More Found Money

Although we are still mourning the loss of a great friend, it recently occurred to me that Herbie's death is actually a bit of a financial boon for us. Now that the minivan has been totaled, our insurance company has completely paid off the loan and adjusted our auto policy. We suddenly have $500 more per month. Add in fuel costs and we're saving about $620 per month by not having a minivan.

For the past two years, since we purchased the Subie, we've been trying to figure out ways to cut our auto costs. Obviously, a car accident is not the preferred method of getting rid of a car but, in our case, it works out pretty good.

What is so funny to me is that everyone keeps asking me whether I've bought a new car, yet. Why do people assume that we are going to replace the minivan? It's not as though we need two cars now that the girls will be attending school half a block away. Madhubby was only using the Subie to drive to and from the park-and-ride (about 5 minutes from our house), where he would park the Subie all day and take the RTD to work. Now, I will drive the Subie and Madhubby will bike to the park-and-ride on his spiffy new red bike. He'll lose his pregnancy weight and we'll save loads of money. We've inadvertently simplified our lives and it feels great.