Saturday, April 3, 2010

How Far Can the Pennies Go?

I have to go out today. I have reached the end of what I can do in the house with what I have. I have paid the bills I can pay and left money in the account so I can go to the grocery and Target to get some essentials and food. The problem is, I can't go anywhere without wipers when the rain is in the area as the radar shows.

My mechanic provided an estimate for fixing the wiper motor, which we're considering a worse case scenario. Maybe it's not the motor, but let's assume it is and what would it take to fix that. Where do I come up with $208? I'm already not paying everything this month. I can't. I have come so far, but there is a long way to go still.

I need an oil change and yesterday, when I backed up the Jeep to leave the job site where I had monitored, the guys there pointed to a spot under the Jeep and said it was an antifreeze leak. The thing is, there wasn't a puddle under the Jeep when I left the office at the end of the day. If there is a leak at once spot, shouldn't there be a leak at another spot?

The oil change might be free. My mechanic has a frequent oil change card and I'm perpetually forgetting to bring my card. I'm fairly sure I have a couple cards and, combined, they will equal a free oil change. Then he can fix that left rear blinker that's been out for 2 months. I can't afford anything else. Even if I don't have a free oil change, I can squeeze $45 out of the budget to have the oil and the blinker dealt with. I guess I should try this Rain-x stuff people talk about. While it would not be good to not have wipers for a trip to Iowa, if it works to bead up the rain on the windshield enough to get me to and from the office, I can live with that.

So, after my oatmeal, the next step is to make out the grocery/Target list. I look at my empty refrigerator and think, "Well, this will make it easy to thoroughly clean." It's about perspective, after all.

I do believe things will get better. It's going to be baby steps; less than baby steps, most likely. It's still going to mean sacrifice or just learning to do without or do with less or do with some other way. It's adaptation and I am nothing if not adaptable.

Beverage: Scottish Blend tea

Deb

No comments:

Post a Comment