Money Fears

I struggled a bit with what to discuss today. I sought a little inspiration from the Financial Planning Association's blog and a few of my favorites. Then I got distracted....I stared thinking (again) about how much my car is gonna cost me. If you've read my previous posts, you know that I am working diligently to pay off my car note. I've got just over $8400 more to go. Not bad, considering that I've owned the car for 15 months and the original balance was $13,275. Nevertheless, my "service engine soon" light came on Friday. Wistfully, I hoped that it would turn off just as quick as it came on. Not so much. Instead, on Saturday and Sunday, my engine has been "getting jiggy with it" and shaking a bit.

I drove my sister's car to work yesterday and today to reduce the likelihood of me getting stranded somewhere along the 40 miles between our home and my job, yet I'm still reluctant to take it in for servicing. Well, I'm not SO crazy, and I realize that machines are machines and they often need fixing. I'll drop my car off tonight so it can get serviced some time tomorrow (based on my conversation with the car shop dude, it may need a tune up). It doesn't tickle my fancy to drop another hundred (or two hundred) dollars on the car. Especially considering that since September, I've spent just over $780 on maintenance and repairs. 

I've decided that the real root of my concern is not having enough money to pay for subsequent emergencies. I've got just over ten hundred bucks in my emergency savings account and I worry that [yet] another car repair (or some other unexpected expense) will place me closer to being financial unstable. It's frightening. In fact, I get ill at the thought of using my credit card to pay for unexpected expenses (I've been there and done that; trust me, digging out of debt is no fun). I think of the restrictive feelings associated with being obligated to paying off a loan, rather than using the money to do what I want (like, treating my friends to an occasional lunch, or buying a nice outfit).

At any rate, this is one of the costs of being an adult. I know that I have to TCB because no one else will. 

Do you have any money fears? What are they?