The start of a new year always makes me want to revisit my budget and spending. This is probably because the prior year ends with Christmas extravaganza. Reeling it all back in is just a smart start.
This year has even more meaning to starting frugal because my husband and I plan to take a trip for our ten year anniversary. Maybe it doesn’t count as savings when there is already a plan to spend the money, but it still feels like saving when I mindfully do not utilize amazon prime. My grandmother always referred to this as “borrow from Peter to pay Paul”. Nevertheless, it’s a big deal for us. It will be our first trip without our kids!
During the holidays, the dishwasher starting leaking. The repair man who came to look at it said the price to fix it would be $350. Seriously, no! I could get a new dishwasher at that price! Trying my attempt at penny pinching, I put a pan under it instead. I have to say I have been thrilled with the results. The drip is so small it doesn’t leave the pan and is dried before then next daily run.
It feels like I just bought this dishwasher. Reality is it has been seven years, but I still am not quite ready for that expense. Unfortunately, this was not the end of the dishwasher issue.
The new year literally starts with the smell of an electrical fire around midnight. We hunted through the house and couldn’t find anything. Eventually we opened up the running dishwasher to a rolling ball of nasty smoke. Hacking with burning lungs, I knew my thrifty prior solution was in vain. The dishwasher had to be dead with that smell. Defeated, I unplugged it, shut it and went to bed.
The next day, after unloading the dishwasher, under the racks was a lovely mickey mouse plastic fork with a metal insert (easy to grip for kids, but still metal prongs) that was melted to the heating element. I was ecstatic, to say the least, on dodging the dishwasher buying bullet again!
The next day, it was time to go back to work. Kids didn’t have school yet so I took those normal morning hours spent getting them ready and off to school on laundry instead. I was upstairs folding laundry and feeling accomplished with two loads folded, one in the dryer and one in the washing machine. It was going to be a glorious productive day!
I headed to my office to start the days meetings and calls when I found the flood. Our house is an interesting split level with a basement so there are four small levels instead of just an up and downstairs. I really did not have time to deal with this debacle.
I ran into the laundry room and half bath were the water was coming from. I’ve never seen anything like it. There were soap bubbles over flowing out the of the toilet! The washing machine couldn’t drain out of the house and it was just coming back up the toilet and onto my floor! I paused the washer and started plunging the toilet like a lunatic. Nothing was happening. It didn’t seem clogged. I took some pictures because I can’t make things like this up. Called my husband, Daniel, who didn’t answer for he was at the gym. Then went to work.
Perhaps it was the wrong decision, but I had assessed my priorities and what I could actually accomplish. So I left the mess, as is, for my husband’s arrival. He can be such an angel of a man. He didn’t fuss at me for my decision or wrong doing. He simply stated it was probably a busted pipe. He checked the plumbing and cleaned up while I was working.
Daniel’s only mistake was letting me be the one to call the plumbers. My conversation with the reception went as follow’s:
“How can I help you?” questioned the plumbing receptionist.
“I need someone to come look at the pipes because my washing machine is just overflowing straight to my toilet.” I replied.
“We are very busy due to the weather and the power outages, but we will try to get someone your way today. Will you be home all day?” the receptionist sounding optimistic and sending someone even with the precursor.
“Yes, I will be.” I responded.
She then took my address and we got off the phone. By 4:30 pm, no one had arrived. My husband told me I needed to call and check status. Here is my second conversation with what I am 99% sure was the same woman.
“Hi, yes I calling to see what time someone was coming today?” I asked.
“What is your name?” she questioned.
“Tasha Hammond” I reply.
“Oh yes with the washing machine issue?” she questioned.
“Um, yes, that is how I found the problem but I can not run water in two bathrooms or the laundry room.” I replied kind of confused.
“Hum, who did you talk to today?” she questioned while I wanted to scream that I thought it was her, but I kept my cool.
“I can’t say with certainty for I didn’t write down a name.” I replied.
“Did you call today? What time?” she questioned further. “Was it a man or woman?”
“Today at 8 am and it was a woman” I replied. She is probably the only woman who works there. This is a small town!
“Well, I don’t think it was me. The other person, Hammland, I was talking about wasn’t an emergency so they were put off for tomorrow. I don’t see you on the list.” she responded.
I have to say I was quit irritated, but what can I do? The kitchen sink and one bathroom works so I won’t pretend I am in more of an emergency than someone with no options. I give her my information AGAIN. Feeling like I am being lied to and I was exactly the person she was talking about when she answered the call. She let me know someone would be at the house first thing the next day.
Lesson one of this story. Let your husband call the plumber or stick to facts with no details. If my husband would have called the initial conversation would have gone like this:
“How can I help you?” questions the plumbing receptionist.
“The pipes are frozen and I need someone to come look at them.” he would have stated.
“Yes sir. Will you be home all day?” asks the receptionist.
“Yes” he responds and the plumbers show.
This morning the plumbers arrived and were able to fix the plumbing. Unfortunately, no one would work for free. Lesson two, trying to be frugal is like praying for patience. The harder you try, the worst it gets.