$991....four weeks before Christmas...

OK, so I have a Jeep. A 2002 Jeep Liberty.

I love my Jeep.

Except when I have to spend $991 four weeks before Christmas on it.

Oh alright, I know I shouldn't complain. It's been a damned good Jeep. I've kept up with oil changes, tire rotations etc. But...with it being 6 years old now and having 75,000 miles on it, little things start to happen.

PVC valves, leaking differentials, power steering fluid needing flushed (I took it in cause it was grabbing when I turned a sharp right - thought it was wheel bearings, brakes, ball joints or something - it wasn't - was something with the power steering). Front end alignment. Oh, and I had a screw in my front passenger tire.

And they charged me $38 to repair it.

Now who got screwed on that one?? (And no, I didn't enjoy it.)

So, like a good person I charged it to a credit card. That way I still have the cash to go visit my son in 10 days (the reason I took the Jeep in to the shop in the first place).

The whole situation brought back memories of when my son was small and I was working my tail off for not a lot of money. I didn't have any credit cards back then and if I had been hit with a car bill like that - well, not sure what I would have done. We, like a lot of other people, lived week to week. Sometimes day to day. If and when I got a Christmas bonus at work it went to catch up bills, stock up the food cabinet or buy my son clothes and/or shoes he needed. When things like this did come up I had to find someone, usually my boss, to loan me money and let me pay it back so much a week.

Today I am older, wiser, still a single Mom but my son supports himself now. I make more money than I ever have in my life (no folks, I am not rich nor even upper middle class...hell, I don't think I am even middle middle class.).

So yes, even though $991 is a lot of money that I don't like paying - at least now I know I can.

And that my friends, feels pretty damned good.