Unexpected Expense

Unfortunately, one week after replacing our clothing dryer (which died very unexpectedly) our washer broke down as well!  We just bought the house, and 'inherited' the appliances, so I suppose there was no guarantee that either would last for any period of time.

After a ton of research, we decided to go with a lower costing top-loading washer.  I know this isn't the sexy style most everyone else is after, but everything we read showed the top loader was a better choice financially - in the short and long term.  Here's why:

• It was several hundred dollars less than a comparable front loader.
• It is energy efficient.
• A trusted repair person told us it should last longer, and will cost less to fix if it does break down. 

The washer was just delivered and we are really happy with our choice.  Saving money always feels great, and the older we get, the more practical we seem to become.

We're going to have to consider these types of unexpected expenses as we put together our annual spend budget.  This will definitely go into the Incidentals/ Emergency category.