Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

Not unemployed, but my workload has tripled (pretty much not an exaggeration) with my salary frozen ... I'm giving up a lot more hours and am a lot more wiped out as a result, so it's kind of eating into my wrench time. I've also been trying to keep costs under control due to the fact that I very much want to leave my job, and want to feel like I can afford to do so. I volunteered for severance earlier this month and was turned down, watching my friends get laid off instead. On top of that I'm living with my parents, which is not the best situation, and I'm hoping to invest in a house soon. So I'm not skimping on the vital stuff, but I'm trying to hold off on some biggies ... especially on the 240D, which is well beyond its golden year. I try to focus on cheap-but-challenging repairs ... right now I'm doing some low-budget bodywork after taking care of the vitals: brakes, steering linkage and maintenance. Most of it hasn't cost me that much, but the 240D is going to need a new exhaust and new tires, both going to be $$$. If things keep going the way they are, I may end up shelving the project altogether ... employment or no employment ...