Keeping Up Appearances

I was in a small car accident - a fender-bender, really - last week. (Everyone is fine.) My fender - or more accurately, my door and the area behind my door that is apparently called a quarter panel - is dented. It was entirely not my fault, and as the other party worked for a car rental company it appears that there is a check in my future.

1. I am shocked at how much body work apparently costs. I really thought the amount of damage would be less than my deductible. Nope.
2. This means that the insurance company will cut me a check. A big one - less than the value of a new car, but big-ish anyway.

And so enters the first major disagreement of our young marriage. I would take the money, get the tires aligned (damage caused by the accident), get some work done on the engine (pre-existing), and take the rest of the money (which I estimate to be around $1,500, although that number pretty much came from my head) and pay off some debt, get some fuel to heat the house in the winter, or do something else to better our financial situation. This would mean that I would drive a slightly dented but totally functional car.

Husband would spend all the money getting the body work done. We would have a car with a smooth exterior, although next month's finances would be the same as this month's (which is to say, tight).

I really don't care what my car looks like. I care that I hate worrying about how we will pay all the monthly bills. I care that I have a car. It's eight years old, but it gets me from point A to point B, regardless of if it is dented.

Husband doesn't like looking at dents and hates the idea of driving a not-so-nice-looking car. He doesn't love the bills, but he's willing to live with them since we do in fact have enough to support ourselves.

And so goes the disagreement.