Poof! And it's gone.

I've been complaining about my suspension for a few months now, and I finally took my car in for an inspection last weekend. My rear struts, which I replaced five years ago, needed to be replaced again.

The estimate I received was more or less in line with what I expected (including the struts and the spring assembly), but I decided to call a few more places to confirm the estimate. I'm so glad I did.

The dealership, naturally, wanted to do several additional services that would have thrown an extra $300 on the price. Gah. But then I called the Midas that had replaced the struts before:

Midas: Just so you know, if you come to us, the struts have a lifetime warranty.
HC: It's not just five years? (I'd thought I was outside my warranty coverage.)
Midas: No, lifetime.
HC: Oh! Because you did my struts five years ago.
Midas: Yes, there you are in the system. You'll still have to pay for labor, but the struts are free, and I don't think you need to replace the springs.

Excellent.

So I dropped the car off yesterday morning before work, got a mid-morning call informing me that the springs themselves were fine, but most of the rubber in the assembly had "completely disintegrated" and so they'd need to replace some additional parts. I told them to go ahead.

And so $758 later (plus the $53 inspection fee from the other place), I have a car that still has a bit more road feel than I like (I'll probably need to redo the front struts next year), but doesn't bounce like a bronco over every bump in the road.

It's a lot of money. Fortunately, by taking a big chunk out of my "extra" July paycheck (which will require dropping my extra payments from $200 each to $50 each), and scooping $100 from my overdraft fund (which will be replenished in a few months), I'll be able to cover that, pay my credit card statements and still have money with which to eat and such for the rest of the month.

I had fun spending plans for a lot of that money, but I'll live. I'm still going to be able to pay for my Philly trip out of my vacation savings, and I'm still going to enjoy some Pottermania, and I'll have time to save up for Avenue Q tickets in the fall. It could be a lot worse.

Finally!

My PLUS-style loan is DONE, finished, paid off...it is a retired obligation.

Now to tackle the rest of them.

But first, I must send a very thorough thank-you note to my dad (I made a few payments, but the lion's share of the payoff was from him).

Oh, and I got some cash gifts for some reason [grin], so I will be going out to celebrate tonight at an exceptionally expensive (but by all accounts, well worth it) restaurant. The cake there is approaching legendary.

June/July Net Worth.

Happy Independence Day to all those who celebrate!

Personal Items

KBB said that my car's value actually went UP. I keep my car's valuation at $100 below the KBB fair private party value.

Cash and Cash Equivalent

I swept some money from my overdraft account to my emergency fund again this past month. Otherwise, it was pretty much business as usual.

Investments

As I said last month, I think the period of big market gains is pretty much at an end. But my contributions are keeping me moving ahead overall.

Loan Balances

Because of the calendar, my two loans that normally get paid on the first didn't go through. Otherwise, contributions went through normally.

Other Debt

I was very lazy this past month, and didn't submit my receipts for my medical spending on time. My reimbursement will be applied to my next statement. I've since paid off my statement balances, which will hopefully be reflected next month.

The Month Ahead

I'm having a decluttering sale tomorrow and Friday, so hopefully that will bring some cash into my pocket. I've spent enough time with my friend Craig to pique someone's interest, I think.

I need to take my car in to inspect the suspension. I technically have an extra paycheck this month, but it could easily be sucked up by paying for that. I should, however, be able to pay for my trip to Philly entirely out of my vacation fund (and the money I already spent to buy my E-Z Pass), so there should be SOME room for fun.