Today, my car broke down. The good news is I can afford to have it fixed. The bad news is paying for the fix will wipe out my savings, which I need to get certified for a non-minimum-wage job. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, I need money to fix my car, I need my car to get to work, and I need work to get money. FML
Today, I finally got my paycheck from working at my minimum wage job for the last three months. I was delighted when I saw it was worth $846. On my way to cash it, I destroyed my car's suspension. It's going to cost almost $800 to fix. FML
Today, I learned that repairing my car will cost more than it's worth. I'm barely making it paycheck to paycheck and I had to sleep in that car several nights this week after getting thrown out of my sister's house. Now I need a room AND a car. FML
Today, my car broke down dead in the middle of the highway. As I was unable to get it out of the road, it was impounded, and my insurance won't help. Now I'm further in debt and struggling to get to work. FML
Today, my boyfriend wrecked our car. Now I can't get to work in order to make the money we need to buy a new one. FML
Today, I got woken up by my parents telling me I had to go buy a car so they could have transportation. Neither of their cars work, so I was letting them use mine, and then they wrecked it. It needs nearly a thousand bucks in repairs to be drivable again, but since it was my car, I have to replace it now to appease them. FML
Today, I was driving to get groceries when my muffler fell off. I need to get it fixed or else I’ll lose my job, and my job is far away from where I live. If I take an Uber or anything, it will be taking most of my paycheck. Man, FML
Today, on Christmas Eve, as I was getting my car loaded for the holiday rounds to the in-laws and parents, my car decided now was the time to break down. I recently put in over $1000 fixing it. FML
Today, my car broke down. My dad insisted he could fix it, but screwed up in the process. After finally getting the car towed to a mechanic, I was told that I'd only needed a new water pump, but thanks to the damage my dad did, fixing it all will cost me a small fortune. FML
Today, I got a text from my dad asking about my car in the shop. I'm trying to show them that I can actually be independent, but now they know that not only will it cost all my savings account to fix it, but also that my boyfriend will be driving me to work for the next month while the shop waits for the parts. FML
Feel like sharing it with the other FML users?
Thanks, your FML was submitted, and will appear in the moderation queue soon!
Top comments
berniro 14
If it's possible, get the certification first and then pay to repair your car.
thepeniswrinkler 14
Invest in a bus pass for the time being.
Add a comment · Reply to
You must be logged in to be able to post comments!
Comments (50)
berniro 14
If it's possible, get the certification first and then pay to repair your car.
Dragonstorm786 17
Do this and ride a bike in the meantime.
kbecks87 16
...because everyone is biking distance from everything they need? No.
Sagaz 1
Bike and/or taking a bus/subway.
thepeniswrinkler 14
Invest in a bus pass for the time being.
BlockOfRedStone 25
Or uber if you don't live in a city
izzajaneful 24
I assume you mean if you DO live in a city. Uber is pretty cheap compared to taxis, but using it twice a day still adds up to a decent chuck of money.
ChanTheMan94 3
I hope you don't have a long way to commute to work everyday
abNormal62 23
Job first, secure your future. The car can wait if your ego can adjust to alternate travel temporarily. Prioritizing is a skill too many people do not develop
Dale_shackleford 13
Depending on where op lives, biking or public transport may not be an option. Idk where in Illinois op is, but in a lot of az everything is really spread out and there isn't any good public transport available.
Jrog9121 2
find a better job. I'm not certified in anything at the moment and I make 13/hr plus almost 500/mo bonus. you just have to know where to look. labor job usually start at 12+/hr. just a thought, sorry for your luck OP.
False_Stupidity 42
I think finding s better job is OP's point, which is why he was getting certified.
Rainbow_Princess 16
I think wages in other countries are terrible! My base rate is $26 / hr and sundays is $40... and I have had no formal training other than on the job. How people survive on $13 / hr is beyond me. My 13yr old is on $11 / hr
lazylahma 10
Your tellin is we know our wages suck
izzajaneful 24
The internet tells me the tax rate in Australia for 37,000 income is about 10%, then something like 33% on every dollar over 37,001 (until the next bracket) America's something like 17%, then 25% on anything over 37500 is relatively comparable, depending on where you fall in that bracket. You'd have to hit a sweet spot in the American bracket to pay less taxes. This is interesting, as someone who thought, for apparently no reason, that Australian taxes were higher. (Of course, this math is all back of the envelope)
dontknow1 19
I think is better to get the certification first, meanwhile use the bus.
kbecks87 16
Public transportation is not always viable. In a lot of cities it's only truly helpful if your going downtown.
Catdragon 40
At first I thought it said cat and I wondered what could be so wrong in the cat's life that it broke down.
gracehi 33
His cat nip addiction got out of hand.
james_logan 19
Technically, you can't afford it if it makes you broke...
soulreaper12296 28
Yes.....it does mean you afford it. That's like saying I'm buying something that costs $20 and I only have $20 in my pocket, does that mean I shouldn't buy it because I'll no longer have money in my pocket? Not being able afford something means you don't have enough money to buy it in the first place.
james_logan 19
Maybe my understanding of being able to afford something is different. If I have enough money in my savings to buy a car, but after buying said car I would have no money left, I would say I can't afford the car. If I buy it I will have no money for my necessities or rent etc. So this is why I would say I cannot afford it due to the ramifications that buying it would cause.
naajster 14
Secure your future first, OP! use the extra money to pay for the vehicle repair
goodread2200 10
I don't understand how saving money can make you better at your job. But as others have suggested maybe get the certification and the job first. Would a loan or an extension on your credit card work in the short term?
james_logan 19
Basically, I think it's about credit score/rating. If you have a good score/rating it means you are reliable and handle finances well.
amandasoushek 16
There are many certifications to get in different fields of study. It's kinda similar to a degree, but you don't go to actual classes or anything. You pay to take a test in a specific area (for example, computer applications) and if you pass, you are certified. The certifications show that you know what you're doing enough to pass a test on the subject and are often required for higher-level jobs in certain fields. It's common in the tech industry as well as others (my boyfriend is in the tech industry and is working on his first certification test to get a promotion)