Heating unit died :(

KatieCutie05 · January 2015

Well our Heating unit decided to die on us this weekend. Worst possible timing ever. Long story but we are going to replace it for 4800. (its not financially worth it to repair an already broken and very old unit that is already on its last leg) its a 1400 repair cost and we already know of a problem with the cooling that would be a 1500 repair (theres a coolant leak) We knew it was only a matter of time before it had to be replaced but we were hoping to get a few more years to increase our efund and payoff some more debt after the baby but no such luck. Its either now or later honestly and atleast now we technically have the money otherwise we'd probably have to go deeper into debt. but its hard to see it like that.

So this is the way i'm figuring this.... is this a smart way to go about this?

So our plan before all this happened was to pay off my car (4500 balance/ 360 per month) and pay medical bills and then use what ever was left to increase our efund and put some extra toward our next debt on the list. We were doing good and we finally felt like we were getting traction. Now ALL of thats gone and we're just trying to figure out how to handle this.

This is what i'm seeing.

We have 1k in EFund, 1k in FSA for medical, 2200 saved for baby and 4k that was supposed to payoff my car) We hope to have an extra 500 before the baby is born but thats about it and thats no guarantee.

4800 payment now to replace heating/cooling unit will completely empty car payoff fund and 800 of the baby fund. We also have estimated that we will owe 1500 in taxes this year which being its the IRS is our next order of importance. Thats the rest of the baby fund. We could use the 1k in the emergency fund first but we would just need to replace that if we do and idk if we'll have any extra to do that.

So we'll probably end up stuck with some type of medical debt. And we are back to square one needing another 4k to payoff the car..and i'm trying really hard to not feel completely hopeless out of this. we just gta do what we gotta do. I'm going over the budget again to see where else we can cut but this alone will slow down our debt payoff by about a year.

I still have a 4-6k inheritance thats supposedly coming at some point so now thats our only hope of paying off my car. It was supposed to go to student loans but thats not going to happen.

Oh the joys of home ownership? I miss the apartment!

hoffse · January 2015

First, I'm sorry this happened to you. Obviously it's something that needs to be fixed stat, given that it's winter.

Are you sure you're going to owe $1500 to the IRS? That seems like an awfully large tax bill, unless you guys just waaaay under-withheld. If you guys are really going to owe that much, you might want to look into filing an extension so that you don't have to file your return/pay by April 15. It might buy you some time to save up for that tax bill, and it's probably the easiest thing to defer out of all the bills that are coming up. I'll be honest, I've never filed an extension for myself or anybody else (I'm not an accountant), but I know people do it. It won't prevent you from having the pay the bill eventually, but it might give you some time to save for it. At the very least, I would look into it as an option. You just don't have much wiggle room here, and there are a bunch of very expensive things that are going to hit all at once.**

What will baby expenses cost you? What do you have left to buy, and are you getting any paid maternity leave? What about the hospital bill? I'm hesitant to drain the baby fund entirely, given that you really just have a month to go.

I agree that the major source of funds for your heating system need to come from the car fund. It sucks, but it is what it is. I would probably pull the balance from the e-fund, rather than the baby fund - this absolutely qualifies as an emergency to me - and then I would pay back the e-fund from whatever is left in the baby fund (if anything) after baby is born and the bills are paid.

**This is not legal advice.

hoffse · January 2015

Actually, scratch that idea about the extension - it looks like you still have to estimate your tax liability and pay that amount by April 15. I just checked. I guess all my clients who file an extension without paying by the deadline just decide to incur interest/penalties (facepalm).

In that case, I would be inclined to pay the $1400 to fix the heater, even though it's temporary, then pay the tax bill, and then not touch the baby fund. Maybe you can get through this without incurring more debt?

EDIT: I would - at the very least - wait until April 15 to mail the IRS a check if you owe. It's three months from now, and you might be able to pull some extra money together in that time. I'm still scratching my head about the $1500 bill though. Have you actually done a mock return on turbotax or something to come to that amount? It's just way way off - and off in the wrong direction - if you owe that much.

formerlyGDaisy09 · January 2015

hoffse said:

First, I'm sorry this happened to you. Obviously it's something that needs to be fixed stat, given that it's winter.

Are you sure you're going to owe $1500 to the IRS? That seems like an awfully large tax bill, unless you guys just waaaay under-withheld. If you guys are really going to owe that much, you might want to look into filing an extension so that you don't have to file your return/pay by April 15. It might buy you some time to save up for that tax bill, and it's probably the easiest thing to defer out of all the bills that are coming up. I'll be honest, I've never filed an extension for myself or anybody else (I'm not an accountant), but I know people do it. It won't prevent you from having the pay the bill eventually, but it might give you some time to save for it. At the very least, I would look into it as an option. You just don't have much wiggle room here, and there are a bunch of very expensive things that are going to hit all at once.**

What will baby expenses cost you? What do you have left to buy, and are you getting any paid maternity leave? What about the hospital bill? I'm hesitant to drain the baby fund entirely, given that you really just have a month to go.

I agree that the major source of funds for your heating system need to come from the car fund. It sucks, but it is what it is. I would probably pull the balance from the e-fund, rather than the baby fund - this absolutely qualifies as an emergency to me - and then I would pay back the e-fund from whatever is left in the baby fund (if anything) after baby is born and the bills are paid.

**This is not legal advice.

We did this the first year we were in our home. H was working 3 jobs and underpaying taxes at all of them (we had no idea at the time, but have smartened up!) basically one of the jobs he was barely making $8,000 for the year, the other two he was earning $12-$15K, of the income he was bringing home is was paying 15% on only a small portion of it, basically this resulted in him owing a couple thousand dollars. we filed an extension, I don't remember it being a big deal. Now we make estimated payments quarterly to keep-up with the descrepancy that happens when he works multiple jobs (rather than continually adjusting his withholdings).

I'd definitely recommend looking into filing the extension.

I also agree that I'd pull money from the e-fund rather than the baby fund. and put-off paying off your car. taking longer to pay off a car loan seems like a better option than possible medical debt.

I'm so sorry that this is happening right now, hopefully a new heating unit operates more efficiently than your current one and may result in some savings down the road.

vlagrl29 · January 2015

we've filed an extension 1 time and that was because DH was procrastinating getting his taxes done. He still had to put in a payment of what he thought he was to owe. I would not file an extension - instead make quarterly payments until it is paid off. Also adjust your deductions so you won't have to pay that much next year.

Leave baby fund the way it is. If you do get medical bills they are usually at 0-1% interest and you can make monthly payments.

Xstatic3333 · January 2015

I'm so sorry you're going through this

.

PPs have great advice. The advice I'll add is to get a few estimates on your boiler. We just replaced ours and the estimates were wildly different. As messed up as it is, I found that many of the contractors wouldn't take me seriously and my H could get better info out of them. Also, if you're on natural gas, see if there are any rebate programs for updating your equipment that could help soften the blow. They're not well publicized in our state, but we got $500 back (or will, once it eventually processes). They also offer 0% financing, which I know isn't your first choice but it's good to know your options.

Do you have an idea what your OOP max is for labor and delivery? In my experience medical bills sometimes come very late, so you may have lots of time to save.

Sorry about the tax issue. Your H has a second PT job, right? That's totally what does it. I always owe the state of MA $600ish (now paid quarterly) because my PT church job will only withhold as if it's my ONLY job. Pretty annoying when you're busting your butt to earn extra money, but at least you haven't been "lending" it to the government all year I suppose.

ETA: just kidding, you probably don't have time for estimates since its out entirely in January. Monday's=low brain function.

hoffse · January 2015

You can change your withholdings at your primary job to compensate for any second job though - there's a section you can fill out at the top of a W2 that walks you through it. H and I both withhold as single, and I withhold an extra $125/paycheck on top of that to make sure we don't owe too much.

Katie, maybe check the 2015 withholdings calculator so you don't run into this again next year:

http://apps.irs.gov/app/withholdingcalculator/

KatieCutie05 · January 2015

I get 66% of my pay for 7 weeks. 2 weeks of paid vacation and then i'm back to work (no time off unpaid). That will lower my income by about 900 per month - March should be the only month where we'd lose the full 900 - february and april will we part regular pay. March will be the tightest and its tough to figure my exact income so we may make it or we may be 200 short on paying our bills that month. We probably need another 300 of supplies max.

The 1500 was figured using a quick tax calculator online and our last paystubs. (i estimated home and SL interest deductions because i didn't get those forms yet) DH's was way underfunded. they literally took out 75 dollars for federal out of a 11k income from job 2. Only thing i can think is they calculated it as his only income. I think his full time job he had an extra dependant on there cus his was still pretty low. Mine is thankfully overfunded since i never changed it after we got married. I always got 2k back on mine so i thought that would balance his out but it didn't work out. Plus we were saving anyway so it was just a matter of how the fund was labeled. He's gonna change his w4 at the second job and i'm going to leave mine the way it is for now because next year we will be claiming the baby.

This heating bill totally threw us for a loop. We can call a few other places maybe they use different brands that might be a little cheaper, idk. Its propane heat with a combo heating and air unit. Repairman said that the heating exchange needs to be replaced because its so dirty and built up with black sut that no air is going through and thats causing it to back up and not be able to ignite the propane. I asked if it could just be cleaned and he said that most companies made a policy that they won't even try because they still have to take the whole thing apart and if you don't clean it perfectly or one little pin is out of place it will just clog up again... and its so much work that it would still be 800 in just labor and thats IF we could find anyone that would do it. But again its a 12 year old unit that is supposed to last 10-15 years. We are planning on staying for another 5 years give or take (finances depending) and even if it did last that long - we'd take a hit on resale value with a 17 year old unit. dh says we need to replace it before we sell. so this way atleast we get the benefit of the energy cost and no repair bills.

The new unit would be slightly more energy efficient. consumer reports rates it as the best (American Standard). And it comes with a 2 year parts and labor warranty, 10 year parts warranty so we really don't need to worry about it again. Dh estimated it would save us 2500 in energy costs and propane usage over the next 5 years.

formerlyGDaisy09 · January 2015

KatieCutie05 said:

I get 66% of my pay for 7 weeks. 2 weeks of paid vacation and then i'm back to work (no time off unpaid). That will lower my income by about 900 per month - March should be the only month where we'd lose the full 900 - february and april will we part regular pay. March will be the tightest and its tough to figure my exact income so we may make it or we may be 200 short on paying our bills that month. We probably need another 300 of supplies max.

The 1500 was figured using a quick tax calculator online and our last paystubs. (i estimated home and SL interest deductions because i didn't get those forms yet) DH's was way underfunded. they literally took out 75 dollars for federal out of a 11k income from job 2. Only thing i can think is they calculated it as his only income. I think his full time job he had an extra dependant on there cus his was still pretty low. Mine is thankfully overfunded since i never changed it after we got married. I always got 2k back on mine so i thought that would balance his out but it didn't work out. Plus we were saving anyway so it was just a matter of how the fund was labeled. He's gonna change his w4 at the second job and i'm going to leave mine the way it is for now because next year we will be claiming the baby.

This heating bill totally threw us for a loop. We can call a few other places maybe they use different brands that might be a little cheaper, idk. Its propane heat with a combo heating and air unit. Repairman said that the heating exchange needs to be replaced because its so dirty and built up with black sut that no air is going through and thats causing it to back up and not be able to ignite the propane. I asked if it could just be cleaned and he said that most companies made a policy that they won't even try because they still have to take the whole thing apart and if you don't clean it perfectly or one little pin is out of place it will just clog up again... and its so much work that it would still be 800 in just labor and thats IF we could find anyone that would do it. But again its a 12 year old unit that is supposed to last 10-15 years. We are planning on staying for another 5 years give or take (finances depending) and even if it did last that long - we'd take a hit on resale value with a 17 year old unit. dh says we need to replace it before we sell. so this way atleast we get the benefit of the energy cost and no repair bills.

The new unit would be slightly more energy efficient. consumer reports rates it as the best (American Standard). And it comes with a 2 year parts and labor warranty, 10 year parts warranty so we really don't need to worry about it again. Dh estimated it would save us 2500 in energy costs and propane usage over the next 5 years.

This was exactly what happened to my H. Most businesses have no way to calculate what they should withhold based on your total income. my H now has the maximum withheld and I have a formula in our monthly budget excel sheet that calculates if we need to pull more out to send as estimated payments.

smerka · January 2015

This is what you do if you owe money to the IRS. File your return on time. Do not file an extension. Send whatever money you can by April 15th. Then set up a payment plan with the IRS. You will pay interest on the amount still owed, but it's better than putting it on a credit card. When you set up the payment plan (it will have to get approved by the IRS), make sure you put an amount you know you can afford each month. You can always send them more if you have it. This is the web page with the info. Don't be afraid of IRS. Just don't ever ignore them. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Payment-Plans-Installment-Agreements

smerka · January 2015

It may make some sense to pay someone to do your taxes this year. They might be able to find some deductions you weren't aware of and they can show you what 2015 will look like with a child on your return so you'll know how to adjust your withholding.

smerka · January 2015

This is better info on the payment plan. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Online-Payment-Agreement-Application

hoffse · January 2015

Interest with the IRS might be higher than interest on a payment plan for medical expenses. You need to check both. And it looks like the IRS charges you a fee to set up a payment plan with them. My biggest concern with the payment plan via the IRS is that there are rumblings that this is going to be the worst year at the IRS since the 80's... they're seriously underfunded/understaffed, and they are having to do the obamacare stuff this year. It's going to be a nightmare. I'm not sure I would be confident in them approving the plan/making sure it all works out correctly on their end given how slammed they are going to be with regular returns.

It's really better if you can just pay it outright. The extension is really only for the tax return itself - it looks like you need to pay the money by Apr. 15 regardless, so you might as well file the return at the same time.

I wouldn't pay somebody to do your taxes with things being this tight. Buy Turbotax or HR block for $40 and do it that way. Those programs are quite good if your taxes aren't complicated. I actually did a test on HR Block's software this year - I did a mock return the weekend before the 2014 tax cuts passed at the end of December. One of the deductions we normally get was on that bill, so it wasn't part of the software when I did the mock return (because the bill hadn't passed yet). Well I updated the software this past weekend, and that deduction suddenly appeared. That makes me feel like they are keeping the software current. If you guys are salaried, then your taxes are probably pretty easy. There's always a chance that HR block/Turbotax will miss a deduction in their programming, but it's super unlikely. Those programs really just take a tax return and code it. If you compare them you will see that they are asking you the questions - almost in order - that appear on the forms.

You really need to use one of those programs before you know what your tax liability actually is. For instance, there are caps on things like the student loan interest deduction. You don't necessarily deduct whatever you paid. If you want to know what you actually paid, just check your account. Every student loan payment you made last year should be broken down into interest vs. principle. Add up the interest, and that's what you paid. You should be able to find that info for your mortgage easily as well.

Just so you know for the future, virtually all employers calculate your taxes as though they are your only employer unless you tell them to withhold differently. Employers have no idea what you make at other jobs or what your spouse makes or whether you take the standard deduction or itemize - and all of that plays into what you should be withholding. They will simply withhold what you tell them to withhold, and they will assume that they are your only employer unless you tell them differently. Please look at the 2015 withholdings calculator so you guys can adjust that appropriately for next year.

CuriousKiddosMama · January 2015

Hi Katie,
I have no advice on the heater/ tax thing but what was already offered. I'm sorry this happened with such bad timing.
I did want to let you know that target is running their baby section on clearance right now. 2 years ago this was how I got everything from our crib to diapers for my first. Also for diapers follow southern savers.com she is pregnant herself right now and so she has been revisiting all things baby. She posts the best deals in diapers every week so you can get a great deal there. Those are so essential, it helps to save money where you can. She is in the south, but she does a lot of national stores so you can always find deals at target or the drug stores near you.

KatieCutie05 · January 2015

Thanks, yea I really don't want to owe a dime to the IRS. I'd much rather have medical bills. We have enough to pay the taxes and the heating unit right now atleast but that would burn us dry and completely erase the last 9 months.

Our biggest struggle at this point is whether or not its smart to spend the money now to replace it. I feel like we are screwed either way and to just fix it now would be a waste of 1400 when we have to replace it in the next few years regardless... And it will probably end up almost paying for itself in 5 years between repair costs and energy savings.... its just that big chunk of money right now and not being able to pay off my car that kills us. all that work for nothing so now we can struggle with paying off the car. oy i really dont know what to do.

formerlyGDaisy09 · January 2015

KatieCutie05 said:

Thanks, yea I really don't want to owe a dime to the IRS. I'd much rather have medical bills. We have enough to pay the taxes and the heating unit right now atleast but that would burn us dry and completely erase the last 9 months.

Our biggest struggle at this point is whether or not its smart to spend the money now to replace it. I feel like we are screwed either way and to just fix it now would be a waste of 1400 when we have to replace it in the next few years regardless... And it will probably end up almost paying for itself in 5 years between repair costs and energy savings.... its just that big chunk of money right now and not being able to pay off my car that kills us. all that work for nothing so now we can struggle with paying off the car. oy i really dont know what to do.

It sucks, unfortunately that's what happens with homeownership, we can make all the plans in the world, but that's not always the way it goes. You guys have done a great job getting on top of things, imagine if you hadn't been putting the funds together for your car?

You're in the right mindset now, this is exactly why being smart about stashing some money away is good, just keep doing what you're doing and you'll have funds together to pay off your car again soon. H and I had funds earmarked for replacing some appliances in our house last year, then we needed a new roof...do I wish we had a new stove and dishwasher, absolutely! but am I glad we didn't have to take out a loan to fix the roof, definitely!

Xstatic3333 · January 2015

I agree, you guys really are doing great. You had a lot more money aside than many would have. Hopefully the tax hit will be better than you think.

It's a tough call on the heating unit, but I'd probably just replace it since its towards the end of its useful life. That way you won't have to deal with it conking out again with a baby. You can definitely argue it either way, though.

brij2006 · January 2015

Just remember that 1 year ago this would have broke you completely. You guys have come so far, and have done so well to be able to have the cash to pay for this. That is huge!

I would definitely get a couple more opinions and estimates on the heating repair though. Then pay someone to do your taxes. Ask around for where people go to in your area and how much it costs. We pay $75 to get ours filed and it's soooo worth it. I've actually tested it out before hand with the online software and we end up getting more back when filing through her. Then if this truly is the case, you need to change your witholdings on your W4's with your employers.

hoffse · January 2015

brij2006 said:

Just remember that 1 year ago this would have broke you completely. You guys have come so far, and have done so well to be able to have the cash to pay for this. That is huge!

I would definitely get a couple more opinions and estimates on the heating repair though. Then pay someone to do your taxes. Ask around for where people go to in your area and how much it costs. We pay $75 to get ours filed and it's soooo worth it. I've actually tested it out before hand with the online software and we end up getting more back when filing through her. Then if this truly is the case, you need to change your witholdings on your W4's with your employers.

Brij, don't you guys have business income/equipment you have to depreciate (I want to say farming)? Or am I making that up? If so, your taxes are complicated and might well be beyond the abilities of the tax programs. If Katie and her husband are just salaried with a house and student loans, then her taxes are very simple.

We have some small business income this year - but nothing to depreciate. Our HR Block software calculated it correctly. It was minimal enough that I checked it by hand, and it included the correct loss as one of our deductions.

brij2006 · January 2015

hoffse said:

brij2006 said:

Just remember that 1 year ago this would have broke you completely. You guys have come so far, and have done so well to be able to have the cash to pay for this. That is huge!

I would definitely get a couple more opinions and estimates on the heating repair though. Then pay someone to do your taxes. Ask around for where people go to in your area and how much it costs. We pay $75 to get ours filed and it's soooo worth it. I've actually tested it out before hand with the online software and we end up getting more back when filing through her. Then if this truly is the case, you need to change your witholdings on your W4's with your employers.

Brij, don't you guys have business income/equipment you have to depreciate (I want to say farming)? Or am I making that up? If so, your taxes are complicated and might well be beyond the abilities of the tax programs. If Katie and her husband are just salaried with a house and student loans, then her taxes are very simple.

We have some small business income this year - but nothing to depreciate. Our HR Block software calculated it correctly. It was minimal enough that I checked it by hand, and it included the correct loss as one of our deductions.

We do not have any farming to depreciate off (that would cost a heck of a lot more than $75 to file). However, we do have my direct sales business that we do claim, along with mileage write offs from my regular job. So we have a couple of things, but I used to file them through Turbotax myself.

KatieCutie05 · January 2015

yea we just have our 3 jobs with student loan interest and mortgage interest. We have nothing complicated or i would take it to a professional.

I have coworkers telling me they got 20+ years out of their system but it was a trane. we've got the worst rated system out there so i don't know how realistic that is for us.

I even tried calling the DR show - couldn't get through. lol. Cannot decide. i keep going back and forth.

I think no matter what i do i'm going to regret it. We have another company coming out this afternoon just to give us a quote. i may call another company depending how quick they can come out.

brij2006 · January 2015

Honestly, in your situation I would be tempted to just repair it for now. Yes, it sucks because you know it's a unit that may or may not last a long time, but it wouldn't be worth it for me to add on extra debt after working this hard to get rid of so much of it. It may only be medical debt, but it's still debt that will need to be added to the snowball and add even more to your timeline.

KatieCutie05 · January 2015

I came home thinking I wanted to just fix it instead of replace it but h was talking to the estimate guy and he told us it wouldn't be a good idea and it would just be a waste of money.... So now H is totally set on replacing it which im not sure i agree with. And proposed this idea....

This other company offers 0% financing. Our first thought was no way. But DH is thinking maybe we finance this to just give us until the baby is born. Then once the baby and me are home and healthy (assuming everything went well). Then we empty the car fund and pay off the car. At that point we have atleast 2k for either medical or taxes. But the car is paid off netting us 360 a month. We have that for maternity leave and medical/taxes. Then once those are paid off we just start paying off this heating unit like we would have the car.... But without the interest. I hate debt more then Anyone here and it absolutely kills me. But debt is debt whether we owe it to the car or the heating unit. Its basically just moving it because we both said the only way we would finance it is if we pay off the car instead. We are gaining the interest and the leeway that comes with a lower minimum payment.... Plus keeping the money around another month just in case. But either way this adds 9 months to our plan which kills me

Feel free to tell us we r crazy because something just feels too risky about this plan to me. Plus unless we can get a better price... The 0% one is 300 more. I mean its a slightly better unit so that's y and my husband thinks its worth it for 300 bucks but I would rather pay less not more... Regardless how or when its paid for.

vlagrl29 · January 2015

I absolutely think you should replace it because if you keep repairing it you are putting more money in it that could be put into a new one. As far as the financing - I don't think its necessarily a bad idea just make sure you have it paid off before the 0% is over and back interest kicks in

CuriousKiddosMama · January 2015

Did you tell this last guy about your other quote? Sometimes they will drop the quote just to get your business.

I also think that waiting until baby is born is a decent plan. When you pay off the car and have gone back to work you can put all the old car payment $ towards this and hopefully get out from under it quicker. It's ok to pause your debt snowball while waiting for baby. I know this isn't texhcnincally a pause, but In my mind it is an emergency that needs to be taken care of that your emergency fund can't cover. You have to have heat.

smbenevides1989 · January 2015

First, I'm sorry this happened.

Second, I would honestly buy a new unit. I would rather spend the money and get new, then pay to fix it but not know if the unit could break 5 months from now or 5 years from now. The stress of that is not worth it to me. I would take the 0% financing for whatever months, pay the car once you have the baby, pay any medical bills/IRS bills (whatever is less first) you may have with the $360 you had from the car payment, then pay the unit off,s long as you pay the 0% before the time is over.

The peace of mind is more worth it to me than stress.

Sisugal · January 2015

Replace it! And replace it with a QUALITY unit - not the cheapest you can find. You will have a more fuel efficient and reliable unit - which you will want to have with a new baby in the house!

hoffse · January 2015

OK well if you replace it make sure you really know the terms of the 0% financing. I'm not totally convinced about paying off the car, unless having that car payment is going to really stretch you once baby arrives. In that case, I can see doing it.

My question is whether you will have enough to make payments on the unit after baby arrives and the car is paid off?

brij2006 · January 2015

What about asking them for a cash discount instead? We were able to get $1k off our $7k window job because we were paying in cash. It's worth asking.

I personally would not go with the more expensive one because they offer financing, but would go with the least expensive and use the cash to do so. Rather than debt leveraging.

However, the reason I say this is because debt leveraging is what got us into the debt mess that we're in, and we've worked hard with this gazelle intensity for a reason. Not to ever take on more debt. I would do whatever it took to make sure that didn't happen.

formerlyGDaisy09 · January 2015

what are the terms of the 0% offer? how long are they financing it over? it does sound like loosing that $360 car payment would make your budget better over your maternity leave, do you know first how much minimum payments on the heating unit would be and second when your first payment would be due?

It sounds like you guys are in survival mode until you and baby are home and healthy and then you're on a pretty lean budget while you're out on maternity leave. I think you need to figure out which ever situation is going to put the least financial pressure on you guys...even if right now it looks like it adds to your timeline, once you're back at work you'll have more money in your budget to get back on top of things.

Xstatic3333 · January 2015

If you're going to have to have some debt, it might as well be 0%. Research the heck out of the terms, of course, but I'm sure you probably have. Beware if they use GE or Santander for financing-those guys are tricky and will try to squeeze fees out of you. If it's finances through a local bank or CU (how the 0% option we considered worked) than I'm less worried.

I definitely wouldn't go cheap if you're going to do the replacement. I read great reviews about the brand you mentioned earlier.

Heating unit died :(

Re: Heating unit died :(

Choose Another Board

Search Boards