Indoor Waterfalls and Big Ticket Expenses (Or, Who Needs a Budget Anyway?)

We've had a rough week. The refrigerator died, and then we had a mystery plumbing leak spring up on us. After tearing out walls and ceilings, we finally traced it and shut it down. Now, a mere 24 hours later, it's dripping from the ceiling downstairs once more. I dread trying to figure it all out yet again. I don't think I was cut out to be a plumber, even part-time. Maybe we should just call it an indoor waterfall and be done with it.

The refrigerator is truly dead, especially when the estimate came back to repair it and it was in excess of $700. The unit is only 6 years old, and the repairman calmly told me that they only last 7-10 years nowadays. You know, I'm not all that old, but I still remember the days of 30 year old refrigerators. Why, with all our technological advances, did we go backwards on the design of these appliances? Yes, I know. Planned obsolescence. How can they get your money every few years if the thing continues to work well for 30+ years? It just wasn't something our budget was expecting. But, the new one (total price cheaper than the estimate to fix the old one) arrives in 3 weeks. They can't even deliver them fast anymore. So, 3 weeks without cold food. This ought to be fun!

The car is also on its last legs, so we went car shopping today. It’s amazing the things they have in them nowadays, and even more amazing are the price tags. We moved pretty quickly into the used vehicles after suffering severe sticker shock on the new side.

Munchkin #3 is very excitable and makes the various salesmen hopeful of a sale by repeating over and over, “I LOVE this car!” as he bounces around happily. What they all figure out eventually though, is that he does this for each and every car we look at. It can be a clunker from 1980 with two billion miles on it, no tires, and rust holes the size of Texas and this kid would run up to it and scream, “I LOVE this car!” What he really loves is the process of looking at new cars and the possibility of getting one. Of course, if and when we actually buy one and trade in the old, he’ll cry. Change is not his thing and we’ll endure weeks of “I really miss the old car, can we have it back?” It might seem like he’s never satisfied, but it’s more just that desire to keep everything the same and routine. Routine is king with munchkin #3. I think the built in DVD player in our top choice might help him get over it all quicker though. TV in the car – like they don’t get enough already, right? But, hey, maybe my husband and I can actually have a conversation in the front that isn’t interrupted every 30 seconds. What can I say? I dream big!