I went in for an oil change today at Midas. I ended up spending $500 getting various belts tightened, oils flushed, and a sliced tire replaced. You know how a miniature devil and angel will pop on the shoulders of a cartoon character facing a moral dilemma? I'll renounce my agnosticism and join any religion that offers to send down a tiny mechanic and goon to sit on your shoulders when you enter a car repair shop. The mechanic can tell you if the work is necessary, and the goon can poke the service writer with a pitchfork until he lowers the price.
Maybe I should have gotten a second opinion or shopped around. Five hundred dollars is about what I spent on non-essential purchases in the past 6 months. But the stress of driving in a dilapidated car and constantly worrying if it is going to break down (a line of thought sparked by the direct connection of the amount of rumbling my car makes to how long I wait at a red light) can wear one down after a while. Also, spending that amount of money makes my effort to put off a $55 dentist appointment seem a whole lot sillier.
Then again, the oil change was just supposed to be $30.
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