What the heck is the deal?

Just wanted to vent. Seems like every time things are going "on track" for us, BOOM, something screws up. I just got a promotion at work, my bf got a raise, looked like our financial problems would get better.

2 days before Christmas, one of our vehicles died. When I say died I mean it is gone, kaput, no more. No worries, we have another car. So we have been sharing it. I wake up at 5am, take him to work, come home, drive my oldest to school, come back home, drive my two youngest to school then drive myself to work. After work, rinse and repeat. No big deal, we can do this right?

That is until of course, this morning our other car dies. Luckily I had already dropped my bf off at work but I couldn't take my kids to school and I couldn't go to work. I emailed my boss, his reply was not cheerful and I now fear that I may end up losing my job altogether. I just got the promotion and it is a position that really requires my timeliness.

I am so frustrated, I have been crying most of the morning. There is nobody to blame and not much we can do about it financially, at least not for a few months and certainly not if I end up losing my job. I just really wish that things would go smoothly for once.

Just once! Sorry done now just needed to get that off my chest.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated right now. I need to go try to figure this mess out am too frazzled to be typing atm.

I will be praying for you.

Suggestions that I am sure you have considered already... can you guys carpool with other co-workers until your car is fixed? Can your children stay with friends that live close to the school for the rest of this week?

Can your second car be fixed pronto?

Can you rent a car? It is expensive but maybe for a few days while your car is in the shop.

Can you buy a clunker that at least runs, there are cars under 1K in the US.

I hope you work this out. *Fingers crossed*

I will be praying for you.

Suggestions that I am sure you have considered already... can you guys carpool with other co-workers until your car is fixed? Can your children stay with friends that live close to the school for the rest of this week?

Can your second car be fixed pronto?

Can you rent a car? It is expensive but maybe for a few days while your car is in the shop.

Can you buy a clunker that at least runs, there are cars under 1K in the US.

I hope you work this out. *Fingers crossed*

Thanks Sheila for the prayers. The carpooling might work out for my bf, but they changed his hours so he comes in at an odd time for him to ride with anyone that lives near us. There isn't anyone for the kids to stay with sadly and we have exactly $12 in our bank accounts currently, Christmas sort of knocked us out for a bit.

Honestly though, I was just reading that story about Nazanin and I realized that my problems are nothing compared to those of her and her family. That story brought me to tears (ughh, watched the video of the mom crying).

I think I will reserve my prayers for that teenage girl and her family rather then my own family right now.

Can you check with your local Social Service agency or Community Action program and see if they have a monies available for crisises? I know in my area we have a program through the social service agency that has available job access loans that you can get low payments to get your car repaired or purchase a cheap vehicle so you can obtain work.

I wish you luck on everything my new year hasn't been going that great either...hit a deer on new years then got a flat this morning ughhhhhh then I got stopped by the police for a headlight out due to the deer accident.....just to realize my drivers licensed expired last month on my b day...dang 8 yr licenses..lol i didn't even remeber it was due.....thankfully I got let off with a 5 day warning......~sigh~.im hoping the rest of my year doesn't go as badly *crossing fingers for myself and for lemonlime*

.....I am so frustrated, I have been crying most of the morning. There is nobody to blame and not much we can do about it financially, at least not for a few months and certainly not if I end up losing my job. I just really wish that things would go smoothly for once.

Just once! Sorry done now just needed to get that off my chest.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated right now. I need to go try to figure this mess out am too frazzled to be typing atm.


LemonLime,

I am very sorry you're going through this crap...

But can I try to offer some helpful advice for the future? A good car will rarely just "die" -- not if you choose the right brand, and take care of it at a basic level.

I grew up poor and have never owned a new car in my life. I know how to survive without one. If you haven't already, please "Think Japanese."

A nice inexpensive Toyota Corolla maybe? Or a Tercel? These cars often just run and run and run. Just change the oil and make sure the right belts are changed in a timely manner.

If you know this already, great! I apologize. :o

If it's news to you, I hope I've helped in some way. People can waste a small fortune on cars, that's the only reason I wanted to speak up.

I just got a promotion at work, my bf got a raise, looked like our financial problems would get better.

we have exactly $12 in our bank accounts currently, Christmas sort of knocked us out for a bit.




If at all possible try listening to Dave Ramsey. It's free and you can make up your own mind if his counseling is worth it. He is on the radio daily (M-F) in many locations. He is a wonderful financial counselor. Many of his listeners who have followed his advice have gotten out of debt and are on their way to financial security.

There is a lot of snake oil out there but he is not one of them. And it does not cost a dime to hear what he has to say.

You may not like it, but I can tell you one thing he would ask... Why did you allow Christmas to put you in this situation?

http://www.daveramsey.com/

LemonLime, I certainly can understand what you're going through right now. I think all of us go through those "rough patches" when just when things get back on track..here comes another bump in the road. :( I'll be praying for you! Hang in there!

LemonLime, do you know anyone who can lend you their second car for a little while? I'm sorry, that all really really stinks. :( Maybe a clunker for the time being like Sheila mentioned would be the way to go. Sometimes banks send those checks for advances on purchases with decent interest rates; maybe call any credit card companies you have an account with, see if they'll do that?

Somehow, you will rise to the occasion, we always do. We have to.

I wish you luck with it all, be strong.

Well, I feel for you, and Im in similar shoes. I have had nothing but rotten rotten luck since Christmas.

Christmas eve my washer decided to break, flooding the back part of my house because I didn't notice it was leaking until it had run through the entire cycle. It's not repairable, and it has to be replaced. The same day the dryer quit drying the clothes, although now it seems to be working kind of half strength.

Then, while I was on the phone talking to my mother and spraying the dishes with the little sprayer thing?, suddenly the sink decided to act up. Now no water comes out of the faucet at all, only the sprayer. My dishwasher had already been on the fritz, so now washing dishes is a total pain between the combination of the two.

I had resigned myself to buying a new washer and dryer, even though I wasn't looking foward to spending the money, when my car decided to break down. I had just dropped my daughter off at school, got about a mile away from the school, and the car just shut off. No sputter, no nothing, just shut off and would not restart. GAH! *pulls hair* I told myself because of the way it happened, it was just a pickup or a module in the distributor...which is a fairly cheap and easy repair, so I wasn't too stressed. Had it towed into the shop and got the call today that it is the fuel pump, which is inside the tank. They didn't have an estimate for me yet, but will in the morning. I am DREADING it, because the last time this happened to me, the estimate was something ghastly like 500-600 dollars.

So for now we are a one car family, which is causing all kinds of havoc with 3 teenagers in the house who need to get places. My son is away at college with the only other decent car.

At first I wanted to just throw myself down and cry (but figured with my luck I'd lately I'd probably break a bone). Now Im just feeling a bit overwhelmed and a bit depressed.

My dad tells me we will look back at this and laugh some day, and I know he's probably right, but right now..I just want to scream.

((hugs)) to you...It has to get better...just keep the faith.

foxyeyes ~ I checked into that but they won't help me because they said I am on the "busline" and can use public transportation. Thus, I don't need car repairs. Thing is my kids are "school of choice" students so they have no school bus and I would never make it to work on time riding the city bus to drop them off then riding it again to get to work.

Harrison ~ Yeah a lot of people have advised us to buy Japanese. Thing is my bf works for an American automotive plant and our state is already in serious trouble because of a drop in American auto sales. I just can't bring myself to buy a foreign car tbh.

SaltwaterBlues ~ I'll check him out!

Bob's babydoll ~ Yup I know it will get better eventually just need to get through the "moment". :)

waterfall ~ Sadly my credit is completely shot (I am about to go to court in February, being sued for credit cards) and don't know anyone that could lend us a car.

Jo-Admin ~ Sometimes you freak me out when you post lol. Our lives seem to mirror each other. Before Christmas our dishwasher started screwing up, our washer went "off balance" and I can't get it to get back "on balance" again. Still washing clothes with it anyways till it dies though. Our 55 inch TV took a crap and lol when my truck died, I was actually pulling into my children's elementary school to pick them up! My bf thinks it is the fuel pump. Wow I feel like I am in the twilight zone! lol are you and I long lost twin sisters??? :p

To Everyone ~ You guys are so great, seriously, it helps knowing that everyone has had "rough spots" and made it through. I try to keep that in mind when things go bad. I do actually have some potentially good news though! My bf says that he is going to try to take out a loan to either a.) repair one of our two vehicles or b.) get another "junker" to get us through the winter. I don't know if they will approve him because he hasn't really had time to establish credit but my fingers are crossed. We are gonna look into it this weekend. Thanks so much for the replies I'll keep u posted.

Wow, that kind of freaks me out too! :)

Watch out, if we have mirror lives, one of you children is fixing to accidentally throw his cell phone away while emptying a Taco Bell tray, and it's going to cost you 300 bucks to replace it. :o

lol My oldest is getting a cell phone sometime next week. They offered me a free phone on my plan with parental blocking enabled so had to go for it. But, if he throws it in the trash he best dive in for it because I won't replace it for him! lol

Wow, that kind of freaks me out too! :)

Watch out, if we have mirror lives, one of you children is fixing to accidentally throw his cell phone away while emptying a Taco Bell tray, and it's going to cost you 300 bucks to replace it.

Hehe...or your fiance throws away your WIC checks so that you have to figure out how to pay for the baby formula and milk you were getting for free.

Two months of checks! And they don't replace them unless they were stolen/fire, etc. And you have to file a police report for them to follow up on.

So tempted.... :o

My car just cost 500 bucks in repairs. But overall my repairs on her have been minimal. We have an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. One of the only old US cars I see on the road in my area. She's 14 years old and a tank. Gracie is her name...because it is by the Grace of God we make it everywhere, lol.

Chin up, this too will pass! I'll be praying for a nice used car to come your way that's as reliable as Gracie.

Hehe...or your fiance throws away your WIC checks so that you have to figure out how to pay for the baby formula and milk you were getting for free.

Two months of checks! And they don't replace them unless they were stolen/fire, etc. And you have to file a police report for them to follow up on.

So tempted.... :o

My car just cost 500 bucks in repairs. But overall my repairs on her have been minimal. We have an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. One of the only old US cars I see on the road in my area. She's 14 years old and a tank. Gracie is her name...because it is by the Grace of God we make it everywhere, lol.

Chin up, this too will pass! I'll be praying for a nice used car to come your way that's as reliable as Gracie.

Ughh was it an accident? I hope so that stinks.

Well, he tried to retrieve the phone from the trash..sort of. He went back into the Taco Bell and had his friend call his phone to see if he could hear it ringing. But Im guessing it must have gotten wet, considering he threw it in the TRASH, because it was going straight to voice mail.

THEN, because he didn't want to dig in the trash himself, he went outside, told them that he had been in a few minutes ago and thought he threw his cell phone in the trash, and had the employees look for it. LOL

Either way, it's gone. Im going to replace it for him because he is away at college, and he doesn't have any other phone for me to reach him on. I miss talking to him!

I wonder if Cingular offers phones with parental controls. My 15-year-old keeps going over on her text messaging....