Cars, Money .... I better start hookin'!

Really. I'm beginning to think I'm going to need to get a second job.

The light that went on in the car ended up going off, and since I wasn't noticing any problems with the way it was driving/handling, we decided to hold off on taking it in to the shop.

A bit later, I did notice it acting a bit funny, like it was "choking" a little bit. It didn't do it all the time .... I only noticed it a couple times, very briefly, but we were planning on getting it in to the shop. Before we could, the light came on again, and we took it in as soon as we could.

Thankfully, the cost of the repair wasn't as brutal as it could have been. It was the oxygen sensor; so with that fixed, an oil change and air filter .... we walked out nearly $300 lighter.

And now, the crack in the windshield is getting longer and longer and it's going to have to be replaced. It started spreading a little bit, and we knew that replacing it would be inevitable, but we tried to hold off as long as possible. So, it looks like we're going to be another $250-$300 lighter sooner than we'd hoped.

This just isn't the best time to have unexpected expenses come up. It's a good thing I start Christmas shopping so early. That way I can spread the cost out over a few months rather than just in a 4-5 week span. And I can't complain, because I've been doing pretty well with making a few extra bucks through ebay.

Sometimes I just get down, thinking about the debt we have, the bills that need to be paid, and a brand new house with property taxes that aren't fully what they'll be in the next year or two. But then I realize that things aren't that bad (yet), and that our debt is not nearly what it is for some. It's one credit card, and it's under $4K, so it's almost not even enough to call it a debt. The cars are paid off, there are no student loans to pay off .... the only thing is the house, and well ..... does anyone consider that part of their debt since it appreciates in value and in a-round-about way reduces that 'debt'?

It just seems that no matter what, there is always a concern about money.