Author Topic: Unplanned spending  (Read 7594 times)

Roadrunner53

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Unplanned spending
« on: June 19, 2019, 12:01:47 PM »
Every month I think I can stay on a certain budget but unexpected expenses arise. For instance my dog has been sick for a year and has required lots of medical attention. Today I had to pick up two prescriptions, special dog food, urine and stool samples and that came to about $160. The other dog is on special prescription dog food too which was not an extra expense today but did cost another $38.00 for a case of food. Last month we spent over $500 at the vets office. UGH!

I don't begrudge spending money on my dogs but it is always something! What expenses have you had lately that you have no choice but pay for?

It is just life. You get a bonus check and miraculously something breaks down in the house that costs the amount of the bonus! It's like glad you had the money to fix the problem, but damn, it would have been nice to tuck it away and spend it on something fun or invest it!

Kris

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2019, 12:13:56 PM »
Every month I think I can stay on a certain budget but unexpected expenses arise. For instance my dog has been sick for a year and has required lots of medical attention. Today I had to pick up two prescriptions, special dog food, urine and stool samples and that came to about $160. The other dog is on special prescription dog food too which was not an extra expense today but did cost another $38.00 for a case of food. Last month we spent over $500 at the vets office. UGH!

I don't begrudge spending money on my dogs but it is always something! What expenses have you had lately that you have no choice but pay for?

It is just life. You get a bonus check and miraculously something breaks down in the house that costs the amount of the bonus! It's like glad you had the money to fix the problem, but damn, it would have been nice to tuck it away and spend it on something fun or invest it!

Mr. Kris went to the dentist last week. Found out he needs two crowns. He came home yesterday from his appointment with a credit card receipt for $985. Ugh.

Moral of the story: never go to the dentist. ;)

 

HPstache

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2019, 12:20:11 PM »
Sinking funds can really help smooth out the impact of "unexpected" expenses.  For pets, in addition to budgeting for food/flea treatments/etc., we set aside $50/mo into a sinking fund for if the ever get sick and need to visit the vet, capped at $1,000. 

That being said, we've had two really annoying unexpected home maintenance costs that we've had this year, taking down two of our beautiful (but problem) trees in the backyard to the tune of $2,600 and a our refrigerator losing it's R134A charge and needing replacement.  Fortunately we have a "major house" sinking fund, but that got tapped out and we dipped into our emergency fund for a portion of these costs.

wenchsenior

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2019, 12:48:34 PM »
When I first started budgeting, I called these our "regular irregulars".  It's always something, but never the same thing twice.  In our case I figured out after watching and measuring our expenses for about six months that these turned out to be about 25% of our monthly expenses.  I also got a good gut feel as to how "lumpy" they were.  In our case, I figured out that they evened out over a six month time frame.

Two comments:

1.  If you really want to build a buffer, then you have to account for them.  If your paycheck is $2000 a month and your regular fixed monthly expenses are $1900 a month, then you're skating on thin ice.  These "regular irregulars" are going to consume that $100 buffer and then some.  You may have to cut back on your regular fixed monthly expenses to $1300 a month or something like that.  To figure out what that $1300 number is in your case, you'll have to track for six months and then do the math.  Translation:  If you want to build a buffer, you may have to downgrade your lifestyle.

2.  There's always, always a choice.  If you feel you have no choice, it's because it's something you value strongly (dogs, in this case).  The question to examine closely is do you value that thing (dogs and complaining about tight budgets) more than the alternatives (a buffer created by a lifestyle reduction or an income increase).

Regular irregulars!  That's a good one.

This past 2 months have whomped us with them. Fridge went out (but gradually so we lost a bunch of the food before we realized). It was Labor Day sale (good), and our dishwasher is also on its last legs (20+ years old, actually falling apart, not washing properly), so we went ahead and ordered a dishwasher as well.  Just unexpectedly got a new rescue kitten, so approx. 1,000$ over the first 2 months between vaccinations and spay surgery.  Then had to bribe some friends to take 2 other rescue feral kittens, to the tune of $500 for THEIR vaccinations.  Then the new kitten bent/broke my thumb drive that has data on it that I want, and so far I've been quoted prices over 1,000$ to get it back (still looking into this, so who knows what I'm actually going to end up paying, see other thread).

So that's, what...~2700 + indeterminate computer repair amount...

And now my mother reports that the ancient fence at our beta house (where she lives) has finally fallen over, so we have to suck it up and replace at least half the fence.  But first, we need an arbor-ist to deal with trees on the fence-line. I'm guessing the total beta house bills will be ~5K by the time that's all over with. Probably 10K if we replace the entire fence.

Last year was a relatively low-spend year for us. We're making up or for it all in May and June. :sigh:

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2019, 12:57:29 PM »
Oh, that reminds me we had some tree work done here to the tune of $1,200 a few months ago. After that work was done we realized we should have had some pine trees taken down due to them dying a slow death. So we had the tree guy come back again and he gave us an estimate of $750. He will be back soon to cut them down. We also lost an upright freezer early in the year and luckily we managed to save all the food but had to spend almost $1,000 to replace it.


Freedomin5

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2019, 04:34:37 PM »
That’s true. Using words like “had to” and “need to” makes it sound like it is an external locus of control, when in reality, very few things are like that. We always have a choice, and it is helpful to take ownership of our choices.

Recently, we had to pay over $1000 for a flight back to our home country, because FIL had major surgery, and we don’t know how much longer he has on this earth. Even then, it’s a choice based on our relationship to him and desire to see him possibly for the last time. So really, we didn’t HAVE TO do anything, but we WANTED to pay for the flight.

We have also spent around $600 on furniture (3 sofas, office desk, 3 beds) for our new apartment. Did we have to spend that money? No. We could have chosen to sleep on the floor and to live in an empty apartment. But we wanted to have a comfortable place where we can relax at the end of the day and show hospitality to friends (hence the splurging of $100 on a third sofa and $80 on a bed for the guest bedroom). Even in this situation, we could have gone with all new furniture, but we chose to buy used as much as possible. We are also choosing to not own a pet (even though our friend is willing to give us one of their two dogs for free).

All of this spending is irregular, but I’m very aware that they are all based on our own choices because there are some options we are not willing to consider (like eating off the floor due to lack of a table).

wenchsenior

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2019, 07:40:23 PM »
...we went ahead...

Then had to...

...we have to....

...we need...

...we should have...

...but had to....

There's always, always a choice.  If you feel you have no choice, it's because it's something you value strongly (dogs, in this case).  The question to examine closely is do you value that thing (dogs and complaining about tight budgets) more than the alternatives (a buffer created by a lifestyle reduction or an income increase).

Editing and bolding by me.

Yes, obviously.  We COULD go without a refrigerator and eat out of the cupboard, leave my mom's fence broken, and not have adopted the kitten.   I assumed this was sort of a 'bitch' thread. ETA: We have plenty of money to cover all these unplanned expenses even if we had another year of them. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2019, 04:00:19 AM »
Let's not make this a blame game. Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Let this thread be 'fun' and just discuss how life gets in the way. Just when you thought you could put some money to work for you, 'life' came along, slapped you in the face, and said "hey buddy, we see you have an extra $1,000, let's see what we can spend it on rather than save it".

Yes, there are always choices, but obviously if we spent the money we chose to spend it. Most of us know how to spend wisely or within our means.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2019, 06:51:22 AM »
We all choose a life style with a certain number of assets (spouse, kids, home, car, pets), based on our personal values. And in general, the more you own, the more that can generate unexpected expenses. Such is life.

We recently had 2 small punctures in the windows of 2 cars. This is caused by gravel against the window and is very common in Norway. Our main car is all risk insured and that includes repair of window punctures by gravel. The other car is only very basically insured and that does not cover a puncture. As we only drive a few thousand km with that second car, we haven't bothered to repair the window yet. But I wonder whether we should do it anyway, as it might lead to a bigger crack. = extra unexpected expense, caused by some other car.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2019, 07:38:55 AM »
Linea, these are the questions we all have and sometimes we have to make decisions due safety too. We cut the trees and trimmed some due to the fact that some were getting too close to the electric line out by the road. If we had a storm and the tree fell due to the fact that it was cracking in half vertically, then we could be responsible to pay for the repair. Then, in the end, it would have been a bigger expense than it was to begin with.

I always say people can afford the mortgage on a home but it is the unknown or unplanned expenses that kill you. Especially when buying your first home. All the lawn equipment, snowblowers, shovels, gardening tools. The list goes on and on.


wenchsenior

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2019, 08:57:04 AM »
Let's not make this a blame game. Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Let this thread be 'fun' and just discuss how life gets in the way. Just when you thought you could put some money to work for you, 'life' came along, slapped you in the face, and said "hey buddy, we see you have an extra $1,000, let's see what we can spend it on rather than save it".

Yes, there are always choices, but obviously if we spent the money we chose to spend it. Most of us know how to spend wisely or within our means.

Two of my best examples:

College.  Husband got an unexpected side gig that netted him about 2500$ (a LOT for college students in the '90s) for a couple weeks of work.  The week he got paid, the transmission on our only vehicle went out.

About 10 years ago, husband won an unexpected performance award of about 1500$.  The very same week, his falconry bird broke a leg in a freak accident, requiring specialized vet bills of about 1700$.  The hawk was fine a month later, but it was so unusual an injury for a falconry bird!  If they need vet care it is usually for something like frounce, West Nile, bumblefoot, cactus spines embedded b/c they rocketed into cacti after a rabbit, etc.  Broken legs? Not common.

I'm sure there's more....

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2019, 09:20:09 AM »
Many years ago I was laid off from a job that I had for 10 years. When I left, I was able to take my sick pay and they gave us all a small severance package. This was about February. Several months later I still had no job and we noticed septic smell in our yard. Sure enough, our septic system was failing. Wouldn't you know it, the amount to replace the septic system was about the amount I got from my severance/sick pay. Trust me...I cried my eyes out on that one. But the alternative of not having any money to fix the problem would have been worse. UGH! Talking about kicking a man when he is down!

Tris Prior

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2019, 11:36:43 AM »
Broke a big chunk off of a tooth yesterday. Last time this happened, I needed oral surgery, which ran a couple thousand dollars after insurance. Definitely wasn't planning on that!

I suppose I could choose to run around indefinitely with a big jagged-edge chunk of molar missing, but last time I put off getting it fixed and it got infected and horribly painful, so that doesn't seem wise. (I would've needed the previous oral surgery regardless of how long I put off care, due to the nature of the break.)

HipGnosis

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #13 on: June 20, 2019, 11:56:09 AM »
I've never had an "emergency fund".  I've always had a 'life fund'.
Emergencies may happen, some day.  Life happens.  Often.

I drove out in the countryside and stopped to take some pictures.
When I got home, I took off my sunglasses and went to put on my eye glasses - but they weren't in my shirt pocket! I had bent over for a 'good' perspective / composition for one pic.  The glasses could have fallen out...  I went back.  Found the glasses... which had been run-over.
I found out that Zenni.com has a 're-order' button (COOL!).   I paid $10 for expedited shipping.

AnswerIs42

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2019, 01:18:26 PM »
Broke a big chunk off of a tooth yesterday. Last time this happened, I needed oral surgery, which ran a couple thousand dollars after insurance. Definitely wasn't planning on that!

I suppose I could choose to run around indefinitely with a big jagged-edge chunk of molar missing, but last time I put off getting it fixed and it got infected and horribly painful, so that doesn't seem wise. (I would've needed the previous oral surgery regardless of how long I put off care, due to the nature of the break.)
Ugh... are you me? I just did the exact same thing yesterday. Suppose I'd better go see a dentist sometime :(

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2019, 01:39:26 PM »
Hahaha, another tooth situation here, spouse broke a piece of tooth last week and couldn't get an appointment till July! More $$$.

Tris Prior

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2019, 02:11:13 PM »
My co-worker who sits next to me ALSO broke a tooth yesterday and no, we were not eating the same office food or anything! Tis the season?
I was able to get in early next week, but NOT looking forward to the bill. $$$$$

Steeze

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2019, 09:00:35 PM »
Moved to new apartment, couch didn’t fit through the door. $700 later I have a new futon. I splurged on the hardwood frame, DW insisted on the nicest mattress. Now my couch is super comfy and doubles as a guest bed.

middo

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2019, 10:06:11 PM »
We have a bit of this type of "lumpy" expenses.  Travel is one, which is a clear choice we make.

Another is our daughter who plays sport.  She plays at a high enough level to be selected to represent her state at national championships.  But she plays a sport that does not earn $, so we pay the costs.  Last fortnight we paid $2000 for this years nationals, she contributed $600.  As a uni student, she wouldn't go if we didn't help her.

We could say no, but I'm not going to do that to her.  Again choices.

calimom

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2019, 10:30:35 PM »
I budget pretty well and just got notification of an increase in my homeowner's policy because of all of a sudden living in a "wildfire urban interface zone". Yes. I did evacuate my family last year, but I have also had this policy for over a decade with no claims. Going insurance shopping, but may find similar answers elsewhere so this will likely fall into the category of unplanned spending.

Metalcat

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #20 on: June 21, 2019, 04:02:08 AM »
Owning things is expensive.

In the past seven years, my house had needed the following replaced
-furnace
-hot water tank
-air conditioner
-electrical panel
-fridge
-stove
-washer
-dryer
-toilets
-stair carpet
-kitchen counter and sink
-outside doors
-roof
-front entrance concrete

None of these was an optional replacement, every one was critical.
Throw in 4 pets, and we just expect "unexpected" large bills.

OtherJen

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #21 on: June 21, 2019, 06:31:30 AM »
Yes, owning things is expensive. In the last 5 years, we've had the following unplanned or semi-planned expenses. It's life.

*A new roof because old roof had several small leaks and shingle damage
*New water heater because old one corroded and leaked all over the laundry room
*New furnace because old one died on a very cold day after limping along with repairs the previous few winters
*Significant vet bills for a pet with treatable cancer
*New bathroom because of water damage
*New flooring to replace damaged carpet
*New-used car because a replacement powertrain was loads more expensive than my old car was worth

Metalcat

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2019, 06:44:05 AM »
^

Ah yes, we needed a new used car as well, and then the new used car needed a new starter the first year despite only being 3 years old and being a Corolla. The mechanic said he wasn't sure he had ever had to replace a starter in a Corolla. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2019, 06:46:09 AM »
Same here since 2013:

New roof
New deck
New vinyl siding
New gutters
New boiler
New hot water tank
New freezer
New dishwasher
New retaining wall
Repair of existing sidewalks
New dryer
New ductless ac unit

Yep, life happens. Dishwasher and freezer had to be replaced within 3 weeks of each other.

Yes, we chose to fix and/or replace due to age or broken conditions. No, I am not going to go without a dishwasher!


FIREstache

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #24 on: June 21, 2019, 07:39:44 AM »
Owning things is expensive.

In the past seven years, my house had needed the following replaced
-furnace
-hot water tank
-air conditioner
-electrical panel
-fridge
-stove
-washer
-dryer
-toilets
-stair carpet
-kitchen counter and sink
-outside doors
-roof
-front entrance concrete

None of these was an optional replacement, every one was critical.
Throw in 4 pets, and we just expect "unexpected" large bills.

Most of that looks like my "to do" list for the next few years plus some additional things.  I've put off some of these things longer than I should have, and I figure some will "surprise" me anytime for more immediate repairs/replacement.  I account for pending expenses of about $30K right off the top of my stash for these items.  I also budget some every month for these variable long term expenses, although I don't keep it in a separate fund.  I do the same thing with car maintenance and future car purchase budgeting.

Freedomin5

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2019, 10:21:25 PM »
You all are making me want to own fewer things and become a minimalist. That will be a challenge as we are moving to a new apartment that is twice the size of our current apartment, and one friend has already commented that we will need to "buy more things so our apartment doesn't look so empty".

Dicey

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #26 on: June 21, 2019, 11:50:17 PM »
Every month I think I can stay on a certain budget but unexpected expenses arise. For instance my dog has been sick for a year and has required lots of medical attention. Today I had to pick up two prescriptions, special dog food, urine and stool samples and that came to about $160. The other dog is on special prescription dog food too which was not an extra expense today but did cost another $38.00 for a case of food. Last month we spent over $500 at the vets office. UGH!

I don't begrudge spending money on my dogs but it is always something! What expenses have you had lately that you have no choice but pay for?

It is just life. You get a bonus check and miraculously something breaks down in the house that costs the amount of the bonus! It's like glad you had the money to fix the problem, but damn, it would have been nice to tuck it away and spend it on something fun or invest it!

Mr. Kris went to the dentist last week. Found out he needs two crowns. He came home yesterday from his appointment with a credit card receipt for $985. Ugh.

Moral of the story: never go to the dentist. ;)
That's cheap for two crowns!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #27 on: June 22, 2019, 01:22:17 AM »
You all are making me want to own fewer things and become a minimalist. That will be a challenge as we are moving to a new apartment that is twice the size of our current apartment, and one friend has already commented that we will need to "buy more things so our apartment doesn't look so empty".

You also have the chance to create more empty space in your apartment. That can give a lot of mental freedom.

A true minimalist, living in a rental, without a car and without children and pets, would have much fewer unexpected expenses.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2019, 01:23:54 AM by Linea_Norway »

Bloop Bloop

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #28 on: June 22, 2019, 03:08:21 AM »
My professional indemnity insurance went up $2k this year. Considering I don't even want it (I'd rather take my chances) and I have to get it only because it's forced upon me, I was pretty annoyed.

Kris

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #29 on: June 22, 2019, 07:52:38 AM »
Every month I think I can stay on a certain budget but unexpected expenses arise. For instance my dog has been sick for a year and has required lots of medical attention. Today I had to pick up two prescriptions, special dog food, urine and stool samples and that came to about $160. The other dog is on special prescription dog food too which was not an extra expense today but did cost another $38.00 for a case of food. Last month we spent over $500 at the vets office. UGH!

I don't begrudge spending money on my dogs but it is always something! What expenses have you had lately that you have no choice but pay for?

It is just life. You get a bonus check and miraculously something breaks down in the house that costs the amount of the bonus! It's like glad you had the money to fix the problem, but damn, it would have been nice to tuck it away and spend it on something fun or invest it!

Mr. Kris went to the dentist last week. Found out he needs two crowns. He came home yesterday from his appointment with a credit card receipt for $985. Ugh.

Moral of the story: never go to the dentist. ;)
That's cheap for two crowns!


That is what we owed after insurance, just to be clear.

Dicey

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #30 on: June 22, 2019, 09:21:22 AM »
I wondered about that. Many dental insurance plans have relatively low annual caps and a single crown will cause you to hit the limit, so the second one is totally out of pocket. Looks like your coverage might be better than average.

use2betrix

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #31 on: June 22, 2019, 10:20:59 AM »
Things always come up. It’s life. The more you simplify the life, the less things should come up (health can be a mixed bag, however there are ways to mitigate risk and reduce costs). I’ve had several surgeries over the years, my wife just had one, some expensive vet bills, repair bills, etc.

I look at most of it like the price of gas.. You can either do something (like walk, ride a bike, public transport) or you can just understand that you aren’t interested in the options and move on. I rarely even pay attention to the price of gas anymore. I work 15 miles away on a 2 lane country road with no shoulder and 65 mph speed limits, and usually get there while it’s still dark. I know I’m not going to walk or bike. Why let things I have absolutely no control get to me?

I’ve had times where sometimes it’s one thing after the other, but I seem to forget about it pretty quick. Again, the more you simplify your life, the less these things happen. Pets can be expensive. The trade off is either worth it, or it’s not. Same with certain vehicles, certain homes, living arrangements, etc.

Freedomin5

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #32 on: June 26, 2019, 06:13:39 PM »
You all are making me want to own fewer things and become a minimalist. That will be a challenge as we are moving to a new apartment that is twice the size of our current apartment, and one friend has already commented that we will need to "buy more things so our apartment doesn't look so empty".

You also have the chance to create more empty space in your apartment. That can give a lot of mental freedom.

A true minimalist, living in a rental, without a car and without children and pets, would have much fewer unexpected expenses.

We are both committing to anti-consumeristic anti-materialistic thinking...though I don’t know if we will ever “arrive” at true minimalism. It’s probably more a process than a destination. We live in a rental (the only reason we are moving to a larger one is because the larger one is free provided by work, while our smaller one is something we pay for ourselves). We don’t have a car. We don’t have a pet (unless you count the pet bugs DD likes to bring home in empty water bottles). She’s currently the proud owner of a pet grasshopper, slug, and potato bug.

It’s true. The fewer things you own, the fewer things you need to be responsible for.

hudsoncat

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #33 on: July 03, 2019, 06:56:12 AM »
My partner got a promotion! The pay increase is nice. The fact that it will likely necessitate us becoming a two car family... less so.

New role includes a lot of travel (company paid) but the nearest airport is 1.5 hours away. We're trying to figure out now if we can remain one car with a combo of my taking him to the airport/my being without a car some weeks, but we live in an area with no public transportation (I think we have one Uber in town, but he isn't on the clock...) and while I like/ride my bike a lot, but no access to a car while alone concerns me.

On the plus side, if we do go the second car route (where we lean at the moment), husband is fine with something super cheap since it'll basically drive to/from the airport and sit in a lot.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #34 on: July 03, 2019, 07:25:33 AM »
My partner got a promotion! The pay increase is nice. The fact that it will likely necessitate us becoming a two car family... less so.

New role includes a lot of travel (company paid) but the nearest airport is 1.5 hours away. We're trying to figure out now if we can remain one car with a combo of my taking him to the airport/my being without a car some weeks, but we live in an area with no public transportation (I think we have one Uber in town, but he isn't on the clock...) and while I like/ride my bike a lot, but no access to a car while alone concerns me.

On the plus side, if we do go the second car route (where we lean at the moment), husband is fine with something super cheap since it'll basically drive to/from the airport and sit in a lot.

Have you checked out limo service to and from the airport? In my area I would have to drive about 18 miles to a larger city, park my car in a specific hotel parking place for limo passengers, then the limo makes a few stops to pick up more passengers then goes to the airport. The company should pay for that. Maybe when you get in a bind, you could rent a cheap car for a week, like $159-$199. That way you would have to spend money but not buy a car.

hudsoncat

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #35 on: July 03, 2019, 08:41:42 AM »

Have you checked out limo service to and from the airport? In my area I would have to drive about 18 miles to a larger city, park my car in a specific hotel parking place for limo passengers, then the limo makes a few stops to pick up more passengers then goes to the airport. The company should pay for that. Maybe when you get in a bind, you could rent a cheap car for a week, like $159-$199. That way you would have to spend money but not buy a car.

There is no service to and from the airport from our rather small town unfortunately. The closest one of those would still require driving at least 45 minutes. The company will cover mileage to/from the airport, I expect they'd cover the shuttle service. We are still considering trying with just one car (and will initially), but with him traveling at minimum 3 weeks out of the month, I expect that to get old fast. The nice thing for us if we get second car is a brother who buys wrecked cars on the side and fixes them. He expects he can get us into a 'good enough' car for about $1000-$1500. We're certainly more worried about reliability than age/looks/amenities/etc. 

We'll see! Brother-in-law is keeping an eye out for the 'right' car. In the meantime we're going to make it work with one car and maybe we'll find it isn't as hard to manage as we think. It's been surprisingly easy to manage in the 6+ years we've had only one between bikes and the occasional ride from a friend/co-worker. Such a good feeling to know we could go pay cash for a much nicer car, but I'm still resistant to having two if we can help it!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #36 on: July 03, 2019, 10:18:33 AM »

Have you checked out limo service to and from the airport? In my area I would have to drive about 18 miles to a larger city, park my car in a specific hotel parking place for limo passengers, then the limo makes a few stops to pick up more passengers then goes to the airport. The company should pay for that. Maybe when you get in a bind, you could rent a cheap car for a week, like $159-$199. That way you would have to spend money but not buy a car.

There is no service to and from the airport from our rather small town unfortunately. The closest one of those would still require driving at least 45 minutes. The company will cover mileage to/from the airport, I expect they'd cover the shuttle service. We are still considering trying with just one car (and will initially), but with him traveling at minimum 3 weeks out of the month, I expect that to get old fast. The nice thing for us if we get second car is a brother who buys wrecked cars on the side and fixes them. He expects he can get us into a 'good enough' car for about $1000-$1500. We're certainly more worried about reliability than age/looks/amenities/etc. 

We'll see! Brother-in-law is keeping an eye out for the 'right' car. In the meantime we're going to make it work with one car and maybe we'll find it isn't as hard to manage as we think. It's been surprisingly easy to manage in the 6+ years we've had only one between bikes and the occasional ride from a friend/co-worker. Such a good feeling to know we could go pay cash for a much nicer car, but I'm still resistant to having two if we can help it!

Buy a second car like our's. In 2012 I bought a 10 year old suzuki Ignis with low-medium mileage. Still running fine 7 years later. We only use it for short drives to the train station. Very little maintenance. Only basic insurance.

Just Joe

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #37 on: July 30, 2019, 09:54:41 AM »
We sold something years ago and netted $1500. YAY! We were ahead a little in a time when we were paycheck to paycheck.

Let's create an emergency fund.

Days later, dentist bill arrives. Just about $1500....

These days our budget allows much more wiggle room. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #38 on: July 30, 2019, 10:00:29 AM »
LOL, Joe! Sounds like my septic system story.

My Hub said "at least we had the money". He was right but at the time it was a punch in the gut with a baseball bat for me.

Like you, life marched on and we are not in such a tight financial spot now as we were then. Life can be very cruel sometimes.

Cassie

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #39 on: July 30, 2019, 01:57:51 PM »
In the past 3 years 33k on dental. Our 4 old dogs were very expensive. Medications alone were 400/month. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #40 on: July 30, 2019, 03:16:36 PM »
In the past 3 years 33k on dental. Our 4 old dogs were very expensive. Medications alone were 400/month.

Know what you are talking about. My one dog has cancer and went thru chemo and 3 surgeries on top of many expensive drugs and special dog foods. He is doing pretty good and every day is a blessing. But definitely unplanned spending.

Cassie

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #41 on: July 30, 2019, 10:32:11 PM »
Our 4 old dogs have passed during the last 2 years. We have a 2 and 5 year old. We can only afford 2 at these prices. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #42 on: August 05, 2019, 07:34:57 AM »
Okay, I have unplanned spending coming up very soon. We had no pressure one day last week when watering the garden. Checked out a few things and finally called a Well guy. We knew it could be two scenario's. One the well could be dry...God forbid! Or the pump in the well was shot. It turned out to be neither. A switch inside the house that controls the pump was messed up. The well guy got it to work temporarily but it needs replaced. On top of that, we decided to put in a new pump due to the fact that it is 16 years old. Then we have a water tank that is 30 years old and has been leaking a little. The Well guy is writing up an estimate for this stuff and quoted roughly $4,200. Not too bad but UNPLANNED! GRRRR!!! The last time we replaced the pump in the well was during the middle of winter and a different well guy had no helper and got my spouse to help him do the job. Spouse was super sick and the wind was blowing with freezing temps. So I guess it is time to replace the pump before we have a breakdown in the middle of winter again!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #43 on: August 13, 2019, 06:52:50 AM »
A bit off topic, but when talking about owning cars and 2 cars being more hustle and expenses than one car, we (DH and I) are still figuring out what to do after we FIRE.

We currently own a 9 year old Subaru outback diesel and an 17 year old Suzuki Ignis on petrol. We plan to sell the Suzuki as soon as we don't need to cars with 4x4, which is hopefully after we have sold our current home and quit our jobs.

The question is what to do after that. Norway is stimulating the purchase of EVs and we see EV load stations popping up even in the north of the country. Driven on (water powered energy) electric energy is cheaper than petrol/diesel and better for the environment. When we are FIREd we don't need to 2 cars every day. We have earlier lived for a long time with only 1 car.

Shall we just keep the older diesel car as our only car, with the risk of it needing bigger repairs from time to time, and risk being without a car during a breakdown or repair?

Or shall we purchase an additional car in the form of a used electric car (e.g. a Nissan Leave) and drive electrically on all local trips and keep the older diesel for longer trips? We can buy an EV without registration costs and don't have to pay the yearly sum to own it (because it is a EV). But it requires an extra parking space. And it is a second item that needs maintenance and repairs.

Or shall we replace the diesel with a used plugin hybrid car (e.g. a 5 year old Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV), so that we can drive short trips on electrical energy and long trips on diesel/petrol? One car, but with 2 systems that can break down. And when it breaks down or is in repair, we have no car for a while.

Or shall we next year replace the diesel with a new EV with longish range (e.g. a Skoda Vision E), while tax advantages for EVs are still in place (to the end of 2020), and keep that as our only car? After that, there probably will be a 25% - 30% price increase on new (and used) EVs.

Or shall we replace the diesel with a (used) van and build it into a camper van. And have a smaller EV (used Nissan Leave) for short trips. We might want to own a camper van anyway in maybe 10 years.

All considerations...

talltexan

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #44 on: August 14, 2019, 11:11:11 AM »
It's amazing how many options appear when you're willing to challenge a few pre-conceptions, such as Each driver should have his distinct car that he uses for all uses.

Jim Fiction

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #45 on: August 14, 2019, 12:29:31 PM »
We've been getting bludgeoned by out of pocket medical expenses this year. Already over $6K according to my expense spreadsheet and that doesn't include whatever bills DW may have taken care of, though I've paid the overwhelming majority so we're probably only talking about a extra few hundred bucks. Mercifully we have hit our deductible so the rest of the way will be 20% out of pocket. We've cash-flowed everything to date so no hit to the HSA, but wow I'd rather be investing this money.




calimom

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #46 on: August 14, 2019, 09:30:54 PM »
This has not been an unplanned expense, but one I've been cash flowing for the past four years: my son is officially done with orthordontia. May I just say what a relief this is?  What has been being paid to the orthodontist can now be redirected into savings.

Surely I should have put this information elsewhere, but I just wanted to share someplace!

Dicey

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #47 on: August 19, 2019, 09:29:45 AM »
This has not been an unplanned expense, but one I've been cash flowing for the past four years: my son is officially done with orthordontia. May I just say what a relief this is?  What has been being paid to the orthodontist can now be redirected into savings.

Surely I should have put this information elsewhere, but I just wanted to share someplace!
Congratulations! Now you only have to nag him to wear his damn retainers.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #48 on: August 26, 2019, 12:57:12 AM »
I have a very painful molar. It iced and hurts when I press a thumb on it. I already went to the dentist with it before the summer and she couldn't detect anything wrong with it. Now it is worse and I made a new appointment. I fear that it might be a root canal infection or something like that.

And even though hospitals in my country are for free, I need to pay the dentist out of pocket myself. :-(

Edit: It turned out to be some cracks under an old filling. The filling has been removed, cracks drilled out and new filling in place. Total cost about 150$, which is a lot less than I had expected fot root canal filling and crown. I gladly pay this to be relieved from the pain in my mouth.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2019, 04:39:57 AM by Linea_Norway »

GuitarStv

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Re: Unplanned spending
« Reply #49 on: August 27, 2019, 08:58:37 AM »
So, uh, a lot of you will think of this as frivolous . . . but I need an acoustic guitar.  I play guitar every day, and do all my singing and most of my writing on an acoustic.

So when I broke the truss rod in the fifty year old acoustic guitar that I had been playing for that last twenty years it was not a happy day.  Called up the guitar shop to ask what they wanted to repair it, and they quoted me 800$ minimum . . . and they couldn't guarantee that the repair would take.  This is a guitar that I bought for 200$ back in university, and I had pretty much worn the frets out on (fret job is usually around 300$).  But I couldn't bring myself to just toss her in the garbage can.  So then I did a lot of reading and figured out how to try to do the repair on my own.

You need to score around the binding with some box cutters, put a hot iron on the fretboard until it's uncomfortably warm to the touch, then start working a sharp thin blade between the neck and the fretboard.  Once you've removed the fretboard, you can pull out and replace the truss rod.  Then you need to sand off all the old glue on the board and neck, re-apply glue, and clamp it all back together.



So I spent several hours removing the fretboard, bought a new truss rod, pulled out the old one, put the new one in, sanded everything down, applied glue, and clamped it all back into place . . . only to find out the next morning that I hadn't clamped everything evenly enough and there was a small gap of about half a millimeter between the fretboard and the neck in a couple places.  So, I heated up the iron and removed the fretboard again, sanded all the glue off, applied new glue again, and clamped it much harder . . . and the neck cracked when I was clamping things down tighter than before.  Sadly, this was a bridge too far.  Had to junk my baby.

Good thing was that I had increased my lutherie skills, and only really blown 20$ on a new truss rod.  Major work on guitars is something that I've always been a little afraid of, but disasterous fuck up aside I was impressed that I got as far as I did.  (I've since successfully refretted a guitars on my own - largely because I had gained some confidence from this.)  Bad was that I had now wasted a lot of hours and destroyed my guitar.  :(

Then to add insult to injury I couldn't find anything in a music store that sounded as good for under two grand.  Obviously I wasn't going to get a new guitar.  Ended up spending a couple months sifting through want ads and used stuff and eventually settled on a very nice sounding/playing acoustic in great condition for about a grand:


The new guitar is lovely and growing on me.  But I'm still sad about my baby though.  I've spent more of my life with her than with my wife.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!