Worst idea of 2010

I hate being trapped at the house waiting for someone to show up. It's like my entire day ends up revolving around this one thing. Now here I sit wondering where this idiot is cause he is 25 minutes late. Should I call? Yes, but I am hoping beyond all hope that he is on his way cause the last thing I want to do is attempt yet another conversation with his wife/secretary on the phone.

Let's backtrack. I moved into this place on November 1st. There are washer/dryer hookups and smart me I figured it would be cheaper to get a washer and dryer as long as we got them cheaper. Of course, I never buy anything unless it is cheaper anyway. Though this predicament I am now in may have spurred a serious turning point in my cheapness.

I will admit that Craigslist is mainly for crap, but there are always hidden gems on there and I look for them regularly. Chancho made it into the cheap gem category, my washer and dryer didn't. I found this used appliance store on craigslist in Crestview (about 30 minutes north). Now if you need to buy used crap, why would you drive 30 minutes to do so? Let me just say that this was a lesson learned. I arrive at the place and immediately laughed at how redneck/ghetto it was. Small warehouse looking place with used appliances littering the front. Not exactly classy looking. Being my first experience with southern-redneck-recycle-other-people's-trash business, I didn't think anything of it and figured I could surely get a good deal. I paid for a washer and dryer and it was delivered two days later. Two weeks after that the washer stops working somewhere during the spin cycle. We have a lovely 45 day warranty so I immediately called the company to have them come out and take a look at it. They come out realize it needs a new belt and order the piece and it is fixed one week later. About one month after that (just after getting back from our three Christmas') I had the washer running and it was rattling kinda loud and when I went to look at it, the thing was smokin' somethin' fierce!

I had my doubts about my cheap decision after the first problem. At this point, I knew it was a stupid idea. Not to mention I noticed the day after purchasing it that there is a used appliance store just a mile down the road that looks like an actual store. After many calls to the place, a scheduled fix date with no show and many more calls and angry messages I finally have an appointment with them coming today. As I was typing this they showed up (30 minutes late) and are currently working on my defective machine. Last week we had to use the laundromat and learned that the washers on base in Japan are WAY cheaper than what they have here in Niceville.

All that to say that I don't think I will be quite so cheap in the future. There are certain things that are better purchased from actual companies and not random backyard fixer-uppers on Craigslist. Thank you Florida and Craigslist for giving me this important life lesson.



And I would like to add for all you smokers out there. You have no idea what smoke smells like. You sit in your cloud of smoke and are immune to the stench, but the rest of the world who doesn't smoke, we hate you coming into our homes and stinking it up. Air yourself out once in a while. There are plenty of smokers out there who don't wreak so badly nor do they smell up other people's homes. I am happy to say that my brother is living proof of that!