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Comments
He's going to take some time off, maybe take a trip out west. He will be starting a new job with a large optometric practice in the outer DC 'burbs in July. They have 10 locations, and he'll split his time between two of them.
Both kids are now "launched," and it feels oh so good.
Bob
Congrats!
we can DREAM!
A Porsche Boxster ....
We have a 1-man construction crew working on it, and he doesn't work 'long' days ... he started the 2nd week of March, and we are seeing the 'end in sight' ...
He is finishing up the 'custom fitted shelving' for the closet alcove, the mirrors are here and will be put up next week, the 'mounting board' is on the wall and waiting for the row of hooks for towels and clothes (6' worth!), and the (correct) faucets will be here next week .... what is already done, we are already ENJOYING!!
School is out ... and I'm 'inspired' to do some other jobs around the house to fix things up a bit. I'm hoping to strip some wallpaper along a very long wall in the family room, breakfast room, and throughout the kitchen and paint. I'd also like to paint the kitchen cabinets, but we'll see if I get THAT ambitious! If anyone has any helpful tips on painting cabinets, I'd love to hear them.
The 2001 Outback has developed a 'slight' oil leak in the last few months, and it also 'overheated' a bit the other day (during one of the VERY hot days we had in the high 90's). I was about a mile from home, and flipped on the heater full blast and it came down quickly. I'm taking it to the garage on Monday to have it 'examined' .... hope I can afford it now that I've spent 'all my money' on a bathroom!
Hopefully the car gets a clean bill of health. Maybe it is just time to flush the cooling system?
Guess I should stick some cardboard under my Outback. Hasn't moved in over two months now but it's never leaked more than a drop or two before.
1st pic show bath when we bought the house
next pics show how it looked for about the last 4 years. All started with a leaky toilet and a $4 wax ring replacement. Tub was impossible to clean and really did look like this for a long time even after it was cleaned! Subfloor was a nice 'natural' touch!
new bath also has new ducting for the vent fan, fan replaced with fan/light, 2 outlets to 8 outlets, ceiling light wired in front of closet, toilet moved over about 4-6 in. closer to sink to make room for larger shower (36x60) with cast iron shower receptacle, window added to bathroom (1st placement didn't work because that's where all electrical went to 2nd floor!). Still to come, the 'hook wall', finishing the 'custom closet insert', and mirrors are being installed as I type! If you look closely at shower, you may see the 'shelf' that runs the length of the long wall. It is "ceramic crown molding" that I found online.
Just dug up my records.... Work performed was Replace HG, Reseal Oil Pump, replace Timing Belt and Engine Belts. ~1500 labor & ~400 parts.
Alan
09 Outback
$600 increase over 6 years? doesn't seem TOO far out of line.
My center diff is getting worse - been nursing it along for awhile, but as the weather warms, the symptoms get worse. Might be time to bite the bullet.
If I were a mile or two closer, I'd be happy to take 'er off your hands for a week or so and set it right. *sigh* Why is it that you are all so far away?
At any rate, we just can't buy another car at this point. I think we'll just get it fixed and"gamble" that I get enough years out of it to make it worthwhile.
And - although the timing belt has had one replacement, the water pump is the original to the car! The mechanic and I had discussed replacing it when the timing belt was done (and it was a long discussion with quite a few ins and outs at the time, my final decision, and I've always been sort of sorry we didn't do it at that time).
However, I'd get a second opinion. $2500 is way too much. Different dealership if you have one available, or call some independent shops.
Assuming other components are still in good condition, even another year out of it with no issues will save you considerable money over a new car. The time to replace a used car is when it becomes reliably unreliable.
As far your assertion regarding location, well, that's just preposterous! :shades:
Yup, a new car payment is, what, $400? Nearly $5k the first year excluding the down payment.
Even if you only milk another year or two out of it, it would be well worth fixing.
tom
That's what I mean by "reliably unreliable;" peace of mind counts for a lot! Really, though, every car has the potential to strand you in a snowstorm or not start in the morning. Each owner has to make their own determination about when that probability results in a loss of confidence. For some people, it's one time. :sick:
Every once in a while, my old Escort pitches fits. It has done a no-start a couple times (alternator issues), and the timing belt broke once. For me, though, that wasn't enough to condemn it. Those are just maintenance items, and every car needs maintenance (as well as R&R)!
My Dodge Caravan, on the other hand, had some sort of elusive electrical gremlin that caused a no-start situation at random times and for random lengths of time, so that caused my wife to loose confidence in it (enter the Forester) and, after a couple more weeks of that with no remedy working, me as well. I was a little sad to move on with it in such nice condition otherwise, but at some point you have to decide that it is enough.
about 8-9 years ago, my youngest daughter was driving my 93 olds and the transmission gave up ... it was a very tough decision to have that one fixed, but we decided that if she got at least another 2 years out of the car, it would be worth it ... she drove the car for another 5 years, and then bought her 1st new car on her own. The Olds has stayed with us since, and been driven by any of us in the 'extended' local family when a car was being repaired. My husband drove it for about 18 mo while deciding whether to sink the $$ into having his car repaired last year ... it has over 260,000 miles and could use a few things (like working AC and heat!) but it still gets from point A to point B in a pinch. He drives about 13 miles one way to work (all in town). I drive between schools for my job, so it's a bit more critical for me to have a car that starts EVERY time (hence the expense of the new started around Christmas of last year!).
Who doesn't like the new car smell? all the new gadgets and updates and creature comforts? But who likes a car payment??!!!
(As I get older, I find that there are 'other' things besides a 'new' car that are important to me ...)
I sure hope we can keep the 04 Yukon XL running for a long time. It is subjected to quite the abuse with cold starts, short trips and towing, plus plenty of dirt road and jeep track miles where it is driven at speed. As with many GM's it keeps having various electric or electronic type things go on it, but the engine and tranny are still perfect, and there is nothing out there which could replace it for us. The potential "almost as good" replacements would be in the $60k and up range new. That's a lot of repairs.
Definitely gonna drive the Outback this week and put some fresh gas in. Been a couple of months.
At that age the yearly depreciation is basically down to nearly nothing.
- Figure out what you would have spent, and how much per month this would cost you. Whether it's $300, $500 or more, keep that number handy.
- Fix your Outback and whatever that total is, subtract your would-be monthly payment each month until the repair is 'paid off'. (This should be like 3-6 months.)
- After it is paid off, start putting the money for your car payment aside in a separate savings account and don't touch it. If something breaks on your Outback again, now you have cash on hand to pay for it... or to put towards a new vehicle.
- Keep saving. Saving is hard, but so are car payments! By the time your Outback breaks down again or you get tired of it, you should have a nice downpayment for your next car-- new or used.
My dad's '02 Outback is neglected (he lives in another country) but still no HG issues. Brother's 04 was totaled in a wreck. Sister still has her 03.
We've been lucky, I guess. I wonder what % were actually affected? Subaru would never reveal that....
Yeah, I'd like to "save" toward another vehicle in the future, but unfortunately, life intervenes .... and we're some of the "smarter" ones that bought a house we could "afford" 9 years ago rather than what the bank told us we could buy. Bank said we could buy at least $250,000 (after a 10 min conversation), and if we needed more, let them know and we'd probably be accommodated. We bought a house for about 1/2 that because we knew there would be more than "house" that we needed to buy ... still difficult just to keep the head above water when children still need help ... (I have 3 daughters and he has 2 sons.)
Sorry ... but that's the reality of it ... it doesn't always work out the way we 'plan' ....
Lest anyone think we are "destitute", there IS still some $$ left after the remodel ... but it would have been nice if the repairs on the car had waited just another 6 months or so ....
I hear you, though, Brenda. Life certainly does intervene. The way I see it, you have your priorities right where they should be.
OTOH if it were an STI....
That was my favorite subject, too, so looks like she takes after her daddy.
GULP. Time for me to pay up! :surprise:
Edit: note from her teacher:
She scored the highest out of all of my three classes! I am sooo proud of her. She listens well and follows directions. I am teaching 7th and 8th grade next year, hopefully I will have the pleasure of having her in my class.
Hmm, 3 classes, must be closer to 75 students. Can't blame me for getting a little carried away.
So important to have students who master math/sciences (and great to have more girls do it)!