Getting my Car Fixed: "It's all Ball Bearings These Days!"

There are three things that, to me, are just a complete waste of the almighty dollar. Allow me to list them for you:

1. Fireworks
2. Presto logs
3. Auto repair

The former is basically just burning money. Sure, you might get 2-8 seconds worth of entertainment, but for the money you are spending, you might as well roll a stogie with your money and start puffin'. Plus, I don't know of many fireworks factories in the U.S., so I'm guessing they're all imported from China. That's even worse! They get our money, and we end up getting "burned!" Best case scenario: it keeps emergency room doctors from clogging up the unemployment line.

Numero dos on my list is just an invention that a sawdust salesman probably invented to capitalize on the lazy, those who live in the desert states, and soccer moms. If you have a fireplace, why would you want to burn anything but wood? Besides, you do the math:

Cord of wood = $170
Box of 6 Presto logs = $20

A cord of wood will last you a whole winter and yields several hundreds of real, natural, clean burning wood logs. For the same price, you can get 51 presto logs....51 LOGS!! And who knows what kind of chemicals they put in those things so they instantly light. Again, burning money.

Number three on this list is what prompted me to think about #s 1 & 2. I took my car into the mechanic because I was having some issues with vibration in the front tires and it turns out my front struts need replacing, I've got a bad left wheel bearing and that's not to mention the other services they "recommend," like flushing the power steering fluid, replacing the drive belts and inspecting the engine. I know I've been really lucky with this car, and I'd be screwed without it, but c'mon, do I really think that a mechanic should make comparable hourly wages to what some physicians are making? Is a hunk of metal as important as flesh and bone?

I provide a service too, but people need tradeshow booths to help them generate new clients and advertise their products. I don't charge people an arm and a leg.

Here I am, out $530 to the mechanic. It probably took him an hour or less to fix my car. Yes it will last longer now and run smoother, and I'm not necessarily bitter at him, just the whole concept of cars being a drain. They lose their value the minute you drive them off the lot. If that isn't a sign of waste, then I'm not sure what is!