Frugal Families

I just found dh has not changed the oil in my truck in a long time and that needs done asap

then I noticed at least 2 of the tires are bald and need replaced the cheapest for one tire is $139 plus mounting fees still looking to find something cheaper but not sure I can

Of course this is not in the budget this month and next month is going to be another tight budget month I am hoping to get dh to get everything for the oil change and let him change it at home if possible and only figure out the tire expense for november

I really need dh to go over the truck and make sure all the fluids(transmission/brake/antifreeze) are full and ready for winter
then start budgeting that for november

I live in PA and it is already getting cold and winter weather is settling in
Becky

That is a bummer about the tires.  I wish it were easier to figure out when tires are going to wear out, enough in advance to save up for new ones!

I don't rely on DH for any car maintenance; I learned not to with an ex who had good intentions, lots of tools, and no sense of time management.  I taught myself how to perform basic maintenance; it's not as mysteriously manly as they try to make it seem.

my dh has always been the auto repair man since dh laughed at me for replacing my tail light with wiring harness that needed replaced I will not attempt any repairs myself
dh even thinks when I do check the oil I am not doing it correctly so I leave everything to him

I only put washer fluid in when needed since I am the main driver and dh rarely gets the chance to drive my truck

Becky

For tire wear-out, I just look at how many miles I drive annually (ballpark average over a few years) and look at how many miles the tires are rated for. That puts it in the ballpark of replacement time, meaning budgeting time would come even before that.

In our case, we buy tires rated for 80,000 miles, and replace them around 70,000. We are at 140,000 miles on my vehicle, so yep, they will most likely get replaced next month. We've been talking about it for 2 or 3 months, and working on where to fit them into the budget.

That is a good suggestion for budgeting for new tires. I will have to remember that. This past week my DH repaired my van that has been sitting for 2 years since my dogs decided to rip out the hoses and wiring to chase a squirrel into the engine compartment. Anyway, since the van sat there for 2 years, 2 of the tires rotted. We went to a chain tire center and bought 2 really good quality tires with about 20,000+ wear left for $76.00. We have bought used tires for other vehicles that could not be repaired.

Check out the tire stores around you. Get your tires replaced, hopefully with good used ones and then budget for the new ones. I am glad you notice the tires were bald. That is too scary. Too many people have died from blown tires. 

HTH, good luck!!