How is it already November 15th? I feel like I was just planning out October. I really wanted to be more active in this blog, even though it seems like its just for me. This whole wife/mother thing has really kept me super busy lately.
SO anyways, Operation October went very well. We officially have all the money we need to buy our brand new boiler saved up. And an unexpected blessing happened in the process.
After saving up all the money, we decided (with much urging from yours truly) to rent a huge dumpster and just totally purge almost everything in the basement. We had to do this anyways, but especially to make room to get the boiler in and for the guy to move around and work. After 7 years of marriage, 3 kids and 4 fast and unplanned moves, we never really had the chance to sort and purge things we didn’t need anymore, and boy does that stuff add up after a while.
Backstory: Until January Jeff and I both drove small compact sedans. With the impending arrival of baby Ben in February, we knew we needed room for the 3rd carseat, so Jeff traded in his fancy (stop smoking reward) car and we got the van for the same amount that was left on his car loan, less the $2000 down payment I had saved up. He inherited my car, a very basic model with power nothing that I had paid off years ago, leaving us with one car payment still.
In the spring, his grandmother said that she was getting a new car and asked if we wanted to buy her old one for $1200! Hers was newer than my old one, had a few options and about 50,000 less miles. Plus we had the cash saved up, so we jumped on it.
This of course left us with an extra car. And the extra insurance, excise tax, inspection and registration fees that go with it. So we tried a few different avenues to sell my old sedan. A few people looked, we tried a few dealership trade in deals, but we never got the price we wanted or were left with a really good feeling, so we just hung on to it and kept the faith.
Last Thursday Jeff took the day out of work to attend the kid’s Veterans Day show at school, so he had the dumpster delivered as he would have the rest of the day off for purging. We’ve rented a few and always use this one guy who does canisters as a side income.
Turns out, he was looking for a car! He came back Saturday and drove it around. It needed some work so he asked what we would take. We said $1200, making us even after buying Jeff’s grandmother’s. He offered $1000 and he wouldn’t charge for the dumpster. Deal of the century!!
I’m so relieved that we got a deal we were comfortable with. I’m hanging on to the money he gave us incase he changes his mind or finds something he really doesn’t like with the car. I’d hate to spend it and then have to take from our savings to give it back. Plus I watch way too much Judge Judy where all people do is sue over private car sales lol.
So thankful that car is gone and hoping that the transaction is over and everything comes up roses. Now we’re deciding whether to put the money towards paying off 2 of my ever lingering student loans or making a big payment on the van, but I feel like this is a good problem to have 🙂
Baileys on a Budget 