Overwhelming Money Issues

[IcecreamLove]

Okay it seems like all my money is going everywhere but to myself.

 

I was really generous with buying Christmas gifts this year. I mean, already I'm sure I've spent going on a 1000 dollars. I started with a limit of 400 in my checking, but due to bills, I had to add more money from savings.

 

The main issue is my car. I just bought this car, for about 3000 dollars, since my other car took a crap on me. The first thing that happened, was it broke down an hour away from where I live. I had to get it towed for an entire hour. It broke down because the transmission fluid was leaking. We didn't figure this out at first so I had to write a check for 8 dollars, since I had no money, for 2 bottles of tranny fluid and some funnels only to have it soak into the pavement.

 

When we found out that problem, I had to buy a dealer part, this bolt to keep the tranny fluid in the car and I also needed a new air filter and an oil change, more money. I just got the oil change done, just 2 days ago, as well as winterizing my car, and replacing a seal for 150 dollars.

 

Just last night I was in a serious car accident out of state driving home. The accident wasn't all my fault, and the other woman walked away with light damage. I got a citation for 109 dollars; MORE MONEY. Although the citation is not going on my record at all, nor am I losing any points...

It was a towed and there is a lot of damage to the front end of my vehicle, meaning it's going to need a lot of new parts. New parts which I'm hoping don't cost over 1000 dollars. My cousin likes to work on cars, but we don't have the space to fix them though. He said he could help me out and look for some old parts at the junkyard, and have one of his friends spray paint the parts the correct color. I don't really want junkyard parts, but I know NEW parts are going to be even more expensive and just come primed, so I'd still have to get them painted, and I know paint jobs are costly...

 

All in all I hope this doesn't cost over a 1000 dollars, because the money I have in savings is very limited...and I was going to use it to pay off my student loans that kick in soon for dropping out of a private college.

 

Not only all this, but I had some Christmas cards made, as well as some other fine arts things to sell at an Art festival...TODAY. Guess what? Can't get there because of my lack of transportation now, so all that was for naught... To get the cards printed was literally 100 dollars. Plus I bought paper bags and made some other stuff...ugh...I even bought some last minute stuff last night that I'm positive I'm returning just because I'm not going today...

 

As soon as I got over the whole accident...my parents blew a gasket since I'm on their insurance because I can't afford it, and I only had liability allegedly and now it's going to make their insurance go up. I honestly don't pay for insurance, I just pay what they ask me to, and write the check out to them...My parent's are very helpful when it comes to money, but this is something that was MY fault.

 

I just want to get my car fixed because I REALLY need it...I really don't want to scrounge for old parts, etc. And my cousin that is suppose to help me, can't give me an exact number, or even agree on paying half the cost because he just got a new place and all his money is going to there...

Should I opt for junkyard hunting, or just send it to the body shop and get it all done in one shot? I mean I could always earn the money back, very slowly, but my savings have really taken a beating from buying the car in the first place....my job though I only get paid about 400 dollars biweekly, and I buy my own food, clothes, haircuts, gas, etc.

[renaissancewoman101]

This car sounds like it has taken a beating. It could end up becoming a money drain. Is there any possible way for you to fix this car minimally, or else sell it for junk parts and get a newer car that can be less of a money drain.

 

With cars, if they end up nickling and diming you to death, it isn't worth it.

[Catdancer]

Return as many of the xmas presents as you can, especially the really expensive ones. Then, if you car is not drivable right now, sign the title over to the tow company so that you dont have to pay them anything, and use whatever money you scrape together from the returns and savings to buy another used car.

[IcecreamLove]

Almost every gift I've torn the price tag off and have already wrapped.

 

I've spent money on a few things here and there for myself, but for example, my one friend I bought a 30 dollar book, a giftbag with some candles and soap and a 12 dollar pin. I'm also hosting a Christmas party with my boyfriend, and it's my responsibility for food. as usual. I've bought cookie dough in advance.

 

I was going to make gifts for my co-workers as soon as I got over the stress of the Art Festival...which I am no longer attending...

 

I was actually thinking about returning a lot of stuff for the Art Fest too because some of it, like the stuff I bought last night, is still in a bag with the receipt. Even though last nights purchases were only about 3 dollars...that's 3 dollars straight out of my checking I can use for something more important.

[SouthernSon]

One of the best things I ever did was realize how much of an education I received from my father and brothers and their love of working on cars. I didn't realize how valuable this knowledge was until I was a little older than you are, so that would be my suggestion. Really take the time (once everything is back to normal for you) to learn how to work on your own car. And I don't mean just learning how to change the oil or properly rotate your tires or generic stuff like that. When you're able to completely replace a brake caliper or figure out your battery is getting drained all the time because your alternator is dying, or diagnose a misfire as a problem with your distributor and then determine your timing is off and you're able to get your engine timing properly set again, then you'll be set.

[IcecreamLove]

My cousin is really good with cars, that's the thing. He has 2 cars and he fixes them all the time. When my car broke down he was the one that figured it needed that part, and he put it on for me, as well as the new air filter.

 

My cousin is making me feel worse for not salvaging the car. I cut a deal with my parent's because they feel bad for not getting me full coverage, because if I had full, this would not have worked out the way it is now...

 

I just feel horrible for getting into that accident in the first place. There is so much damage in the front end. The bumper fell off. Me and Dad went to look at it but Dad said it wasn't as bad as he thought it was.

 

So we went to look at new cars today, and applied for a 3000 dollar loan from the bank...My parents want to get me a new used car for 3900 and put it down for full coverage since that was their mistake not doing that in the first place.

 

My cousin calls me and makes me feel bad. He says he can fix it and get all the parts from a junkyard. The problem is I don't want to pay another 1000 for the car. He said he can even get his friends to shake can the paint job on. All this talk really makes me want my car back. The accident was also partially my cousin's fault, not to get into details. But he said the only way that he can help me is to drop the car off to the body shop, and find junkyard parts, because he can't agree to pay me money, since he just got a new place and is working on paying the bills for that instead.

 

I'm just so conflicted and confused. I want to get that car fixed since I paid out so money for it out of my savings account. The new car is not the same make or model, and sorry for sounding spoiled, but I just don't want it, because it's not the same car. I was so used to my Hyundai just ugh. I can't stop crying this situation has caused me so much stress.

 

My argument with them is if they feel so bad, why don't they just use the loan to fix the car that I have now, and get full coverage for that car INSTEAD. Ideally, that is what I would want, but my parent's just don't agree with me since this is a "better" car, since it has automatic locks and stuff...and my other ones were manual.