u/smokeyfires9

Hey everyone, my wife drives a 2002 Toyota RAV4. It has 114k miles and we were recently told by the shop that it needs the timing chain tensioner replaced due to a super loud rattling noise it was making. They quoted me at $2200 for the repair.

I am trying to decide if it’s worth putting $2200 into a 24 year old car vs cutting my losses, selling the car and getting something else. I also fear that they could go in to do the tensioner and find more problems with the car and it turn into a money pit.

Any advice on how to proceed?

Hey everyone, I am seeking advice on what to do in my current situation. I have made some stupid financial decisions in the past but I have recently started taking finances more seriously. I worked hard to get myself debt free except my mortgage which is a nice feeling. I am married and have two small children, but this is my question.

When I bought our house I was in such a hurry to just find something that I overextended myself and we are definitely house poor now. My mortgage takes up about 60% of my income. It’s brutal. After groceries, gas, insurance, utilities etc. I have no money leftover to save and feel like I’ll never be able to get ahead.

I have heavily considered selling our house and starting over but I’m not even sure I have enough money saved up to pay for closing costs/realtor fees and everything. Plus in my area, I don’t think I’d even be able to find a house that’s any cheaper than what I have now. So I’m at a loss on what I should do.

Seeing if anyone has any ideas of where to move from here so I don’t have to live house poor forever. Thank you.