Not able to build emergency fund

[LadyInTheRed]

Gotta love Youtube and other forums for the guidance.

That's for sure. I repaired both our washer and dryer with internet help. Our oven stopped working and after a google search I found out it needed a new igniter and that it's easy to replace. I also realized that the reason the broiler took so long to light was that the broiler igniter was also bad. So, when the handle broke off the oven door, I added the broiler igniter to the order for a new handle and fixed them both. Funny that replacing the handle was the most challenging. In the past, I would have hired a repair man and put it on the credit card. It really is pretty satisfying fixing something yourself. I figure I've saved at least $500 on labor.

I'm glad I live where we don't need air-conditioning. We could even do without a furnace if we had to. But it sure would be hard to get out of bed on cold mornings!

lee307, any chance of finding a used AC unit that somebody upgraded while it was still operating? You might ask an installer about that? If not, there are portable ones other than window units. They cost more, but hundreds of dollars instead of thousands.

[AngelinaCat]

Absolutely right, Lady. I have to give credit where it is due. 'Hub joined a couple of VW TDI forums, and thoroughly researched the transmission problem before we tackled it ourselves.

[lillymarlene]

Years ago, that was the trouble I guess, I'd quickly reach for the plastic, for just about anything. My old cars, clothing, home repairs, etc. Awhile ago, I had a stuck drain, that plumbers estimated between $200 to $400, to fix. A $5 bottle of drain openener, and hot water fixed the problem. Then a couple of weeks ago, since I unfortunately have gained weight, I wanted to buy an outfit for a job interview. It used to be that I'd think nothing of going to a high end department store, and plunking down a card for $200. This time I searched around, and found everything for under $40. Now I'm working on my transportation problem.

Well, one thing being in this Chapter 13 has taught me, is to think things through, and look for the best bargain. I may not yet qualify for it, but sometimes I feel like I'm trying out for that new cable show: The World's Biggest Cheapskates :-)

[LadyInTheRed]

I had a stuck drain, that plumbers estimated between $200 to $400, to fix. A $5 bottle of drain openener, and hot water fixed the problem.

We had a plummer over to handle a toilet waste pipe issue that was beyond or capabilities (or desire) to fix and asked him to snake the slow sink while he was there. We warned him that there may be drain opener in the drain. He said that while drain opener may work for the moment, it just compounds the problem in the long run. I said, "so you are telling me to call you instead." He said "no, you don't need to waste your money on me. Just buy a snake." We actually had one already. We now pull it out instead of the drain cleaner that we used to have to use every couple of months until the drain slowed again. The sink has only clogged once since we stopped using the rain cleaner. That was probably two years ago. It was only two weeks ago that we finally took the 2 bottles of drain cleaner we still had to the household waste facility.

[lee307]

I'm not sure about a used one Lady. What ticks me off the most is this house is barely 6 years old. At times I really wish we had walked away
from the house early one but now we have made 4 more years of payments and I hate to do it this close to the end of our 13.

[Pandora]

that damn murphy...always coming around :o/ Been there, done that..and still doing it!

hang in there!

[lillymarlene]

We had a plummer over to handle a toilet waste pipe issue that was beyond or capabilities (or desire) to fix and asked him to snake the slow sink while he was there. We warned him that there may be drain opener in the drain. He said that while drain opener may work for the moment, it just compounds the problem in the long run. I said, "so you are telling me to call you instead." He said "no, you don't need to waste your money on me. Just buy a snake." We actually had one already. We now pull it out instead of the drain cleaner that we used to have to use every couple of months until the drain slowed again. The sink has only clogged once since we stopped using the rain cleaner. That was probably two years ago. It was only two weeks ago that we finally took the 2 bottles of drain cleaner we still had to the household waste facility.

Good idea. Unfortunately, I'm not that mechanical or good at diy projects. I was from a "hire someone" family.

[AngelinaCat]

Good idea. Unfortunately, I'm not that mechanical or good at diy projects. I was from a "hire someone" family.

I hate to say this, but sometimes BK forces a person to learn and practice skills they thought themselves incapable of before.

Miss Lily, I really don't intend this in a 'mean' way, but it is time to get OUT of your comfortable niche and explore what you can REALLY do for yourself. You will be so proud of yourself, you won't be able to not share it with us.

GO FOR IT!!! You can DO it!!!

[keepsmiling]

My dh grew up with "hire someone". Well, last year the dryer broke. Since we are too .... he took it upon himself to open it up. Turned out it was a $6 belt he replaced himself. I was SOOO proud of him! Old dogs can learn new tricks. Necessity is the mother of invention. And other cliches lol.

[One Half Full]

I sympathize, but living within your means also means that if the air conditioning goes out, you do not have air conditioning. I have lived in the desert for 30+ years without air conditioning. Heat would be a matter of plugging a space heater in each room. When I could not pay heat they turned it off.

Air conditioning (not heat) is a luxury. Growing up, only the rich had it, and now everyone seems to think it is a right or something. I am really not trying to be curmudgeonly here, but what is the difference between a necessity and a luxury.

Houses are expensive. Sorry about that.


What to do is go to the hardware store and get a few fans. A cheaper way to go would also be to get a ceiling fan or two put in. Window units also work.

I had air conditioning in my old house. I never used it. Just the fans.

Although the real estate people and investment people tell you a house is a great investment, it also has some huge drawbacks, including "tying you down so you can't leave to go to another state to work, if needed" and also " falling apart constantly."

All I can advise is for you to sell the house and move to an apartment where someone else takes care of all the maintenance.

I was able to save quite a lot of money while living in an apartment, but not so the house. And come to think of it, I liked apartment living much better.

[andy158]

Our a/c is a necessity. Wife has health issues and cannot tolerate high heat/humidity. Me on the other hand would not turn it on until it got over 95 degrees.

[tobee43]

Our a/c is a necessity. Wife has health issues and cannot tolerate high heat/humidity. Me on the other hand would not turn it on until it got over 95 degrees.

it's no luxury here either it's a necessity. it's nice in the southwest it's more dry heat, but here on the eastern seaboard it's impossible. (i have lived in both), of course there are those that do not have it, but they sit outside or get to safety in the really high heat. i do believe in my area there are charities that help those that cannot afford the electric or gas bills to make certain their environment is cool enough (80 degrees) to not kill them. a baby doesn't fair well in 105 degrees with 90% humidity, nor the elderly . one dies from the heat here. on the other hand we don't need heat to prevent from freezing to death. as far as apt living, well, many low income housing apt still have nothing. it's the higher income housing that provides air, pool, laundry rooms etc.

anything, i would consider life threatening is not a luxury, but a necessity. born and raised in san fran we needed neither.

[Drazil65]

We just happened to be trying an experiment with the A/C thing this year. It gets pretty hot here (and very humid) in NC and we typically turn the A/C on somewhere between mid March and first part of April. We decided to try something this year and see how long we could go without A/C in the house. Hubby and I both work in A/C so we do get it and our son is either in school or at camp in summer with A/C so we do get the comfort of it but on someone else's dime. So here it is June 17th and no A/C on at our townhouse yet. The electric (everything here is electric) bill I paid last week was $58 total , made us feel cooler just seeing that bill. A normal bill in summer averages about $225 to $250.

We are using ceiling fans and portable fans at night in front of open windows and the average temp is probably 74-76. It can be a little uncomfortable if humidity is high but the savings is amazing so now its like a game with us. And guess what, we are perfectly ok...I am sure come August it will get to be unbearable as August is the worst month but until that time we are going to see how low we can go.

[tobee43]

Draizil65! talking about electric bills we just got ours and our company progress turned into duke NO NOTICE!! and our bill is up $50! i have to call later. i heard duke ele was pretty good, but no notification is really odd??

we run from $120-$320 but of course the amount of the electric increases in the summer with that increase they always charge, PLUS our pool pump increases being on from 4 hours to 8 daily. when we first moved here they were saying during the summer to keep the pump on 12 hours a day, no way.

still no comparison to our old house which ran over $600 monthly for electric and then another $700 for heat for a total of $1300 monthly most of the year!! that's more than i pay for our entire expenses in this house including the mortgage, which we just paid off this month, so now we will as i said in another thread, or post, we will now begin to save more than spend monthly! i can't wait!

we use fans as well in all rooms, and i know my bill runs the same as next door who has no pool, and keeps her house even warmer then us. why? our home faces west actually south west, so we get sun all day long making it unbearable. so i designed a garden including fast growing musa trees in the front to cover the entire windows during the summer months. the town even came to me to ask me about the design, it's totally green, energy saving...as well as we have solar for our water purifier, hot water heater and a few other items. we aren't completely solar yet. we are looking into going completely solar if we can.

[One Half Full]

I knew that would be the reply.
I am sure things will work out for you.