Our emergency fund took a big hit on Friday. I came home from work on Friday at lunch time and there was no water! We had to get a plumber (unfortunately we are on a first name basis with our local plumber!). He discovered that our well pump died!
After two plumbers spent most of the afternoon pulling out the old pump (our well is 450 feet deep), they got the new one installed. So we had water right? Wrong! When they started it up all this black gook (a technical term for disgusting black and slimy stuff) came out – and went through the house. We had to clean every bathroom toilet, sink, shower, etc. The gook was so thick that it clogged up our water filter system – so no water. I tried to back flush the system to clean it out but it didn’t work. By this time it was late Friday night so we couldn’t get the people who handle our water system out.
Saturday it snowed. All day. 20 inches worth. Nothing and no one was moving. So we had no drinking water this weekend and we were snowed in! We had water for a shower and the toilets at least. Monday the guys were able to come out and unclog our system – they took apart just about everything to clean it all out. Now everything appears to be working fine.
But this whole episode is going to cost us a pretty penny – the bills haven’t come yet, but I am guessing over $1000, probably closer to $1500. Yikes! I’m glad we had an emergency fund. I has taken a beating this month, first with having to get two new windows (that bill hasn’t come yet either), and now getting a new well pump.
I’ve had to change my financial goals for next year. Now the goal is to just build up the emergency fund as quickly as possible. Not exciting, but necessary. But at least we will not have to go into debt! And for that I am very thankful!
