Of state parks and tow trucks
Jennie and I had a picnic lunch at Laka Manawa State Park today, and then spent a little while on the walking trails and at the playground.
Here are the things I learned from the experience.
Lesson learned #1: Getting away from it all, even if it’s just for an afternoon, can be very relaxing while it lasts.
Lesson learned #2: Playing tag at the playground with little kids is fun, but extremely tiring.
Lesson learned #3: When your car dies somewhere in the middle of a state park in Iowa, calling your insurance’s road assistance call center, located in Florida, and trying to explain where you are, will not be very fruitful.
Lesson learned #4: Keep your mechanic’s address in your car, so that when you do get hold of a towing company and they ask, “Where do you want it taken?”, you can give an intelligent answer.
Lesson learned #5: Also keep the phone number of a good towing company.
Lesson learned #6: Heck, a phone book wouldn’t be a bad idea. (It might not hurt to throw in a church directory, too.)
Lesson learned #7: Having an emergency fund takes the stress, but not the frustration, out of getting a tow truck and a ride home.
Lesson learned #8: Not all tow trucks accept credit or debit cards on weekends (there’s nobody at the office to verify the card), so if you’re going to get stranded, bring the checkbook. (But if you forgot the checkbook, the grocery money will do in a pinch.)
Lesson learned #9: You can pay $70 for a $75 towing bill if you pay cash.
April 26th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
The budget will provide
October 30th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Another thing about towing: If your insurance company has a roadside assistance option, take it. We got hit with a need for a tow truck last week, and we didn’t have it ("I have an emergency fund," says I.) Had it towed home for $94, which came out of the emergency fund! Got it home to find out that I could not fix it myself and had to have it towed to the garage. I remembered that my insurance had said that I didn’t have the roadside assistant on my plan, hence the cost of $94. I looked up the ability to add it to my current policy before call for the tow truck again. Cost: $14 a year, Current Addition to policy= $2. No brainer, now. Don’t know what I was thinking then. Guess it was a stupid tax (props to Dave Ramsey)!