I woke up this morning to take my daily morning shower. It's how I start my day and the shower energizes me. What should have been a relaxing and refreshing experience was instead a freezing event. I turned off the water for a few minutes, waited and turned the knob back on. When I put my hand under the pipe ...no change.
I tested the water temperature at the bathroom sink and that too was cold. So I headed downstairs and checked the kitchen sink. Same result. Then all the clues started to add up. My hot water tank was gone. It was time to get a new one. I had heard they were expensive.
So, I called three people to get estimates. The lowest I got was $521 and the highest was $674. The good news was I just got paid. The bad news. Now I have to decide what bill wasn't going to get paid. That's the downside to being on a fixed income.
I tried to take the cheap road and thought about getting a used tank until I could save up enough money to buy a new one. Having to take care of and feed two kids, paying a mortgage, car note, and other necessary expenses is tough these days. My friends have told me to spend the money because a "used tank" is a crap shoot. And I may end up spending more money in the long run. I know they are right, but the thought of parting with that cash is so painful for me.
How do you get ahead in this world when these types of expenses pretty much suck you dry? The worst scenario could be not having the money for the repair at all. I'm putting things into perspective now. Better this happened to me in warm weather rather than cold.
Today was supposed to be a day of pampering for me. I was going to get my hair colored and cut. All that is changed now. My youngest is home with a summer cold and I have to run out and get medcation for her. Som, days I hate being the mommy; today, I don't like being an adult who is a homeowner.In life you just never know what to expect. Oy, vie! It's going to be a long morning.
Posted By: Marsha Jones
Thursday, May 27th 2010 at 7:55AM
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