Debt Dumpers - 2017

[hmack]

Darn....DH called in a panic to tell me that water was pouring out our front door. Our water heater burst! We have coverage for repairs but we had to also involve our homeowners company as the laminate flooring in 3 rooms is pretty much ruined. Hopefully the water heater can be repaired. So best case scenario is our water heater is fixed but we still have a $1,000 deductible IF our claim is approved for water damage. We have to throw all of our rugs away and have no hot water.Ugh..

What a mess that must have made. Ugh.

I hope the clean up goes as smoothly as it can. Keep us posted.


In personal news. Our overall total cc balance has gone down for the second month in a row, which is big news. The balance has gone down $670 since the beginning of the year. It may not seem like a lot but with the size of the mess we've gotten ourselves into, it's a big deal in our world.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Oh no, @Ngwira, what a bummer! Just when you think things are moving along smoothly.

Is there anyway to know how old your water heater is? I've honestly never looked at ours to see if there's a date on it or anything. Our house is 16 years old and we just bought it last year so I don't know if anyone has ever replaced it.

 

[Ngwira]

Oh no, @Ngwira, what a bummer! Just when you think things are moving along smoothly.

Is there anyway to know how old your water heater is? I've honestly never looked at ours to see if there's a date on it or anything. Our house is 16 years old and we just bought it last year so I don't know if anyone has ever replaced it.

We bought the house 3 years ago so no clue. Serv pro is coming out to dry out the flooring..the repairman is also coming out but I have a strong suspicion it can't be repaired. Only good news is our next door neighbor is a plumber and can install for much less..its a mess..we had to shut down our furnace since it's in the same room and water is still leaking...ugh

 

[Imagineer5]

Checking in!

DH is falling off the band wagon - he bought a $160 storm door for no reason this weekend (well, because it was mislabeled and should have been $199?) idk. He has been putting a lot of $$ on the CC (we're down to just using 1 CC and then paying it off, it makes it easier than trying not to go over in our checking accounts, and I can see all the charges and accounts in USAA at once at least). Not the end of the world of course, but it's hard to stay on track. Not counting some extra $$ we need for the CC, plus Car excise tax bills came, and we still haven't filed taxes because we owe, we are still on track to pay off our car loan in the next week. I get paid tomorrow, and DH gets paid next Monday/Tuesday and between those we'll have the $2k remaining balance for the car - NO more car payments!!

Speaking of cars - I mentioned wanting to fit in 3 car seats in DH's 2006 BMW? Well I found a Diono Radian for $150 (not planned for either...I guess DH and I are both bad at this!) and we CAN in fact fit 3-across the backseat, so that takes the pressure off of buying a new car when Baby #3 comes in April! Phew! (I still need to buy one more but waiting for a deal again)

I took my work trip to Seattle last week, and that went well, whatever extra $$ I spent was mainly gifts I can set aside for Easter baskets, Christmas, and Birthdays so that is something. I stayed under budget for food!

March will be

1) Paying off our CC which we have been overly using this month
2) filing and paying for taxes
3) $1000 towards our very high personal loan which is what is next up on the chopping block as far as debt goes. If I could figure out a way to get that out of a high interest (10.19%) I would be very happy, but at least we intend to pay it off over the next year.

Lastly, work MAY allow me to take a full 240 hours of advanced sick leave for the birth of the baby. I am going into this maternity leave mid-April with -100 sick leave hours, since DD2 is only 15 months old and I borrowed 240 hours then. Originally they said I could only borrow 240 at a time - which meant about 140 hours total this time - but if I am able to borrow an extra 100 hours, that would be really nice financially! Currently I have that possible-money put into our trip-budget for a potential weekend getaway, but most likely it'll go towards that personal loan (just awaiting word on whether or not I can do it).

 

[Eureka]

Oh no, @Ngwira, what a bummer! Just when you think things are moving along smoothly.

Is there anyway to know how old your water heater is? I've honestly never looked at ours to see if there's a date on it or anything. Our house is 16 years old and we just bought it last year so I don't know if anyone has ever replaced it.

Our house is 27 years old, we bought it 15 years ago and have no idea about our water heater either. Now I'm wondering. We've already replaced the heat pump, roof and two showers, not to mention several appliances.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I went to tour the day care this morning. It seems like a great center. They have several caregivers that have been there 10-20 years. The infant room has a 3:1 child to caregiver ratio, so each child was receiving lots of attention. The infant room includes cribs, bouncers, walkers, activity mats, rocking chairs, toys, etc. They even have a separate space specifically for outdoor infant play during good weather.

The ages groups are split up into several rooms for ages 0-1, 1-2, 2-2.5 and 2.5-3.5, each doing activities appropriate to their age group and development. The preschool class was on a field trip today so I didn't get to see that class, but the Pre-K class were having a morning snack and then story time. The children all seemed happy and well cared for during my 1 hour visit.

They were extremely detailed and told me about things I would never have thought to ask regarding daycare. And I made sure to ask about the sick policy and other things you guys mentioned here. So at the end of the tour, I decided to go ahead and put down the $50 deposit to hold a space.

 

[dclpluto]

Our house is 27 years old, we bought it 15 years ago and have no idea about our water heater either. Now I'm wondering. We've already replaced the heat pump, roof and two showers, not to mention several appliances.

If you have good water a water heater will last a long time. I'm sure you do have good water or a good water softener since it has lasted a long time. I ate up a couple water heaters tried to save money and not get the yearly service for the water softener I have learned my lesson now I have them come every year like clock work.
Hopefully I'm done with water heaters for a long time. They are cheap but more of a pain to be without hot water until you have time to go get one and put it in. You tube was my friend installing it.

 

[Ngwira]

So the water heater cannot be repaired. Our neighbor who is a licensed hvac guy is installing a new one for $750 tonight. Our floors are ripped up and my first floor looks like a war zone. They found mold...I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...

We have to have huge fans circulating air for 3 days...

 

[dclpluto]

So the water heater cannot be repaired. Our neighbor who is a licensed hvac guy is installing a new one for $750 tonight. Our floors are ripped up and my first floor looks like a war zone. They found mold...I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...

We have to have huge fans circulating air for 3 days...

So sorry. You neighbor is going to make around 250 dollars a hour. You tube can be your friend in times like this. Water heater might cost your neighbor 250 dollars. Than making 500 to put it in.

 

[Dentam]

So the water heater cannot be repaired. Our neighbor who is a licensed hvac guy is installing a new one for $750 tonight. Our floors are ripped up and my first floor looks like a war zone. They found mold...I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...

We have to have huge fans circulating air for 3 days...

So sorry to hear you are going through this - what a nightmare!

 

[MrsTurnerLovesDisney]

yes water heaters are apparently pretty easy to self install I would check around because that price seems super high

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

So the water heater cannot be repaired. Our neighbor who is a licensed hvac guy is installing a new one for $750 tonight. Our floors are ripped up and my first floor looks like a war zone. They found mold...I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...

We have to have huge fans circulating air for 3 days...

Sorry you are having to deal with this. Just remember to take deep breaths.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I went to tour the day care this morning. It seems like a great center. They have several caregivers that have been there 10-20 years. The infant room has a 3:1 child to caregiver ratio, so each child was receiving lots of attention. The infant room includes cribs, bouncers, walkers, activity mats, rocking chairs, toys, etc. They even have a separate space specifically for outdoor infant play during good weather.

The ages groups are split up into several rooms for ages 0-1, 1-2, 2-2.5 and 2.5-3.5, each doing activities appropriate to their age group and development. The preschool class was on a field trip today so I didn't get to see that class, but the Pre-K class were having a morning snack and then story time. The children all seemed happy and well cared for during my 1 hour visit.

They were extremely detailed and told me about things I would never have thought to ask regarding daycare. And I made sure to ask about the sick policy and other things you guys mentioned here. So at the end of the tour, I decided to go ahead and put down the $50 deposit to hold a space.

You may want to revisit again after you have the baby.
I looked at places that I thought were ok while I was pregnant. Once my son was born and around 3 months old, I had a completely different perspective.

 

[Ngwira]

yes water heaters are apparently pretty easy to self install I would check around because that price seems super high

Thanks everyone, that price is pretty comparable around here. The utility company wanted double that. I trust my neighbor. They aren't the scammy type.. plus I know that they really need the money so it's going to a good place. I have to shift things around a bit but thank God for savings!! It's so important for times like these.

 

[Ngwira]

In good news, I was able to get all of my ADR's. Even got California grill at 7:00 pm so we can watch the fireworks after dinner. Tomorrow I will book our DCL cruise too. Trying to focus on those good thoughts.

 

[Ngwira]

So sorry. You neighbor is going to make around 250 dollars a hour. You tube can be your friend in times like this. Water heater might cost your neighbor 250 dollars. Than making 500 to put it in.

My DH is not handy at all.. he can barely put a doll bed together.. the one he did for DD at Christmas broke last week.. lol all the shelves he has put together are wobbly.. no worries he makes up for it in other ways so he's a keeper.

 

[momtosam]

DH looks to be going back to work on Monday after being laid off since thanksgiving. Last year it was Thanksgiving to Easter, so this is progress I guess.

this month was going pretty well, but then we decided to "just stop at Target on the way home" and

well

Ugh, Target, the $100 store!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

So the water heater cannot be repaired. Our neighbor who is a licensed hvac guy is installing a new one for $750 tonight. Our floors are ripped up and my first floor looks like a war zone. They found mold...I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...

We have to have huge fans circulating air for 3 days...

Dh says this is a very fair price. Everyone, please don't compare labor costs here to your neck of the woods. We are 90 mins from NYC, the epicenter of staggering wages. What plumbers make (and their costs) cannot be compared to what one would pay in Arkansas, Alabama, etc.

Dh said to ask how long the warranty is on the new water heater as that is usually a guide to what you're paying for with the more expensive ones, assuming you're comparing apples to apples. The parts are basically the same but you pay more for a longer warranty. Then again, most people are not able to benefit from a warranty because they're so short, and even if you can, it's prorated so you don't get much down the road if it should fail.

Even the cheapest 40 gal gas water heater at homedepot.com is $350 with a 6 yr warranty so assuming your neighbor buys at a real plumbing supply shop vs. HD, he is probably getting a better quality than HD's cheapest. Everything at HD is crap quality for homeowners who don't know any better. (Dh like Barton's on Marlkress Rd. but probably plenty more closer to you) HD's more expensive ones were over $600 (again with longer warranty).

So assuming your neighbor gets something mid level, he is making something but definitely not ripping you off. And if you know him to be a good guy, you trust he will take care of you later if needed.

It absolutely sucks but try to hang in there. Get mold experts and be sure to check if there's a mold coverage on your homeowner's ins. I think some automatically exclude it. I know when we had AAA it did.


As for your dh being not so handy, we have a different skill set and something to contribute to a marriage and society. My dh is handy but terrible at paying bills, keeping track of anything. We'd have been in foreclosure with no TV, phone, water, heat or electric years ago if finances were under his control.

Me, I hate to cook.
No worries though. My mom says you only have to be good in one room of the house, not every room.



It's all a huge hassle, but remember, no one got hurt. You're all safe and you will get through it, one step at a time.
(Sorry if this sounds callous; I work in a hospital and see so many incredibly sad things so to me, health is priceless. All the money in the world can't buy it.)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

DH looks to be going back to work on Monday after being laid off since thanksgiving. Last year it was Thanksgiving to Easter, so this is progress I guess.



Ugh, Target, the $100 store!

Congrats with your hubby's new job. We are the same way with BJ's. It's never less than $100.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

You may want to revisit again after you have the baby.
I looked at places that I thought were ok while I was pregnant. Once my son was born and around 3 months old, I had a completely different perspective.

I plan to continue doing some more research and some more visits to other centers to make sure I am happy with this place. DH and I both felt that $50 was not a huge deal to save a spot and that we could always change our minds later. This just gives us some peace of mind that we have something lined up.

They actually recommended that I visit after the birth but before baby would start day care and to visit as often as I like to get baby a bit familiar with the center. I live 1/2 mile from the center and think it would be good to maybe take walks their every once in a while in those first few months.