🤑 Yikes, Surviving Financially This Year!!!

Back in 2021, my 2001 Honda Accord LX with 136,000 miles started having problems with check engine lights - I was told to replace the computer - I did, at a cost of $ 2000 - that became the 1st of a long list of stuff that was just wearing out - the other things were not that great in price but I began to loose my confidence in the vehicle.  

I love that car just like you love your Elantra.  Mine had low miles, leather interior was perfect as well as the body of the car, tires were also really good - it had been garage kept and I really did think it was gonna last forever - until, I lost the confidence in it. 

Plus we were in the midst of the pandemic - and new car stock was way down.  I sold the Honda for the price of the new computer - $ 2000 and then I ordered a new car from a local Ford dealership - they brought it to me - I sat in it, went around my neighborhood once in it and paid for it.  Never left my home to buy it. 

The person I sold the Honda to - totaled it within weeks - the wreck wasn’t that bad but since the car was so old, their insurance co just totaled it out. Think they got back a bit over  $ 1000 for it from the insurance co.  

I am still driving my 2021 Ford - it is bigger and I still put very few miles on it - in fact I have been warned by the dealership that I needed to drive it some every week so that the battery does not decline.  They have turned off all the battery straining stuff that new cars have these days because of my lack of miles driven.  

I still miss my Honda - but it is what it is and now I am finally use to the new 2021 Ford - I do feel bigger and more powerful in it - and it bears the name of “Super Queen”.  

I have lived in my home for a very long time.  Built it many years ago so I know everything that has ever been done to and for it.

For the last almost 20 + years, I have had no mortgage nor big upkeep items to take care of - but now those big and expensive things have to be taken care of once again. 

New Roof

New Gutters

New Heat Pump systems 

New chimney cap 

These are the ones that are being done now - they will be finished next week

Then I guess I will be good to go for many more years - I definitely won’t be doing these things again in my lifetime

Just about all of these things were double the price of the last time I did them way back in the 90’s./ early 2000’s-

At least I save $ 1000 off my annual homeowners insurance premium for replacing the roof - some of that was also raising my deductible.

I will be happy when all the workers are finished and gone and I can continue on with whatever I do every day.  I keep very busy but doing what I couldn’t really say - a lot of time, I spend walking and going up and down steps - yea, keeps you in shape.  

Now the next thing that is coming in the fall is to replace or upgrade my electronics since the current OS is not gonna be around or supported past October.  So time to replace iphone, upgrade laptop’s (Windows base) system to Windows 11 and seems my older version of Microsoft Office has to be changed to the 365 Version.  

The refrig that I have in my pantry (extra one) is circa 2000 - and it still keeps trucking .  I replaced a 40 year old dryer not too long ago.  I finally replaced the Heatpump unit in my basement that was 35 years old - not a whole lot of use in basement - and now at least it is quieter and more energy efficient what ever that means for a unit that doesn’t get ran much.

I should remind myself to take pictures of these older things that I am replacing for Dave’s Front Porch Remembering continuous post.  Yea, someday these things will be in the category of “remember when”.  

So I guess what I am saying the long way around is no matter how old we get, stuff keeps needing to be replaced to make it renewed again.  

Now if they could only do that for me.