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Another emergency for the emergency fund
Posted on December 21st, 2008 9 comments
Yesterday Josh and I took the car to get an oil change and to replace our rearview mirror (it cracked inside and fogged up, leaving just a small space of clear glass). We decided we could kill two birds with one stone by taking it to the GM dealership, after calling to confirm that they had the part in stock. Half-way through the oil change they told us they didn’t have the part after all. This was pretty frustrating because a Mr. Lube or Jiffy Lube would have been faster, cheaper, and closer to us if all we needed was the oil change.
After a pretty frustrating day, Josh and I got ourselves ready for my sister’s party, and were on the highway (Lakeshore) when we blew a tire. Josh pulled into the third lane to change the tire. Since the tire that burst was on the drivers side, and there was no shoulder due to the snow, Josh squatted right near the dotted white line, in black trousers and a dark grey jacket, attempting to change the tire, while I panicked watching the cars swerve to nearly avoid hitting him. Meanwhile, neither of us were dressed for the weather, assuming that we’d be outside for mere moments and into a warm house. No gloves, no hat, no sweater, no boots. Josh attempted to change the tire in his bare hands. For some reason though, it wasn’t working - the hubcab wouldn’t flip off. I called my Dad, who called CAA for me, who took 1/2 hour to call back to say that it would be a three hour wait.
Just as Josh got connected with another auto assistance company, our only cell phone died.
I asked some pedestrians to help us (there is a pathway along Lakeshore) but they didn’t know any more than we did.
Thank God we were close to a Canadian Tire. I ran all the way there and basically begged the manager to help us. He agreed and sent one of his men, Carlos, in a shuttle. Carlos explained that the reason the hubcap wasn’t flipping off was because it needed a special key, but even after I found the key in the glove box, the car wasn’t jacking up as it was supposed to. Carlos said the body was bending.
Instead, Carlos took us back to the Canadian Tire where they called us a tow-truck. We were told it would take an hour to wait for the tow. So they instructed the tow truck company to pick up the car and bring it to the body shop, where they would repair the tire, and we would pick it up tomorrow. We took a cab to the party.
I am still waiting to hear from Canadian Tire. I hope that everything went smoothly. I hope that our car didn’t get smashed before the car got picked up.
I’m very grateful for that Canadian Tire and even more grateful that we made it home (and to the party) safely.
The bottom line: Once again, build that emergency fund. We have to pay for the tow, the tires, and labour. But we have the money to pay for it, so it’s not a big deal. If you build up your emergency fund, accidents can happen and you can concentrate on taking care of yourself and your family, without worrying too much about the money. It reaffirms that the frugal life Josh and I have chosen, living below our means, is the only way to go.
9 responses to “Another emergency for the emergency fund”
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joshbuddy December 21st, 2008 at 15:04
Stupid custom rims. Why didn’t my dad ever teach me to change tires on them?
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joshbuddy December 21st, 2008 at 15:17
Come to think of it, yesterday was really a day of dad failure. I mean, just the profound lesson that not only do your parents not know everything, but some of what they know is actually crap. Question your assumptions regardless the source. Oh well.
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Gosh, I am so sorry that happened to you. I am in Alberta and we have bitterly cold winters (currently in a deep freeze having highs of -29) so I am always dressed for the weather when I am out and about although I never wear boots. I do, however, keep boots in the car in case I break down and am stuck on the side of the road for any length of time. If I had a flat I’d have no idea how to change it myself.
You are right though, an emergency fund is needed for situations such as these.
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joshbuddy December 21st, 2008 at 15:19
(Just to clear, I’m referring to *my* dad, ha!)
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Brenda December 21st, 2008 at 15:44
Sorry about your luck yesterday, but glad you have an emergency fund. Unfortunately, you learned the hard way that living in Canada means dealing with winters - and you should always have coat, boots, hats, mitts for emerg. purposes! Also, a candle and matches, a stash of snack goodies, and a blanket would be a great help if you ever get stranded and have to stay in your car. Especially when you move - Guelph gets some good storms! Living in Northern Ontario, you never know what Mother Nature will through at you - or Murphy’s Law!
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could you imagine the stress of paying for all that 5 days before christmas if you didn’t have your emergency fund? this post is even more motivation for me to keep plugging away at my EF.
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Hi there-well done on all your efforts in this emergency and the fund is really good for these exact situations.
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Ouch! What a rough day! I hope you managed to curl up under a blanket with a mug of your hot cocoa at the end of it all…
Your post got me thinking about our “emergency fund”. We don’t have one persay, but we always have at least $1000 in each of our bank accounts. An artificial bottom line, if you will. Below that, and I’m ‘in the hole’. When I was growing up, my mum always said to have that sort of artificial line, in case you ever needed to gather together first and last month’s rent, a bus pass, and groceries on short notice. I wonder if that counts as an emergency fund…
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Saver Queen December 22nd, 2008 at 16:36
Kate, I would totally count that as an emergency fund!
Brenda, thanks for those suggestions! I should be more prepared!
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