Unexpected Bills

[vsjhoc]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Death in the family. Flying across country to attend the funeral. Total trip budget is $1,000.

So sorry for your loss.

This tip is probably too late to help you, but some airlines have a "bereavement" rate (which of course they don't advertise). It may only apply if you've lost an immediate family member, and I believe you have to fax them a copy of the death certificate. Most people won't want to deal with this and just want to get on a plane.

[jodi]

Re: Unexpected Bills

A trip to the mechanic for an inspection was blessedly uneventful - we planned on spending several hundred, but got away with $40.
I have been putting off my ophthalmologist appt. for several months now, but I finally have to go - I'll be out of contacts in a few weeks. That will run about $290 ($240 contacts, $50 exam).

[LuxLiving]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Depends on how you define 'unexpected', doesn't it?

We all know we are going to have these kind of expenses and would be wise to figure them into our spending plans so they don't catch us off guard and end up having to be charged to CCs as a result or depleting our emergency funds.

If we find it hard to fund them all, that just tells us that we really can't afford to go blow $50 on a night out when it's possible that the car could blow or we might have a sick animal and not have the money for it. We all hope these things won't happen, but they always seem to, don't they? Therefore - they are really EXPECTED, it's just that many of them happen so infrequently that we forget to plan and budget for them.

[greedy4chips]

Re: Unexpected Bills

$20.00 baby gift for SIL who's baby was born 2.5 months early

Put this in the money saved in March category...

Congrats and hope the baby is doing well!

We had a flat tire on the car, which needed to be replaced, but luckily I had a used tire we saved from 2 years ago that almost perfectly matches the current wear. Cost to mount, balance, new valve stem, and scrap old tire $24.92.


I agree with Lux, that these unexpected expenses are actually expected expenses we hope do not happen at the worst possible financial moment.

[sakigt]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Screw in tire, unrepairable (even I said not to try fixing it, there were two holes...one in and one out) = $140

Good news is I purchased insurance for all 4 tires for $50, which includes free balancing and rotating. I figure 4 trips in will pay for it, so why not. Rotating the tires on a lowered car is NOT fun.

[MonkeyMama]

Re: Unexpected Bills

What's with all the tires?

Bereavement fares are pretty much nonexistent these days, unfortunately.

[Gruntina]

Re: Unexpected Bills

a full house generator ( having power outages) and a new water heater

[scfr]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Depends on how you define 'unexpected', doesn't it?

We all know we are going to have these kind of expenses and would be wise to figure them into our spending plans so they don't catch us off guard and end up having to be charged to CCs as a result or depleting our emergency funds.

If we find it hard to fund them all, that just tells us that we really can't afford to go blow $50 on a night out when it's possible that the car could blow or we might have a sick animal and not have the money for it. We all hope these things won't happen, but they always seem to, don't they? Therefore - they are really EXPECTED, it's just that many of them happen so infrequently that we forget to plan and budget for them.

Excellent point ... We should call them the "know they are gonna happen sooner or later but just don't know when" expenses.

[humandraydel]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Well....somehow I went way over my cell phone minutes. My normal $35 phone bill turned into $150!

[Daylily]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Cobra premium went up by $144 a month!

Vet visit/shots for cat #3 - $61 (not completely unexpected but I didn't realize he was due for the appt in January)

[Ima saver]

Re: Unexpected Bills

Well my unexpected bills this month was the window cleaning, replacing some registers for the floor, something new for the front door, plus we are looking for a new carpet steamer.

[tinapbeana]

Re: Unexpected Bills

well, not quite a bill but still un-planned spending: we're dumping about $100 into a new-to-us computer. considering we had anticipating buying another computer in the next few months for about $300, this outlay now should save us money in the long run.

[LuxLiving]

Re: Unexpected Bills

$11.00 for Hubster some virus software that has to be re-registered every year! BAH!! The money is in the Office/Electronics Slush Fund section of the budget - being taken away from money put in there to replace current systems at a much later date, but still the bookkeeper (me) was unaware that this lil' gem will keep popping up each year!

Note to self: Have refresher course w/Hubster that I need to know about all these re-occuring expenses IN ADVANCE so we can be better prepared to meet them! SIGH!

[mom-from-missouri]

Re: Unexpected Bills

My suburban-was almost $500 to fix-entire heater & defroster went out during the coldest ice storm. (DH did talk them down about $75 though)
people argue time to get a new vehicle, but I disagree.
Its a 99. Its paid for. I paid $500 for a repair-one time. I am not paying every month for a car payment. It runs, its reliable.
It also needs new tires soon. But, all vehicles need new tires every so often. I don't see that as a reason to replace the vehicle.

[mom-from-missouri]

Re: Unexpected Bills

This tip is probably too late to help you, but some airlines have a "bereavement" rate (which of course they don't advertise). It may only apply if you've lost an immediate family member, and I believe you have to fax them a copy of the death certificate. Most people won't want to deal with this and just want to get on a plane.

We checked into that twice. The bereavement rate was higher than what we orginally paid for our tickets. They based it a certain % off the regular rate. Apprently the rate we paid was an advertised rate.