Last night we got a call from the bathroom contractor that, while not unexpected, has turned my budget sieve into a budget sinkhole. The toilet in the family bath they’re re-doing has been leaking and many of the floor boards are rotten. All was revealed when the tile came up. That wasn’t too awful, but taking off the drywall also revealed that our ensuite shower—located just behind the family bathroom—was leaking from the dial and had been doing so for some time. The drywall was completely soaked, the joists and lath were rotten through and through. The only real cure is to tear out that shower as well.
The previous bid on that bathroom was way too high for us, so I’ve asked their designer to try to find ways to bring that price down. We could live with the current vanity and sink; the sink is an attractive marble-look Corian, and while the vanity could benefit from a paint job, it’s mostly fine. I’d consider installing some sliding shelving baskets in there ourselves to make better use of the space. But no matter what, it’ s going to be a chunk of change. I’ve been resisting an uber-frugal month, but we certainly need to cinch things in. A tighter food budget only does so much. I wonder if I can find some things to sell? I’d look for extra editing work, but I have a full class load and my evening class from Monday until Christmas. Thinking, thinking, thinking.
From Budget Sieve to Sinkhole
August 23rd, 2017 at 09:35 pm
August 23rd, 2017 at 10:30 pm 1503523839
August 23rd, 2017 at 10:57 pm 1503525435
August 23rd, 2017 at 11:26 pm 1503527177
August 24th, 2017 at 01:15 am 1503533755
August 24th, 2017 at 02:10 am 1503537017
[Northing like having an unanticipated, truly serious medical issue suddenly jump up and make you realize keeping everyone safe and healthy is much more valuable than mere money.]
August 24th, 2017 at 04:35 am 1503545717
August 27th, 2017 at 02:29 am 1503797353