Have you ever been meaning to buy something, but you just don't feel like taking the time to comparison shop to get the best deal?
That was me about buying new tires for our SUV. We knew we needed new tires, and we were planning on buying them soon. I just had to find the best deal on tires.
So, when I was at Costco one day, I asked for a quote on tires and was told that there would be a good deal the next time there was a $60 off Michelin tires coupon.
I kind of drug my feet on getting more quotes since I knew it would be at least a couple of weeks before there was a coupon (since we were in the beginning of a Costco coupon book that had a discount on a different brand).
Then, my husband noticed that one of his tires was leaking air and he had to go every couple of days and fill it back up. One of those times, he noticed that there was a nail in the tire.
So, my intensity in comparison shopping ramped up. I got a quote from Discount Tire online, and I had a coupon for B3G1 FREE tires at another tire place. When I called that place, they told me I had to stop by for the quote (which likely meant they were going to try to sell me extras...which they did).
So, I decided to pay to repair the nail hole and wait for the coupon at Costco. I got it fixed for only $10 at a local tire shop.
And then disaster struck... The very next morning when my husband and kids went out to go to school and work, one of the other tires was completely flat. The boys took my car, and I called AAA to get the tire changed so I could figure out what to do.
Unfortunately, they couldn't get my spare off the bottom, so the tow truck guy pumped up my tire and followed me back to the local tire shop (to make sure I made it). We found that there was about an inch cut in the sidewall, which they could attempt to repair but it would only hold for up to 30 days.
After 2 days of dealing with flat tires and no firm date on the next Costco coupon (not to mention then having to worry about how long the patch would hold), I ended up getting 4 new tires at my local tire shop (for a higher price) rather than Costco.
I learned 3 lessons from this ordeal:
- When you know you need to replace something or get work done, start your comparison shopping sooner rather than later, so you're ready to get it done before it turns into an emergency.
- I'm so thankful we have an emergency fund (with money designated for the tires), so I didn't have to stress about it too much.
- I'm also thankful we have AAA. Although we don't use it often, it worked great for when we did need it. Service was wonderful.
Erika Belvin @ BizyMommy
It feels like I've been learning that my belief in an emergency savings is also true as of late! Great read, thanks for sharing!