by Hope
Over the month of July I plan to layout where the house proceeds went…this is part 1.
Leading up the sale of the house, I was preparing for my move to Texas. That meant a major house purge, lots of things to donation, storage, and the trash. But it also meant taking inventory of what I was taking with me. And how I was getting there and living once the house was no more.
Outside of my parents’ house, I planned to spend some time car camping. In the future. Ok, that being said, I knew my car needed to be in good shape.
Recent Texas Experience
Since Gymnast has lived in Texas the last two years, we’ve had some experience with local car dealers. And I’ve been involved, well, because I’m his mom, and have a bit more experience dealing with mechanics.
That being said, it quickly became apparent that the level of service and cost of things in Texas versus our small town is very, very different. For instance, to get an issue with his A/C diagnosed cost a $300 diagnostic fee plus a week with no car. Ugh! And that’s with having a bumper to bumper warranty to cover mechanical issues.
Readying my Car
That being said, I spent $2,143 of the house proceeds on my car. She got new tires. And I had a slow leak in my A/C fixed. I had known of the A/C issue, the dealer where we get all service completed had diagnosed it for free some time back. But it wasn’t a deal breaker living in Georgia.
Living in Texas without optimal operating A/C is a big NO! It’s HOT! So got that fixed. And have a year warranty on the work.
And after lots and lots roadtrips over the last 4ish years, it was time for new shoes for my baby car. This time, I wisened up and bought them at Discount Tire rather than our local dealership. This was maintenance and repairs will be covered across the country at their many locations. (When I purchased them at the dealership, I thought they would be covered at any Honda dealership, but in fact, they only offered the free maintenance at the dealership where I purchased the tires. Lesson learned.)
And and best of all, this was all done in 1 day! I was able to wait and work in their waiting rooms. In Texas, this would have taken upwards of a week+ to get all this accomplished.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
