Canadian Finance Blog

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Silly Mistakes Can Be Costly Posted: 02 Dec 2010 02:00 AM PST I tend to be a pretty absent-minded person. For example, I lose my car keys a lot. I have a hard time remembering people’s names or what I was supposed to buy at the grocery store. I’ve found a way to cope with this absent-mindedness just fine—I tend to rely on handwritten lists a lot—and I’ve always just thought of it as a harmless character quirk on my part. However, recently, I’ve had a bit of bad luck with my absentmindedness, and it’s actually cost me quite a lot of money. I present for you a recent mistake I made, so that by reading about my silliness, hopefully you can avoid paying the price I did. My example has to do with maintaining my automobile. I’m not what I would call well-versed in the workings of cars and trucks, so I don’t really think to maintain my vehicle. I usually leave that to a mechanic. The problem with this attitude, though, is that I often end up paying a lot for my ignorance. The ultimate example of this occurred on my way to work. I took a nail in the right rear tire, but didn’t realize it until I had driven the ten miles or so. Sure, I felt the car handle a little sluggishly, but it wasn’t until I parked at the office that I saw the tire was completely flat. I had essentially driven on the rim, shredding the sidewall. My mistake cost me over two hundred American dollars for a new tire, instead of the pocket change I would have spent to buy a plug kit. I was lucky I didn’t do more damage. The lesson I learned here is that I should take a bigger interest in how my car works. I try to check the tire pressure every few weeks, and I also visually inspect the engine and fluids. I’m still pretty bad at it, but at least I’m making an effort to get a sense for my vehicle. The idea here is that if I’m even remotely aware of how my vehicle behaves and looks, then I can better anticipate problems. Now I know what a flat tire feels like. But think of what could have happened had I had longer to go! I would have possibly damaged the wheel and brake system, and I would have found myself stranded on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck. When I imagine these scenarios, the dollars pile up, frightening me with the thought of how badly my finances could really have been affected, all because I was stupid with how I drove my car. Nowadays, I drive with a tire plug kit in the back. I learned how to change my own tire instead of relying on a friend. I try to be a more conscientious user of my things, so that way I can appreciate their monetary value. Author Bio: This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes about finance, career, college life at best online colleges.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com. Related Posts: Buying a Used Car – Learn From Others’ Mistakes Dirty Car Dealership Tactics Should You Inflate Your Tires With Nitrogen? Silly Mistakes Can Be Costly originally appeared on Canadian Finance Blog on December 2, 2010.

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