When White Christmas Went to Shit
A story of tragedy and kindness
It would be a severe understatement to call the winter of 2022 to 2023 “white” here in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Snow blanketed the Midwest.
Winter started with a sprinkle in October. It built to a crescendo in late December with snowstorms and sub-zero temperatures.
My family and I planned to do our traditional Christmas-Chanukah vacation at a cabin in northern Wisconsin. The country town got slammed with 15 inches of snow on the Wednesday before Christmas. The trip was cancelled so instead I would visit my family in Milwaukee.
My car seemed like it was in decent shape. There was a solid month and thousand miles to go before the next recommended service. Still, this winter had been particularly cold and icy. Then, the tire pressure light came on.
"What the hell, I'll take care of it myself!" I thought. It is an important skill to have and doesn't seem too difficult. I went to a local gas station and filled up my tires to what seemed like a solid PSI. I hit the tire pressure button and the light was off.
The problem was solved, or so I thought. As Christmas approached, the temperatures dropped. The roads degraded to icy treacherous conditions. The prospect of driving across the state filled me with dread.
I took the Friday off before Christmas Eve to get last minute Christmas shopping and pack for my drive. Trader Joes closed due to the weather, so I slid down to Whole Foods instead.
I followed it up with a quick trip to the electronics store, stopped at the bar for a late lunch, and a final trip to the gym. Local conditions in Minneapolis were rough. I had a bad feeling about the 300 mile trip to Milwaukee.
I woke up at 5 AM feeling worried. But I started with breakfast and packed my car for the trip.
The first hour of the trip was the normal experience of trying to leave the city. Yes traffic was slow, but what can you do?
As I crossed into the countryside of western Wisconsin I noticed accidents and stalled vehicles on the side of the road. I stopped by a rest stop for a bathroom break, quick snack, and to soak up a bit of winter sun. I hopped back in the car feeling more comfortable. That comfort was my undoing.
I was about halfway home when disaster struck. While coasting in the right lane, I hit black ice and lost control. "Shit!" I yelled as I hit the breaks.
The car careened off the road. It struck a pole on the side of the highway. Then it slid further into the ditch. It scraped the trees and fence as coming to rest below.
I was grateful to be unscathed. Still I was stuck in a frigid hell! What to do?
The car seemed like it might be drivable, but definitely stuck in that ditch. I shot a quick text to my family, filed an insurance claim, and booked roadside assistance with AAA. Then I changed into wool socks, grabbed a shovel and tried to dig myself out.
No such luck, but a police officer was along shortly. She booked me a tow, told me to cancel my AAA call, and wrote me a ticket! The claimed 30-45 minutes for the tow came with no sign of them. My parents were on their way to pick me up.
A silver-haired gent in a Chevy pulled up on the road on the other side of the fence. Jack introduced himself as the neighbor on the other side of the road. He invited me in for some hot chocolate and to hang out with his dogs and family. I was grateful to be out of the cold and meet some dogs and new people. It helped me cope with my shock.
The bigger hound, Jasper, was barking up a storm and acting like a real rascal. Jack put him in the basement to cool off. Roger was a sweet-hearted old beagle mix. He loved to be pet which helped calm me down. The rest of Jack's family arrived about forty minutes later, along with the tow truck.
The car turned out to have a tree lodged in the passenger’s side bumper. Getting my car winched out was an ordeal. A fellow named Jerry owned and operated the tow truck. He gave me two alternatives:
I could leave the car with them and keep my insurance coverage. Or I could try to drive off and be on my own.
The car seemed like it might be drivable, but I didn't want to bet my life on might at that point. I waited for my parents, then moved everything from my car into their SUV.
Taking every knick-knack out of my broken car in that frozen tow lot was heart-breaking. Once my parents and I arrived home my sister had cooked a magnificent dinner for us. We were able to relax and enjoy the rest of Christmas, despite the tremendous shock of what had happened.
This was an emotional rollercoaster. I'm feeling an incredible amount of gratitude - for my safety, for my family, and for Jack's hospitality. Yet I was irate and bereaved! My beautiful Honda lied in ruins! My plans for January were absolutely fucked.
What are the lessons learned?
SLOW DOWN in winter weather!
I now get maintenance before winter including changing tires.
Both my family and strangers showed me incredible kindness. I intend to pay it forward.
Accidents and loss are inevitable facts of life.
Protect Your Neck
What can you do to roll with life’s punches? For starters buy insurance against any serious risk of loss. I’m grateful that Progressive helped me get my car back in shape.
Of course a car wreck is a major shock to your finances. A well-designed budget serves as a financial GPS. It helps you weather such shocks by showing you where you are now and where you are going.
My budget was a major asset to me in the aftermath of the accident. Wealth Battle entrepreneur Kason taught me how to budget using YNAB.
YNAB stands for “you need a budget.” In the words of fellow Wealth Battler Lisa:
Budgeting is the place to start because it makes you aware of your habits. It makes you aware of things you have forgotten about. It gives you an accurate picture of your financial life. And only then can you actually make informed decisions. There is a progression for a reason. It gets us ready to do the next step.
Yes you can do this using spreadsheets. YNAB is an awesome app for us folks who aren’t hardcore spreadsheet junkies. I started off doing everything manually. Now I connect most of my accounts using Plaid API for automagic expense tracking.
You can learn to budget for FREE like I did with Kason at Wealth Battle. Check out his video and schedule a meeting.