Joy.
Well, just got a call from the auto shop - looks like our brakes were down to metal on metal, so that's an extra $150 for break work on top of the $593 that's being done.
As much as I hate dipping yet further into the buffer that our tax return gave us, I'd rather have brakes that work 100%; I've been in one accident too many with that car, and I have no desire to get into another. And it's not like an extra $150 will wipe us out. After bills, we'll still have a good $650 or so left in the bank, and that doesn't count the $275 we've got saved up for our new PS2, so all in all we're not doing badly.
As much as I hate dipping yet further into the buffer that our tax return gave us, I'd rather have brakes that work 100%; I've been in one accident too many with that car, and I have no desire to get into another. And it's not like an extra $150 will wipe us out. After bills, we'll still have a good $650 or so left in the bank, and that doesn't count the $275 we've got saved up for our new PS2, so all in all we're not doing badly.