Monday, September 23, 2013

Stupid Car.

Well, I really can't blame the poor car, I've been the one neglecting the maintenance for all these years, and now it's caught up with me. The car is a 1993 Nissan Sentra, my only means of transportation, and it's been very reliable for a lot of years with minimal maintenance, but old cars are subject to the same wear and tear of old age that we all are, and the Sentra is no different. I got paid a week ago and spent much of my paycheck buying a new battery and alternator and getting them installed, and I don't get paid again until this coming Friday, and that will mostly go to rent. Something is causing the battery to drain; I drove on the new battery for a week, and the car quit this evening on the way to work. I think I can get the battery charged and drive it to a garage tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest, but I haven't a clue as to what is causing the battery to drain and a mechanic will have to figure that out. I have a couple of pistols to pawn that I hope will cover it. Over on the sidebar is a brand new Paypal tip jar button. If you're feeling generous and would like to help out, I'm not too proud to ask.

Being poor sucks; it sucks even more when you know that no one is to blame but yourself for not establishing and maintaining good saving and spending habits. And the prospect of digging myself out of the hole I'm in is daunting -- no debt to speak of, but living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Just give me one good year, God, would you?



Update: Got the battery charged and the car started right up, drove it to a neighbor's garage. Turns out that the new alternator has already gone bad. The alternator was brand new, so a replacement is free, I'll just have to pay whatever labor the neighbor charged. Hopefully it will be the neighbor rate.

5 comments:

ProudHillbilly said...

I feel your pain. And am suffering the same kind of. If today's tire damage is of the unrepairable type, since it's AWD I get to buy 4, count 'em, 4 brand new tires because the SUV is AWD.

Jennifer said...

I can offer you nothing beyond my sympathy. I'm right there with you. I even drive a Sentra, although mine is newer. If the 68 cents in my bank account could help us both, I'd share.

NotClauswitz said...

Funny the 90's still seem so close, so recent - but they're not. A 20-yr old car has issues that don't go away, even when you wave money at it. If you had a '94 BMW the money would have been-gone twice as fast for a quarter the work!

Rev. Paul said...

I'm glad to hear that the alternator is eligible for free replacement - that's a very good thing. Perhaps God heard your prayer, hmm? :^)

Bob said...

@Rev. Paul: It's looking more hopeful than it was yesterday. Here's hoping.