OT; December seems to be extra expensive month

[Song80s]

Not a whiney thing.

 

More of an observation. It seems like events conspire to run up extra expenses during December every year.

 

This month, so far, for me;

 

- car battery died. $148 replacement

 

-crazy weather blew down fence. $400 repair

 

- wife rescued 2 fertile baby kittens. $700 in vet expenses

 

- new reading Rx eye glasses. A must have. $250

 

- Read ID. for 2 people. $56

 

Nothing to do with gear or music. WTF.

 

feel free to be grumpy.

[Outkaster]

LOL thanks for coming Greg. I know how it is. It's also the season when you want to spend on yourself...things looks so much more attractive.

[Song80s]

I suppose that could happen

 

I might have to get a job, at this rate. Which would slow down my post count.

 

Not easy changing priorities

[Winston Psmith]

Must be going around . . .

 

Went out to do a good deed on Thanksgiving Day, delivering dinner to a friend, came home with the sound of an angry, gas-powered kazoo over my right shoulder? Rusted-out brace for the muffler, around $160. That was the start of an interesting weekend, with a BIG tree limb falling across the yard to add to the fun. I had some illusion of getting a new Synth for myself this season, but maybe later. OTOH, the fix on the old Jeep went quickly, and the tree didn't hit anyone's house or car. Sometimes, you've just got to be grateful that things weren't even worse.

[Song80s]

was thinking it could be part of some alien conspiracy to separate cash from my skinny savings.

 

you are right. We have these somewhat modest inconveniences.

 

My car battery could have crapped out on a rainy night on a crowded California freeway, for example.

 

My neighbor has 4 huge palm trees [ a debatable choice] in his back yard. One up rooted, crashed down during a rainy wind storm

and missed my house by 6 feet. WhoWouldaThunk that palm trees would do that ?

[The Real MC]

December isn't bad as I no longer do the gift exchange, but 2019 was an expensive year for vehicle repairs for me. I'm usually diligent at preventative maintenance but the stuff that broke didn't fall under that. Like the $600 throttle body that broke on Thanksgiving Day.

 

I had been busy the last four years with elder care and getting my parents' house on the market. LOT of driving back and forth, and I managed to keep the vehicles in good shape. Dad passed a few months ago and the release of no longer needing to worry about him or the house left me burned out. I think the vehicles decided they are burned out too.

 

2020 is the year I will not travel for vacation and will stay home to resume music hobbies I had to suspend the last four years.

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

 

- car battery died. $148 replacement

 

 

And sometimes, you might get a bargain with one thing and its immediately offset by a big expense elsewhere.

 

My car had an exhaust noise (might be a muffler, or a rusted out pipe). Turned out to be the whole downpipe from the manifold down to and including the catalytic converter, which was a special-order item requiring replacement all as one unit. It cost me almost $900.

 

Two weeks earlier, I replaced the shocks and struts on the other car, at home in my driveway. Not a difficult job, and it probably saved me $900. $900 I needed to pay for the exhaust work! LOL

 

[bennyray]

Same here really expensive month. Car insurance and property taxes are due in December for me and we all know that is a rip off pretty much.

 

Speaking of elder care I have been busy tor the last 2 years doing that and doing my caregiver duties best as I can.

[Threadslayer]

My neighbor has 4 huge palm trees [ a debatable terrible choice] in his back yard.

fixed. (Been there. Hated it.)

 

[Song80s]

Same here really expensive month. Car insurance and property taxes are due in December for me and we all know that is a rip off pretty much.

 

Speaking of elder care I have been busy tor the last 2 years doing that and doing my caregiver duties best as I can.

 

I hear you and take that hit every year. I plan on it but it still is a kick in the a--

 

BTW, I got car insurance thru AARP, Hartford. Honestly, that saved $350 on 2 cars for the year.

 

[Song80s]

December isn't bad as I no longer do the gift exchange, bs.

 

agreed and smart. The family gift exchange gets insane.

 

This year, the inlaws get home baked cookies and chocolate crack in a Xmas tin.

USPS Priority is the biggest expense [ they are out of town].

[Song80s]

My neighbor has 4 huge palm trees [ a debatable terrible choice] in his back yard.

fixed. (Been there. Hated it.)

 

I don't get planting palm trees in dinky small back yards.

 

As they gut huge, I know people like to look at them.

Taking care of them is a money sucker. And I love my yard/fruit trees etc but

a several 50 foot tall palm trees ? No thanks

[GRollins]

You assholes are going to jinx me for sure...if I get hit with some big, unanticipated bill, it'll be your fault(s).

 

That said, my big bills tend to come in two batches, winter, and late summer. It's time for the winter onslaught. However, given that things like property taxes hit every year at the same time it's not too hard to foresee that they'll be showing up around a certain date--I even have notes in my spreadsheet as to when the bills are likely to come in (in addition to when they're due...separate dates...that way I know to watch the mailbox).

 

So far, cross fingers, nothing unanticipated.

 

But...

 

Lawsy me, there's a hell of a lot of super-stressful stuff going on. Had one of those vomiting/diarrhea things that are supposed to last twenty-four hours. This one didn't get that memo. Lasted forty-eight. Lost nearly ten pounds in that time, a large fraction of which was burned fat due to sustained high fever. I'm not carrying a lot of excess avoirdupois, so the loss of ten pounds hit me hard. My older son is having some sort of emotional meltdown and we can't figure out why he's acting up. He ain't talking. Lots of anger and craziness...it's not like him to be that way, because he's the more laid-back son. It's a mystery. On and on...etc. etc. etc.

 

To date, the stress-inducing things haven't cost too much money, but they're taking a toll, nonetheless.

 

I'm about ready for a vacation. Let's all pack our bags and meet in Asheville. Go see Moog. Watch for snow. Eat/drink at Barley's and/or White Labs (yes, the yeast people, they've got a restaurant of all things, go figure, but also one of the best beers I've tasted in a month of Sundays). Just...damn, guys, I'm ready for a break, ya know?

 

Grey

[Song80s]

You assholes are going to jinx me for sure...if I get hit with some big, unanticipated bill, it'll be your fault(s).

 

ey

 

I know you are joking, even without an emoji

 

General observation- I notice an increase in ' its someone else's [fault] etc etc'.

[GRollins]

Yeah, I'm not big on emojis. I depend on context and (putative) skill with words to get my point across.

 

(duck! incoming!)

 

But, yeah, of course it'll be your (plural) fault if I get whacked with some monstrous bill, because I'm not superstitious and don't believe in jinxes...except when I'm walking under a ladder on Friday the 13th, and a black cat crosses my path but, hey, everybody gets the heebie-jeebies when that happens...right?

 

Grey

[Joe Muscara]

Do you want a stupid, unanticipated bill? Recently I heard some sloshing in my car when I would start rolling from a stop. Even though I never heard anything like that before, I figured it was the gas tank.

 

The guy behind me at the gas station comes up to me and says, "is this your car?" (Stupid question, but I'm sure it was just an icebreaker.) "You have water in your taillights. I saw it slosh out when you rolled forward. It's probably the seal. I had the same thing." I look at both taillight enclosures, the right one has a little water and condensation, the left one had at least a half inch of water. There was also water in the spare tire well, probably from it sloshing out into the back of the car. So, over $1k later and I have new taillight enclosures. Because you can't just replace the seals, and the bumper has to come off to do the job, etc.

 

But hey, considering that the car is a 2005 model and this is the first big repair I've had to do on it, that's not bad.

[allan_evett]

My expense 'wave' hit the summer before last. Car transmission weirded out, severely. After 7 years I cut my losses, traded it in; car payment for the first time in five years. Then I lost a major contract that fall; regained just some of it by Dec, 2018.

It's been somewhat quiet these past few months, though I'm not spending like I use to. Did place a keyboard order with Sweetwater yesterday though: A Casio CTK-3500, for our granddaughter. Should be fun watching her get acquainted with it. First time I've ordered a keyboard that wasn't for my work

[Song80s]

Do you want a stupid, unanticipated bill? Recently I heard some sloshing in my car when I would start rolling from a stop. Even though I never heard anything like that before, I figured it was the gas tank.

 

The guy behind me at the gas station comes up to me and says, "is this your car?" (Stupid question, but I'm sure it was just an icebreaker.) "You have water in your taillights. I saw it slosh out when you rolled forward. It's probably the seal. I had the same thing." I look at both taillight enclosures, the right one has a little water and condensation, the left one had at least a half inch of water. There was also water in the spare tire well, probably from it sloshing out into the back of the car. So, over $1k later and I have new taillight enclosures. Because you can't just replace the seals, and the bumper has to come off to do the job, etc.

 

But hey, considering that the car is a 2005 model and this is the first big repair I've had to do on it, that's not bad.

 

thats outrageous. Sorry to read about the bad luck. Last August, I got whacked by $1k in surprise medical/dental. But health is precious.

 

Joe, what kind of car ?

[Docbop]

For me December and January are expensive healthwise for me that last few years. ER and doctor visits major PIA. Don't know if its the weather, that makes me less mobile, or the general craziness of people acting like shopping is guerilla warfare. This time of year isn't good for mental or physical health for me.

 

 

[Joe Muscara]

Joe, what kind of car ?

The big one. (The little one doesn't go out in the rain. )

[Synthoid]

This time of year isn't good for mental or physical health for me.

 

Lots of folks deal with varied degrees of depression this time of year.

 

 

 

[GRollins]

A friend of mine had the condensation/rain in the tail lights problem. We solved it by drilling a discrete 1/16" hole at the very bottom of the lens so the water could drain. Worked like a champ and the price was right.

 

So I mentioned the vomiting/diarrhea thing, which was two weeks ago. Well, last night I woke up and puked again. Fever, too. WTF? Didn't I just do this? Shouldn't I be granted immunity or something? Turns out it was just a one-shot, over quickly. Seems likely that it was a reaction to my second shingles shot, which I had yesterday. Oddly, I didn't have any sort of reaction to the first shot other than a little soreness at the injection site (for those who haven't done this, it's a two-parter with a couple of months between the two shots). Okay, I can live with it, I guess, if that's all there was to it. Still...weird.

 

It's been cold here all day and the heat pump seems to be struggling. I am majorly hoping that it's not needing service or--horrors!--replacement. That would be an expensive proposition, indeed.

 

Grey

[Song80s]

 

So I mentioned the vomiting/diarrhea thing, which was two weeks ago. Well, last night I woke up and puked again. Fever, too. WTF? Didn't I just do this? Shouldn't I be granted immunity or something? Turns out it was just a one-shot, over quickly. Seems likely that it was a reaction to my second shingles shot, which I had yesterday. Oddly, I didn't have any sort of reaction to the first shot other than a little soreness at the injection site (ey

 

Thanks for the details.

 

I still assert we are not responsible or the cause of the hurling.

 

Both ends

 

Seriously, I hope you get well. Did you get a flu shot ?

[ShadowMan]

Joe, what kind of car ?

The big one. (The little one doesn't go out in the rain. )

 

 

VERY nice ride, Joe. I had an 04. It was one of the best cars I ever had - and surely the most fun.

 

And boy, could it carry a lot of gear - I gigged with it with a PA, two keyboard rig and four equipment cases.

 

Still sorry I sold it!

[GRollins]

Yeah, had my flu shot. That doesn't cover GI tract stuff unfortunately, just respiratory.

 

Grey

[Mark Schmieder]

Hey Greg, I caught your first two expenses also, but fortunately missed the others (by a hair). We had pay cuts (huge ones) at work, a week after I closed on a house that was just beyond my budget as it is. But luck comes my way as well, in that I have almost no utility bills now due to solar panels, and have been getting sub gigs out the wazoo, including opening for the 49-er's football game next SAT (likely this will be the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of). I find that DEC seems to be my busiest month for gigs, and just as all the surprise bills and higher expenses come in.

 

Good luck with your own situation, and maybe Uncle Same will gift you with lower taxes come January, for extra pocket money.

[Song80s]

good to hear from you, Mark. Hair raising month there, brother.

 

we know the housing story, good for you for diving in. Let me know what town.

 

from what I notice, there are extremes on both sides, sudden WTF stuff, then hell I lucked out stuff.

Maybe its supposed to average out.

 

I budget for Fed taxes and always fork it over by April. I try to find side hustles to soften the hit.

No real complaints here.

[Joe Muscara]

Joe, what kind of car ?

The big one. (The little one doesn't go out in the rain. )

 

 

VERY nice ride, Joe. I had an 04. It was one of the best cars I ever had - and surely the most fun.

 

And boy, could it carry a lot of gear - I gigged with it with a PA, two keyboard rig and four equipment cases.

 

Still sorry I sold it!

Thanks! I manage to "Tetris" both my one-board and two-board rigs in it pretty well. I also found the Wurly 200 fit in it perfectly the day I bought it (though I was just bringing it home where it stays).