Monday, March 23, 2009

S is fo $aving$

I am only 100% passionate about a handful of things: my husband, my kids (okay 85% here, they're still growing on me), healthy eating, exercising, religion, the power of music, and saving money.

Recently I had such a great experience saving money that I just have to share it!

Our middle garage door, and I park in the middle spot, has been having problems since we moved in a few months ago. It was inconsistent in opening and closing with the garage door openers (all 4 of them)! Imagine me, in a hurry to leave (which is stupid because I'm already 10 minutes late to wherever I'm going) and I pull out of the garage, push the button and it doesn't close! This happened many times so I usually had to physically get out of the car and walk right up close to the door and only then would the sensor receive the signal from my opener(s). We knew it wasn't a problem with the openers because they opened the first stall from anywhere!

To get the dumb door fixed was in the back of my mind. I would haughtily remember to do it for only those few frustrating seconds when I had to keep getting out of the car to close the door.


Well, soccer practices have started, as well as school musical practices. My coming and going has increased by 212%. So all this past week I've been fuming about the stupid garage door.

On Friday, there are no practices. I actually had a moment to breath and I remembered that I needed to get the door taken care of ASAP. I had even laid aside a couple of garage door repair coupons over the past month. I never called to make appointments because of the cost. The coupons were advertising things like $50 dollars off garage door repairs and I thought, "If I'm getting $50 off then how much is the final bill going to be?!?!?" Ugh...my stomach lurched.

Well, I kept having this crazy notion to try something that worked for me when I was 11. I had a classy Soundesign brand radio/cassette player (a brand probably carried by drugstores) and I wanted better reception so that I could get the FM stations clearer. (Now you know why I sing the words to "Karma Chameleon" wrong). I wrapped aluminum foil on the antenna (just like people did to their tv rabbit ears, back in the day).

So, yes folks--for 5 cents I fixed my garage door. Again, that's, FOR 5 CENTS I FIXED MY GARAGE DOOR!!!!!!!!! I can't express the elation I feel every time I push the opener button and my door responds! And I'm even more thrilled because of the money that I didn't have to spend. HALLELUJAH!!!!!


12 comments:

Our family said...

that's awesome! Congratulations!Our door has a similar problem a lot. It happens on sunny afternoons, but it usually means the sensors are dirty and the sun is hitting it just right to make the sensors think there's a small child or something in the way. I always wipe the sensors before calling the repairman now.

ldsjaneite said...

I remember that radio. That's pretty cool!

Megan said...

Yay for everyday inspiration!!

Marie' said...

I can't tell you how cool that is.
I tell you, those cool things only happen to people who are good with their money. Not to me. My first thought was, "What is she going to buy with the money she saved?"

Faith Penningtons said...

I am glad you posted this. I am having a similar problem, I have to be right up almost with my bumper hitting the door to open it from the outside. I will let you know if it works for me too!

Micaela said...

Pretty sweet.

Carrie said...

Oooo, I'm so excited to try this!! Our garage door has the same type issues. I hope ours has the same outcome!!

Alanna said...

Congratulations! What Inspiration! I'm totally with you about saving $$$! Now aren't there so many things you'd rather spend your saved few hundred dollars on? Yeah...don't have to stretch you brain, do you?

Melissa said...

That is so neat. You are so resourceful. What a gift to be cheap! It would have been a true tradgedy if you'd spent more than a few cents.

Jacy said...

Way to be thrifty! I'm filing this information away in my brain for when ours starts to go. It looks like we have the same model opener!

Becca and fam said...

OK, you are simply amazing. That is a great story. I love that the foil worked, how great!

Shea said...

You are amazing! I am trying to be more passionate about saving but it's so hard! Luckily Ryan saves for the both of us.