Notes from the Side of the Road

A couple weeks ago, we took a family trip to Menards.  (Some people go to Disneyworld, other people go to the Black Hills, we go to Menards.  Happy summer!!!)  On our way, we saw a van on the side of the road with some people milling around.  We stopped to ask if they needed anything, but they said that they had it under control.  They were awaiting a tow to the nearest Walmart where they could buy a tire.

We wished them luck and pulled away just as it started to rain.

Exactly one week later, we were on our way to a gathering of friends, and our van started making a disconcerting clunking sound.  We pulled over.  David videoed the noise and sent it to our mechanic.  Our host left the gathering and came with his party bus (or mini van…whichever seems more likely) to pick us up and deliver us out of the 400 degree heat and to his house.

The older kids and Mateo were quick to abandon our oven on wheels, but Bea held out.  She pushed herself into the furthest corner of the back seat and dug in her heals.  She was NOT going to leave.  We joke that Bea is the real boss of the house, and she must have taken it to heart.  As the captain, she was going down with her ship.  Unfortunately, she’s two.  So not quite able to make end of life decisions yet.  I maneuvered around the middle seat to grab her and take her to the waiting air conditioning of the other van.  There was wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Fortunately it wasn’t far.

Later in the evening, David left the party (while me and the kids chilled and chatted) and met no fewer than 5 of my family members at our ill van to get a diagnosis and come up with a plan.

Ultimately our van made the 30ish miles back home, and after the party we made it there as well in some wheels lent to us by friends.

And all the way home, I thought of the huge blessing it is to have a community of support.

Every so often I get sucked in to one of those “How to Save Money” articles.  It’s seriously just the same 5 tips that people on a budget are already doing.
“Cut down on eating out!”  Umm…I guess we’d have to start so we could stop?
“Choose one streaming/movie/cable/dish option and quit the rest.”  Ditto.
“Make your own coffee at home.”  You get the point.  Why do I keep clicking on those?!?!

It’s sort of like they are all part of a “Spending Less 101” class.  I’d really like to see an intermediate level class.  I’m not quite ready for the advanced class, which would include things like taking ketchup packets from restaurants and squeezing them into a bottle at home and taking apart 2 ply toilet paper to make it into 2 rolls.  (As a kid I saw a 20/20 episode that followed a man that did such things.  Crazy!)

If I was suggesting things to be included in the intermediate level class, numero uno would be to live near family or friends.  Or make friends if you’re in a new place.   Not only is life better, but it’s easier to live simply with support.  Unlike the family we met on our Menards vacation, we didn’t have to pay for a tow or wonder if we were being scammed.

Our van has recovered from The Clunk.  (It was the serpentine belt, in case you’re curious.)  In movies often the overbearing mother character encourages her children to become doctors or lawyers.  Or marry such people.  I might eventually be one of those overbearing mothers, but I’ve got my sights set on other jobs.  I’d love to have a mechanic and a nurse amongst my offspring.  Someone able to fix The Clunk, and someone to say whether or not stitches are needed.  Priceless.

Thanks to our family and friends, our time on the side of the road was brief.  They are the actual best.  Just so you know.

5 Comments


  1. // Reply

    So good to hear from you. Hope all is going well with your family.

    Beth


  2. // Reply

    HELLO!!! Maybe I’m being a little too overbearing with the exclamation points, but I’m so happy to see a new post from you 🙂 And also glad to see that you’ve not resorted to stealing ketchup packets (or little pats of butter, like a certain matriarch of my family…) There are other “intermediate level” cost savers you could try – take, for instance, family cloth. Definitely a whole lot easier than separating 2-ply TP. Or maybe save on TP *and* water by planting a mulberry bush out back and directing all business there? Am I being a good helper yet?
    I think you’ve got it covered though… cause I mean, you shop and vacation at Menards… (cue the jingle) “Save big money at Menards!!”


    1. // Reply

      My kids would love a mulberry bush! 🙂


  3. // Reply

    Ha, my nursing degree has totally saved us a bunch of ER visits! #momofboys
    And I totally agree about the spending money posts. So frustrating when we are already doing those things…


  4. // Reply

    My suggestion for Intermediate Savings would be learn how to fix things yourself. My husband has saved us so much by learning how to maintain and fix our cars and appliances for the past 8 years. It’s time spent (and the occasional new tool) but it saves a lot. Not everyone wants to fix cars/washers, but there’s probably a major maintenance issue that one can cultivate fixing. (Youtube how-to videos for the win!)
    Also figure out if spending your time doing it yourself is the most efficient use of your time. We chose to have a professional take down some overgrown trees because they were unwieldy, and we didn’t want to risk our house or the neighbors’. And the kids had entertainment all day watching them take them down and grind the stump!

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