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Erin: I actually left for work a little early Monday. I headed out to my car in the back lot of my apartment building, where I had left it in good condition a day or so earlier. I didn’t notice anything unusual when I climbed in the driver’s side. As I turned on the ignition and attempted to back out of my spot, the car was barely moving. I knew something was wrong. I walked to the passengers’ side of the car and saw I had two flat tires. But I was in luck. After more than a year of lectures from my dad, I signed up for AAA a few weeks ago. Before that, my cheap 20-something self had balked at the $50 yearly fee. My member card showed up Friday. I promptly called, and a tow truck was there within an hour. In the meantime, a neighbor informed me he had shooed a few youths away from my car Sunday night. The tow truck driver confirmed my suspicions — He had been towing cars in the area with slashed tires all morning. Rather than get angry about the random act of vandalism, I thought about my good fortune. Had this happened earlier, I would have paid a lot more. The tow cost $4. Two new tires were more expensive, but I filed a police report and my insurance will probably help with the cost. In a strange way, this experience gave me piece of mind that even if something bad happens, I’m covered. Have you had to deal with a similar crisis? Were you prepared?
Chris: I’m actually on my third car since I’ve been in York (since last January). The first car was totaled when I hydroplaned into a creek; the second car was totaled when a distracted teen rear-ended me that badly. Needless to say, I wasn’t and still am not in a position to replace an entire car, so my parents rose to the occasion and came to my rescue in both instances. That said… I’m generally prepared to cover emergency costs that don’t exceed $500. Above that, no way. When it came to saving everything or paying back student loans, I opted to pay back student loans. So I’m paying more than I need to, every month, in order to reduce my debt — and, in the meantime, am keeping my fingers crossed that my next emergency is under $500 and/or is covered by my renters, health, car and/or equipment insurance plans.
Jess: Definitely not. I always like to hope the unexpected won’t happen, and if it does, well, then I’ll deal. Yes, I have insurance, a AAA membership and even a mini-generator (read about my best Christmas present ever), but I generally shop for groceries about a week at a time. I never have more than 12 rolls of toilet paper at my place, I don’t have a pantry stocked with canned goods and I don’t have my own source of water. But then I think – what if the unexpected was a life-threatening disease? Would any of those things matter anyway? Probably not. In fact, I’d probably go to the grocery store every day instead of once a week.
Sarah: In my senior year of college, I got in two car accidents. Neither were my fault; both cost about $2K in repairs. Insurance paid, but I became an extremely paranoid driver. Case in point: One weekend I was supposed to meet a friend in New Cumberland and drive together to another friend’s going-away party. But first, I had to get a haircut. I started thinking about what would happen if someone hit me while I was driving to my haircut — which would ruin my plans for the night. And I snowballed, so far that I nearly didn’t leave for said haircut. I know it’s crazy — I know. So I plan for what I can (I have insurance and AAA; I drive carefully) and forget the rest. When you try to prepare for every unexpected thing, it can be debilitating.
Stephanie: I agree with Sarah. When you focus on the what-ifs, you lose the big picture: here and now. I hate driving, so I bike when I can. That said, I have driven across country multiple times, have flattened tires, hit elk and deer and still plan on getting in my car tonight to drive home. If I feel like uber-preparing this time of year, I will throw my winter driving kit into the trunk. It includes, a gallon of sand, a mountaineering shovel, a sleeping bag, some food, etc. Even if I never use it, by putting it together I have thought about my needs in an emergency. That mental first step is more calming than any other strategy I have. When it comes to power outages at home I am prepared. I have enough calories stored in my deep freezer and pantry to last for a couple months. I have gas heat, but the system uses electricity to circulate, so I would have to park it in front of my vent-less gas fireplace, live inside my sleeping bag rated to 10 degrees and hope the pipes don’t burst. This preparation is not in response to an apocalyptic fear, but because I like buying a lot of local food in the summer and preserving it for winter. That said, it’s there when/if I need it.
When I was living on my own, I’ll never forget breaking down right by the mall. I loved to shop (though I wasn’t shopping at that time, just heading home from work) and will never forget the teasing I got trying to find someone to help me. After that, I made the investment in AAA and never regretted it – they are right there when you need them.
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