pay for this "emergency" with cash. I say emergency because my dad thinks I could have gone miles on that bad axle. Such is the opinion of a man who for the better part of his life has had to fix something or other on his daily driver (old Studebaker's) . Now he owns a nearly new Porsche and doesn't have to worry - too much. Well, we actually used a credit card since we don't get paid until Friday. But...we will pay $900 the next payday and $400 the following payday to zero out the card.

I could use money we have in savings from the sale of the hubs old car. But, that money is earmarked for some stuff that needs to happen to his new car so I don't want to get us in trouble there.

The reason for this is that he needs his car up and running by mid December. Right now we carpool but in mid December to early January my office is moving and we will no longer be able to carpool. If he can't drive his car - it's the bus.

Don't you think the above is a better alternative (not our actual car but a stock photo)?