DIY Mechanic

Well, it happened on Saturday...

Our one car finally had something break down.  Although, the Sonata has been super sweet and relatively unbreakable during the first six years I've owned the car, it finally caused a major headache!

I put the driver's side window down to enjoy some fresh air on an awesome fall afternoon.  SSSCCCREEECHHHH!  The window was stuck!  It would not come back up! 

Agitated, I quickly tried to Heman the window back into place.  Nothing.
I turned the car and tried the power window button again.  Nothing.
I smacked the window.  Nothing. (Shockingly)

I called the dealership and made an appointment for Monday morning to have it checked out.  Unfortunately, they were extremely unhelpful when I asked if they would be able to move the window back into place - I was worried about rain or breakin if I kept the window down.  Nothing.

So, I got out my trusty tool set and began taking the door apart.  That's right - Mr. Accounting has tools and he knows how to use them!

Long story short - after several hours of blood and sweat, I finally had the door in many pieces, but I finally found the problem.  The cable wire for the Regulator had completely frayed.  It would not move within the pulley system because of the wear and tear.  I was happy to have found the problem, but worried about the cost to fix (even though I performed most of the labor already!)

That Monday, I took it to the dealership to see if it was covered under my Warranty or it was simpler to let them fix it.  They informed me it would cost $320 to fix!  $114 for the part and $206 for labor!!!  WHAT!!

I pestered them that I found the EXACT same part online for $61.99 - they didn't care.  They said it would only take an hour and half to fix - at $137/hour - Crazy!!

So, I said no thank you.  I walked into Advance Auto Parts and paid them $66 for the part (and taxes) and drove to my uncle's house to fix it.  An hour later, I had a new Regulator in place and a working window!!  Plus, I saved myself $254!!  Well worth the time it cost me.

As a result of this escapade, I learned a few things:
1.  The dealership will always rip you off.  They think they have you over a barrel and they gauge you with labor.
2.  The car is not as scary machine as most people think.  I'd bet that 75% of people just agree to whatever the dealership says without seeking alternatives.  However, the door is literally held together by 7 screws and several plugs.  The regulator is locked into place with plastic and the window has two screws keeping along the rubber track.  Taking the initiative to at least try and fix the problem saved me money and taught me not to overestimate a problem.  There is often a simple solution.

Can I Get a Timeout!

Side Hustle Update:
I joined the luxurious ranks of High School Football officiating!  Now I'm the guy throwing the flag, blowing the whistle, and getting heckled by fans.  It's really interesting!



I officiated my first game last weekend.  It was a JV game between two local high schools.  It wasn't the Super Bowl, but the experience was a lot of fun.  I got to throw my flag early in game when I noticed an illegal formation.  I was proud to have noticed that.

The execution of a referee (or line judge) is tough.  I was surprised how much goes on in a short period and how much I was responsible for.  Not only does a referee need to be able to follow the play, but he must monitor the action for any illegal activity.  Then, he must make the proper hand signal, blow the whistle and spot the ball.  I started to find my rhythm later in the game, but will admit that it was not easy to keep everything in check. 

For my services, I received $50.  Not bad for 2 hours on a Saturday morning.  However, so far, I'm still in the whole for the cost of joining a chapter and purchasing the uniform.  Tough first time expenditures.  I've spent $314 so far getting set up, but have recovered $90 from 2 games.  More games are to come to.

I've enjoyed my experience officiating so far, but do miss coaching.  I had to hold myself back a couple times during the game from offering advice to players or making a comment to the coaches.  I guess it's in my blood.  However, I'm excited to continue refereeing and grow in this business.  I understand the game and believe that that is half the battle for an official.  I could see myself on Friday nights very soon and possibly get into local collegiate football as well.  It's a great way to follow the game.  Plus, I had no idea how much some officials will run over the course of a game!!  I was sweating!

We'll keep tracking our Side Hustle progress and I'll post a synopsis later this year on all our supplemental earnings!  It's amazing how well we've done outside of our day-to-day jobs!

August Net Worth Review

Back from Ireland and time for another Net Worth Round-up!!!

 

Cash - $19,007 (-$12,439)
Investments - $77,684 (+$6,353)
Home Value - $180,000 ($0)
Personal Assets - $24,662 (+$0)
Less: Liabilities - $165,363 (-$2,975)

Here's how it breaks down:

Assets -
Cash - Whoa!  Let me explain:  First, I had my Fall Tuition bill come due in August, so there goes almost a $7k from the account.  Also, the Prof and I have paid down the Home Depot bill and will be putting more into our Investment account in the future.  So, I made a $2k deposit on Aug. 4, and another $1.7k deposit on Aug. 31 from the Growth account to the Investment account.  So, while the Cash balance fell, it actually just transferred into the account below. 

 

I also keep my tuition money separate in the Growth account.  It is money received as part of Student Loans and is earmarked for future tuition.  I should remove it from this analysis to avoid major swings like this month, but it is collecting some interest.

Investments - As I said above, some of the increase is due deposits made into the Investment account.  However, there is another $2k or so that was due to market appreciation, which was nice.

Personal Assets - No Change to the Home Value.  

 

Liabilities -
Mortgage - $130,921 - Another small incremental change.  Ho-hum.  It's depressing how small the changes are, but it's no big deal until everything else below is taken care of. 

Student Loans - $34,442 - Just a couple small payments here.  The change here will likely not be as large month to month as we concentrate on savings for our next house.  With the loans in deferment and the interest rate reasonable, I've decided to makes more sense to invest than pay down.  I'll still be making some payments to the high interest balances, but nothing earth shattering unless I hit the lottery. 

Home Depot Credit Card - $0 - New Kitchen is all ours!!  Two payments were made in August due to timing of the calendar.  It feels amazing to say goodbye to this debt.  $1,000 every month for saving or baby expenses!  I'm very excited!

Total Joint Net Worth - $135,990!!!

So, a decrease of $3.1k is not something I am happy about.  However, with the tuition payment of $7k, I'm happy it wasn't worth!  Plus, the HD card is paid off so that means more savings and growth.  Things are definitely looking up!!