It’s probably a good idea to start out this blog post talking about me and maintenance; it’s a constant challenge. Here are some examples:
- I’ve owned a home as a single woman for 13 years, and I’ve only had my furnace inspected and cleaned about 3 of those years. Yes, I know I it’s supposed to be done every year; it’s just that this item never seems to move to the top of my to-do list.
- I know everything you ever wanted to know about sealing a home for energy efficiency because I worked for DAP, a caulk and sealant manufacturer for nine years, yet so much cold air comes in from under my kitchen door (and through many windows) that we sometimes have ice inside on the floor & on the windows. Pretty bad, huh?
- When I first became a single mom, after my divorce, I simply forgot that cars needed regular maintenance (or maybe I was confused since the maintenance manuals stopped around 60,000 miles & my ex-husband used to take care of the cars). Whatever the case may be, I owned a Dodge Caravan that lived on oil changes & repairs only. A couple of times, the repairs were botched, (and one botched repair even cost me a friendship since I missed an important commitment, but I digress). Unfortunately that Dodge Caravan didn’t live too long.
Anyway, that’s just for perspective…
And then, about four years ago I started getting my car repaired at BA Auto Care. Before that, I went to different places like Pep Boys, a shell gas station near my job, quick lube places, and finally, for a few of my cars, to the dealer. My preference was fast and cheap, but with my last few cars, I tried to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation and went to the dealer for the recommended service intervals because I wanted my cars to last.
