Ugh, that was me and the new car over the summer - I needed something that wasn't going to have the wheels fall off on the highway or something, and I love my new car, but sob, so much money. Keeping water out of the basement sounds similarly important.

Cheering you on from the sidelines there - I'm very lucky in that I have a pretty progressive workplace and while it's still capitalist cubeland, I know it's far, far, better than it could be.