having budgeted $300 (and being prepared for up to $400) for the battery replacement, i was unprepared when the total for needed repairs (turns out i was right to ask them to check my rotors and pads — being right sucks) came to $1200. that difference is, like, my whole budgeted payment towards paying off credit card this month, gone gone gone. plus i have no choice but to charge the service because i don’t have that much cash on hand because i spent this month’s discretionary funds on car insurance (well, they’re “discretionary” in months where i don’t have to pay for car insurance, anyways). all my satisfaction at knowing what to ask them to do on my poor baby car: gone.

someone please remind me real fast why i have a car and why i bought a fancy-pants german car, because i’m feeling a little bit like “hysterical crying jag” at the moment.