When $0.08 Isn't Worth the TROUBLE

As told to Carolyn S. Peterson by a loyal reader

We’re all guilty of proving the saying ’Haste Makes Waste,’ but for one loyal Forsyth Woman reader, who we’ll call ’Carla’ in order to protect her reputation, trying to save $0.08 at a gas pump while in a hurry, wasn’t worth all the trouble that came with that savings.

’Holy Moley, Mama Mia!’ Having too much on her plate is something that Carla is guilty of quite often. One day she was running a little late to take her mother-in-law to see the matinee of ’Mama Mia!’ Carla noticed the gas tank on her Bonneville was low, so she decided to stop by a local gas station and ’fill ’er up.’ As she approached the gas station, she noticed that the price of gas was $0.08 cheaper at the station across the street. Who wouldn’t want to save $0.08? Carla was trying to be frugal, so she went for the savings.

As she pumped and silently congratulated herself on her savings, she noticed it was later than she thought, so just enough gas was added to make the afternoon’s trip. As she paid for the gas she was thanked for ’trading’ with the station and she went on her way.

’Mama Mia!’ was a hit with the mother-in-law, but upon getting in the car, Carla noticed the engine wasn’t sounding quite right. The next morning she told her husband about the car ’sputtering’ the day before. When Carla’s husband started the car, the smoke started to roll and the stench of rotten eggs poured out of the exhaust, filling the house from the garage to the second floor. Not sure what was wrong with the car, Carla’s husband suggested she drive the 1996 Jeep Cherokee for the day. The only problem was that it didn’t have any gas or an air conditioner. The latter problem was the biggest one for a menopausal woman. Dressed as cool as possible with frozen clothes around her neck, Carla set out to get gas at the same gas station where she had been the day before. The price couldn’t be beat!

Deciding to fill up the tank, Carla reached for the hose of the antique gas pump and heard a cautious voice, “Ma’am, Jeeps don’t take diesel.” That was when everything suddenly fell into place she had put diesel into the Bonneville the day before. Carla knew that she had to tell her husband that ’his stupid wife had pumped diesel into her car.’ Concern set in as Carla learned about all the damage that she had done to the Bonneville, but she took the station attendant’s comments and went on her way.

Carla arrived at her sister-in-law’s house, soaking from the heat, with a cloth around her neck, miserable. After relaying the ’diesel dilemma,’ the family in the house found Carla’s pain quite funny, but informed her that, by just adding regular unleaded fuel on top of the diesel, the diesel would turn to gel and evaporate, without damage. She was relieved that sharing with her husband wouldn’t have the bad results it could have had.

Always Begin with ’I’m fine. I’m not hurt.’ Any woman knows that when something involves a car, the best way to break any news to a husband is to begin with ’I’m fine. I’m not hurt.’ This approach puts the husband in the frame of mind to know that the one he depends on to cook, iron and take out the garbage will still be there for him in his time of need. Carla may not know the difference between diesel and unleaded, but she knows how to set up a situation. As she explained to her husband over the phone, he realized that she had put diesel in the car and he stayed calm. With the addition of unleaded gas and the change of a filter, the Bonneville is off and running again. Carla wanted to share this story because it does prove that ’Haste Makes Waste’ and saving $0.08 is not a big deal. With all she went through, the worst part of the ’diesel dilemma’ was being a menopausal woman in a car without air conditioning on a 95 plus degree day. The woman has her priorities.