quietpeen
Well-known member
Wow that sucks
What did you spend (or waste) your money on today.
- Thread starter grouch
- Start date
grouch
Active member
Today I wasted the morning on the shoulder along Interstate-30 in Little Rock.
My 20-something daughter was in her car with her boyfriend driving home at around 2:00 am when her car (2008 Toyota Avalon) overheated. She pulled to the side of the Interstate and the engine died. Around 3:00 am, she tried adding some antifreeze she had in the trunk, but no joy starting the engine. She texted me (asleep at the time) and called one of her friends to come get her.
This morning, I saw the text. So my daughter, her boyfriend and I went to see if we could add some more coolant and get the car started. BUT when we got there, the car was gone. And there was a pile of her stuff and broken glass where her car had been.
I called the Little Rock police. They transferred me to the State Police, that told me a State Trooper found the car vandalized and had a towing company take it to their impound lot. We took photos and collected her stuff. Strangely, her boyfriend found a large piece of plumbing pipe in the pile that would have been perfect for busting out car windows. I kept that pipe.
My daughter cried a lot because there were things in her car precious to her. But there was nothing of any real value other than a charging base and four controllers for a game console. The console itself was not left in the car, so who knows if the thieves even took the accessories that were there? I imagine most everything will be in the car when we get to it. I called the wrecker company, but it will be Monday before we can see about getting the car towed home.
I imagine my part of this adventure will be around $300 to pay two towing bills and any impound fees. And that will only get me a 2008 Avalon with what is likely blown head gaskets and a broken window. Depending on the damage from the vandalism, I may be able to get a few hundred dollars from the insurance company beyond the deductible. But we will have to see. A used Avalon engine installed will be about $2,000. Or around $750 for repair parts, head machining, fluids and the rest if I do the work myself. I doubt I will do that. I don't have time. But I can grab a window at a local salvage yard. They are relatively cheap and install that myself.
View attachment 3023
The only good part of this is that I own WAY too many vehicles. So my daughter will have her choice of "rolling stock" for the time being.
Bummer. I have a particular disdain for "wheel thieves". They rank with me like the horse thief did back in the 1800's. The worst part, the beings, I refuse to call them people, probably didn't really need anything in the car. They just broke in for the thrill of it.
every dam day you hear it or it happens to you 
HandyCruiser
Well-known member
HandyCruiser
Well-known member
Very bad news today. It cost $580 to get my daughter's Avalon back to the house. The tow company wanted $400 just to release it and $180 to tow it thirty miles to our house. I should have sent a wrecker from where I live to pick it up, but I didn't have time to mess with it.
Worse yet, I tried putting some water in the radiator before trying to start it. That was a mistake. Water began pouring out the tail pipe. And as I feared, the motor spun like it had no compression, which there is no need to test. She shows lots of signs of being run until she was red glowing hot. I'm sure the cylinders are scared and pitted. She is going to need another engine, and a rear back windows where the thieves broke in.
Ironically, my daughter said the thieves got nothing. Turns out that the Avalon starts honking the horn when a door lock is manually opened without the fob. That probably scared the thieves away. But they costed us $480 ($580 - $100 tow bill from local wrecker) since the car could have sat there on the side of the road for three days before being towed, IF it had not been broken into.
As a side note, I almost lost my daughter a little over a year ago due to a blood clot between her stomach and liver. She had a long, painful recovery after her illness, and I just can't bring myself to confront her about taking care of her car. I know she caused the problem with her car by not checking her fluids like she knows to do. She is aware of this too and keeps saying she's sorry. It's still a $5,000 to $6,000 car and worth a $2,000 repair bill. The thing is build like a tank, as long as it doesn't run out of coolant or oil. I'm thinking of putting the whole repair bill on a credit card and having her make the payments. I don't want to cause her more pain. She's become so emotionally fragile. But she's got to learn. And without consequences, I don't think she will.
Worse yet, I tried putting some water in the radiator before trying to start it. That was a mistake. Water began pouring out the tail pipe. And as I feared, the motor spun like it had no compression, which there is no need to test. She shows lots of signs of being run until she was red glowing hot. I'm sure the cylinders are scared and pitted. She is going to need another engine, and a rear back windows where the thieves broke in.
Ironically, my daughter said the thieves got nothing. Turns out that the Avalon starts honking the horn when a door lock is manually opened without the fob. That probably scared the thieves away. But they costed us $480 ($580 - $100 tow bill from local wrecker) since the car could have sat there on the side of the road for three days before being towed, IF it had not been broken into.
As a side note, I almost lost my daughter a little over a year ago due to a blood clot between her stomach and liver. She had a long, painful recovery after her illness, and I just can't bring myself to confront her about taking care of her car. I know she caused the problem with her car by not checking her fluids like she knows to do. She is aware of this too and keeps saying she's sorry. It's still a $5,000 to $6,000 car and worth a $2,000 repair bill. The thing is build like a tank, as long as it doesn't run out of coolant or oil. I'm thinking of putting the whole repair bill on a credit card and having her make the payments. I don't want to cause her more pain. She's become so emotionally fragile. But she's got to learn. And without consequences, I don't think she will.
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grouch
Active member
Very bad news today. It cost $580 to get my daughter's Avalon back to the house. The tow company wanted $400 just to release it and $180 to tow it thirty miles to our house. I should have sent a wrecker from where I live to pick it up, but I didn't have time to mess with it.
Worse yet, I tried putting some water in the radiator before trying to start it. That was a mistake. Water began pouring out the tail pipe. And as I feared, the motor spun like it had no compression, which there is no need to test. She shows lots of signs of being run until she was red glowing hot. I'm sure the cylinders are scared and pitted. She is going to need another engine, and a rear back windows where the thieves broke in.
Ironically, my daughter said the thieves got nothing. Turns out that the Avalon starts honking the horn when a door lock is manually opened without the fob. That probably scared the thieves away. But they costed us $480 ($580 - $100 tow bill from local wrecker) since the car could have sat there on the side of the road for three days before being towed, IF it had not been broken into.
As a side note, I almost lost my daughter a little over a year ago due to a blood clot between her stomach and liver. She had a long, painful recovery after her illness, and I just can't bring myself to confront her about taking care of her car. I know she caused the problem with her car by not checking her fluids like she knows to do. She is aware of this too and keeps saying she's sorry. It's still a $5,000 to $6,000 car and worth a $2,000 repair bill. The thing is build like a tank, as long as it doesn't run out of coolant or oil. I'm thinking of putting the whole repair bill on a credit card and having her make the payments. I don't want to cause her more pain. She's become so emotionally fragile. But she's got to learn. And without consequences, I don't think she will.
I let the kid have my Focus when she got her license. 3 months later I had to go pull it home and spend the winter rebuilding it where she plowed into the back of a woman who had never had a brand new car and bought a brand new Toyota Camry and was pulling into her driveway for the first time.
I wasn't happy. However, accidents do happen (although she helped by doing all the things I told her NOT to do) and she was more careful after that.
What I would suggest, sit down with your daughter and ask her what your (you and her) course of action should be. Maybe replace the engine. Maybe scrap the car and get something else. Get her involved. She isn't hurt. The car is just metal and rubber stuff. Remind her that she needs to take care of it. If she is involved in the planning, it's not Dad coming down and telling her what to do.
Woke up this morning, went to the kitchen to get some water and almost slipped and fell on my ass... Water on the kitchen floor... Damn refrigerator stopped working so ice was melting and leaking out of the thing.
Didn't have time to mess with it before work so I just said fuck it.
Had to toss everything out, and $2500 later... got me a new LG. But at least it makes clear spherical ice cubes for the whiskey haha! The door is also clear glass and if you knock on it, it lights up. Sounded dumb in the store but after living with it for about an hour, I like it hahahaha. Not going to lie, I have knocked on the damn thing like a hundred times already LOL.
So over the last few months, new dishwasher, oven, washing machine and now a fridge. I am also due for new tires on the RAM soon so that sucks!
Shit is too damn expensive I tell ya!
Didn't have time to mess with it before work so I just said fuck it.
Had to toss everything out, and $2500 later... got me a new LG. But at least it makes clear spherical ice cubes for the whiskey haha! The door is also clear glass and if you knock on it, it lights up. Sounded dumb in the store but after living with it for about an hour, I like it hahahaha. Not going to lie, I have knocked on the damn thing like a hundred times already LOL.
So over the last few months, new dishwasher, oven, washing machine and now a fridge. I am also due for new tires on the RAM soon so that sucks!
Shit is too damn expensive I tell ya!
grouch
Active member
Is the right door, the one you knock on, double sided? You can open the outer door to grab a drink or snack without opening the whole refrigerator? I've been looking at those but my current refrigerator is still good.
Yup! The split door thing I can take or leave, definitely a cool feature though. (might change my mind when I get some beers in there haha) Not sure about the whole wifi thing with the app though. I guess I can connect the thing to my power company and they will give me a discounted rate if I let them send the on demand power commands to the thing. Probably won't be doing that, wifi on a fridge seems like a feature I would rathe not have paid for.
Not worth buying it unless you need a new one though IMO.
grouch
Active member
Try living with a teenager who opens the door, grabs a drink, then stands there with the door open, and stands there, and stands there. Let's just say I pointed out the error of her ways to her in rather brusque terms.
Now she has a daughter who does it.
HandyCruiser
Well-known member
Just wasted $964.80 on two of these, including sales tax. But my wife wanted them and it will make her happy. So money well spent, I guess. 
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grouch
Active member
Just wasted $964.80 on two of these. But my wife wanted them and it will make her happy. So money well spent, I guess.
View attachment 3045
If momma ain't happy, you ain't happy. Besides, before you second guess her choices, remember, you were one of them.
quietpeen
Well-known member
I actually just bought a brand new unboxed Nectar King size memory foam mattress and then had to buy a king size bed. I got a great deal on the mattress and then an ok deal on the bed frame because it came with 2 nightstands that I don’t need. I ‘m going to try to sell them, but so far all in on the mattress, bed frame with nightstand, mattress cover, one new king size pillow, sheets and comforter I’m about $1300 in. I’m hoping to sell the nights stand for $200 which would bring my total down to 1100 for switChing from a queen size to a all new king size bed
quietpeen
Well-known member
I spent money on insulation. $62 bucks plus tax for 2x6 R21. Then I spend about 50 bucks on 4 sheets of sheet rock.
This is the wall i was adding insulation to. Pieces were cut at 63 inches long so i have some left over.
I plan to sheet rock that whole wall which will take 4 sheets. When i cut the sheets to 68.5” that left me 27.5” left so I cut a nice straight line in the ceiling at 27-3/4” so that he ceiling could also be filled in.
Back story is that wall and part of the ceiling got ripped out because years back there was a bad rain storm and I had water running through the top of the window. Exploratory measures found out that it was coming for the exterior door on the floor above. I replaced that door and flashed everything properly and have not had any water since.
As many projects go, things get put on the back burner and now I am Finally getting motivated enough again to finish this room completely and make it a 2nd spare bedroom.
This is the wall i was adding insulation to. Pieces were cut at 63 inches long so i have some left over.
I plan to sheet rock that whole wall which will take 4 sheets. When i cut the sheets to 68.5” that left me 27.5” left so I cut a nice straight line in the ceiling at 27-3/4” so that he ceiling could also be filled in.
Back story is that wall and part of the ceiling got ripped out because years back there was a bad rain storm and I had water running through the top of the window. Exploratory measures found out that it was coming for the exterior door on the floor above. I replaced that door and flashed everything properly and have not had any water since.
As many projects go, things get put on the back burner and now I am Finally getting motivated enough again to finish this room completely and make it a 2nd spare bedroom.
quietpeen
Well-known member
Oh and the dumbbell's are there because for years it was a workout room, but i haven’t used that in years and decided that I could do enough with just the dumbbells so I sold it.
quietpeen
Well-known member
This in the fan that I put in this room for basically 80 bucks plus tax.
quietpeen
Well-known member
It looks small in the pictures but it is a 44” fan and the room is just under 8 foot wide so it’s a perfect size. It moves a decent amount of air.
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Wife got me this scratch off. Very thoughtful.
. That’s awesome! And…..????
