This Halloween has been full of tricks and treats.
Unfortunately the trick part of the day was not a fun one and it was one that I did to myself.
I was backing out of our garage on my way to the grocery store to pick up candy for tonight’s trick-or-treaters when BAM, I ran into the side of the garage.
I was trying to avoid a car that was parked in our driveway and was concentrating on not hitting that car with the back of my car and totally neglected my side mirror.
I already got an estimate on the damage and to simply replace the mirror and the cracked white casing will be nearly $500. I’m planning to see if there are junkyards nearby or if I may be able to order the part online before shelling out that much dough.
You better believe I filled myself up with lots of treats after that nasty trick.
The peanut butter Snickers from that pack are all but gone.
Dinner
Dinner tonight was festive in colors.
Orange + Black!
Black beans, roasted sweet potatoes and squash served as sides to chicken breasts that I pan fried after seasoning them with mesquite seasoning.
And now I’m hoping for lots of Trick-or-Treaters! I have a very full candy bowl and can’t wait to see some cute and scary costumes.
Question of the Evening
- Have you ever been in an accident or damaged your car?
My accident history looks like this:
- Accident, 2003: Replace bumper of car
- Accident, 2008: Totaled car <— Awful experience
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I’m sorry about your car but at least it didn’t involve another vehicle which would be twice the headache. I smash my car into things all the time, can’t lie. It’s who I am.
Your dinner looks amazing. I haven’t been feeling well and haven’t had a normal looking meal in awhile and THAT is exactly what I need soon! Happy Halloween!
i thought the same thing… glad it was only me!
Ugh! Sorry about the accident. I’ve totally been there and it put a huge damper on my day. At least you have candy to make it better! 🙂
Oh, no! It’s such an awful feeling when that happens. And then $500 on top of it. Salt in the wound much?
Three days after having my first car, I crashed into someone else and it ended up costing me $1,000 out of a pocket (I only made minimum wage!) since my insurance wouldn’t pay for it. Then a couple of years ago when I bought my current car and only had it 2 days, some guy opened his door into mine (when mine was parked), denting it and leaving a ton of his paint behind. That was a painful $800 to fix. Never fun!
oh that’s awful 🙁
Ugh that sucks!! My first accident was when I rear-ended someone and had to replace the whole hood of my car. My only other accidents I was rear ended by someone else – once by a UPS truck and he totaled my car – awful experience!
Sorry about your car, that’s a drag =( Fortunately I’ve been very lucky and never damaged a vehicle…but that’s probably because I don’t drive. Sooo….
Anyway, it’s a good thing that Halloween candy can put pretty much anyone in a good mood. Chocolate to the rescue! Happy Halloween!!
I recently did, so I totally feel for you.
I just got in an accident with $6000 in damage to my car. It was covered by insurance, but I’m under 25, and live in Canada no less, so my payments are going to go THROUGH the roof.
Messing up your car is soooo devastating. We should all drive bumper cars! ha
When I was in high school, I tapped the car in front of me at a red light. I saw it go green and started rolling forward, without realizing the car in front of me wasn’t.. Of course I started crying and freaking out, luckily the guy I hit was a middle aged man who had a daughter who’d also just gotten into an accident… he was very nice.
I had a little fender-bender in May, not fun!
I hope you find a more inexpensive part 🙂
Bummer about the car! 🙁 I’m so sorry…I’m glad it’s not more than $500 even though that’s a lot when you weren’t planning to spend any! Funny story about my 1 (of 2) accidents – 5 years ago I was on my way to work, running late as always, and I got to a T-shaped intersection where I turn right. There was a truck coming on the left but was still a ways off, and the car in front of me appeared to decide to go ahead and turn right since there was time. I decided to go, too, but had to step on the gas some to make it. Well car in front of me had since decided NOT to turn and just wait for the truck, and I slammed right into their rear bumper while gunning it. To make it even worse, not only was I even LATER for work, but the driver of the car I hit was a co-worker…and not one whom I got along with real well. Oops. I felt like the biggest idiot. Fortunately, we don’t work together anymore, and she didn’t make me pay for her repairs (I live in a no-fault state anyway). My car was nearly totalled, though 🙁 Hang in there!
Ugh, sorry about your car! That sounds like something I would do.
In high school, I drove a tiny Mazda Miata and always had a tough time at toll booths because it was so low to the ground. I’d have to get super close to reach the ticket. Well, one day I got too close and scraped the front/side of my car across the cement. Kind of mortifying. Happens to the best of us, or at least that’s what I tell myself!
I did the same thing a few years ago, only I was pulling IN to my garage…there’s just no excuse for that!
I got a similar trick at 7 am this morning when I walked out to find my driver’s side view mirror smashed in either by another car or a Halloween party goer. So I can definitely feel your pain! I may be junkyard diving as well!
The only accident that my vehicle has had was when my neighbor unitentionally left his car in reverse – he got out to go back into his house-and it rolled backwards across the street and into my vehicle. New bumper will be needed. Now that doesnt include all the little dents from parking lots and road trash:(
oh my gosh!
I have done the same thing to my car (oh, and not once but twice). Thankfully my car has the side mirrors in a black different material type casing for all the colors, and not painted to match; which made finding mirrors on two separate occasions easy and super cheap compared to shelling out the cash to the body shop.
definitely look for a new mirror and case online. we had to replace ours and the dealership wanted a ton of money, but he found the part itself online for a really low price and was able to replace it himself without a problem.
awesome! that gives me hope!
I knocked a side mirror off my mom’s car (it was only attached by wires + prayer)…… with my head. I’d bent over in a parking lot to pick up something I dropped and didn’t realize what was directly over me. Sometimes I think it’s a miracle I’m still alive at 25 😉
I’ve broken my wing mirrors three times in total, once on the drivers side and twice on the passenger side, all of times my own silly fault. My car has managed to avoid any other injuries since…it took three times for me to learn my lesson! (Touch wood! :)) Did you not get your KitKats?
we did! they were in “round two” of the candy bowl!
Love the little mini ones!
I’ve come close to doing the same thing to my mirror, but narrowly missed. Once in high school, I was driving my parents’ car to school with my sisters and neighbors in tow. Not more than 200 feet from the house, I hit the curb (slow slide) on black ice. Turned out to be quite expensive…something with the alignment and other issues. Other than that, I’ve never had an accident, just got rear-ended last year and minor bumper damage turned into $650 (paid by the rear-ender).
I’m sorry to hear about your little accident! At least no one was hurt. I’ve been in a few fender benders but nothing serious, thankfully.
Your dinner looks delicious! The combination of black beans and sweat potatoes is one of my favorites!
I completed knocked off my side mirror last year, and we just ordered it online. I think it was around $50 (for auto mirror adjustment – manual was only like $20). My husband replaced it himself. Definitely search online if the parts for your car are available – $500 is ridiculously high for just a mirror.
Im on my 4th car…two in the last 9 months…super..join the club
Ugh. Car accidents are the WORST. I’ve had two (both my fault and both minor, thank goodness), but there are few feelings worse than that moment when you realize what you just did. Hope you can save yourself some $$!
The SAME thing happened to me a few months ago and my husband went to the salvage yard and got a complete replacement for $20! The dealership wanted to charge me the same as you. It’s definitely worth checking out! Usually you can call your local salvage yard and give them the make and model of your car and they will see if they have any parts available. Good luck!
Yes! I did that a couple months ago backing out in of the garage at my Doctors office. I was focusing on the car on one side and BAM my side mirror crashed into a large cement beam. I cried- I was so frustrated! It is expensive, but just be thankful that is the only damage done and that you are safe.
The week that I had my new car, I backed up into a pole in a parking garage. It is such an awful feeling!
Hey Julie- I did that to my car too! I was upset about something and distracted while backing out of my garage and busted my rearview completely off. It was frustrating, for sure. Mine was on an older model (I had a 99 Nissan at the time) and it cost about $400 to repair 🙁 Good luck with yours!
$500 for that little ding? Geez repairs are expensive, I’m sorry! Thankfully I have never been in an accident (knock on wood). I hope the rest of your halloween goes much better:)
I did the same exact thing….but instead of the mirror it was the entire front bumper of the car. I was too busy making sure I didn’t hit the car in our driveway and hit the garage instead and ripped the bumper off. That was not a cheap fix..good luck with the mirror!
Sorry to hear about your accident— major bummer 🙁
I haven’t been in any accidents, but when Jarod and I were on holidays this summer, someone hit my car while it was parked in front of our house. It was totaled 🙁
Happy Halloween!! We haven’t had any kids yet, which means I have officially eaten a lot of candy 😉
Aw man, that stinks! I hate when I do stuff like that to my car. I’ve had a new car since February, & luckily, there are no dings/dents in it yet! (Aaand, I probably just cursed myself.)
I’ve never been in any major car accidents; just fender benders.
ahhh that’s no fun~but at least you’re okay and safe! And God bless ya for a good attitude despite that. 🙂
Hey, I did the same thing and got a mirror off eBay for $40
YESS!! i hope i can find one!
Someone did a hit and run on my car and I found a replacement mirror on Amazon also for about $40. Then paid the local mechanic about $70 to replace it. Way better than $500!!!!!
Doing some serious knocking on wood right now but up to this point the only accident I’ve been involved in was a hit and run. They picked the worst time to do so because right behind me was a fire truck full of men who are the equivalent of super heros in my book! I was a hysterical sobbing mess because they hit the front passenger side where my dog Ripley had been hanging out just moments before. Luckily he was fine and the firemen swooped in and compared notes, someone had gotten the license number and called the police for me. Not two hours after the accident the car who hit me had been found and the driver arrested along with the drugs in his car. Even though it all turned out amazingly well I never EVER want to go through that again!
Though your accident SUCKS I’m very glad you’re safe and sound!
Awwww that sucks about the mirror! It happens!
I love your halloween colored dinner 😉
Ugh I got in a car accident when I was right about to head to college, summer after senior year of hs.. totaled my car- no bueno. Luckily I was okay though.. HAPPY Halloween!
I’m so sorry to hear about your mirror!! That’s so frustrating. I just got in a little car accident at the beginning of the summer that put a dent and scratched off some paint above my rear passenger tire. Even though it didn’t do a ton of damage to my car, it still scared the crap out of me because it was my first accident. I got an estimate on it, and they quoted me $800-900! It wasn’t worth it to my husband and I, at least at this point in our lives. My car is “my baby”, but at the same time, at least it’s “just a car”.
OMG Julie, I totally did the same thing, only I was trying to cleverly back IN to my garage. I sneezed, hit the accelerator instead of the brake, and seconds later, a big “CRUNCH” was heard. I wanted to cry because it was a holiday weekend and there was nothing I could do to get it fixed right away. Gah the sill things we do!!
I’ve sideswiped a truck before, but hey, in my defense, I was getting out of the way of an 18 wheeler. I’ve also hit someone’s break light when I underestimated the width of my car. I ended up paying for his repair (instead of getting insurance involved). That cost about $500. I’ve also slid into a lamp post during the winter. Not fun.
Happy Halloween!
Oooh sorry about the car!! At least you have some snickers for solace!! 🙂
Oh no! Vehicle repair is soooo freaking expensive. Hopefully this will at least put a smile on your face: when I was in high school my brother backed out of the garage WITH THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN (he was rolling out because he thought the battery was dead and wanted to jump it, or something, this was almost 10 years ago and I still don’t think we know the real story)… needless to say, my parents’ volvo got a new door hinge (at least)… which is WAY more than $500. Hilariously, the same brother had also run into the garage door on his last day of driver’s ed. As for me, I have a giant dent in my back bumper where a armored vehicle backed into it at a bank… he asked me if HIS truck was ok and then didn’t offer up any assistance, I was so flabbergasted that I just drove off and called the cops…. unfortunately, damage has to be over $1500 for the police to get involved and my bumper was *only* going to cost $800. This was 2 years ago.. I figure a dented bumper is fine for a WHILE. 🙂 Good luck with your junkyard diving! My boyfriend swears by it for vehicle repair!
We JUST had to replace my side mirror the other week. A bicyclist ran into it while it was parked on the side of a busy road (ouch!) and took it right off, we weren’t in the car, but saw it happen. Anyway, my husband just ordered the part through Auto Zone, watched a YouTube video on how to replace it, and had the project done in under an hour. Maybe that might be an option for you? Good luck!
whoa! that’s so handy! i’ll look into it – thanks, heidi!
Julie, question do you always leave the skins on your sweet potatoes when you eat them? I’ve never seen that before.
i do!
I did the exact same thing to my rear view window…no fun!
I ended up getting a part on ebay (from a totaled car) after they quoted me about $500 at the dealership. I paid $150 on ebay…highly recommend checking it out!
There are peanut butter snickers? What rock have I been living under?!
I’m too nervous to jinx myself so I’m not even going to answer the question about car accidents haha. I hope you’re able to figure out a way to fix that bad boy without costing an arm and a leg!
Did you go the a dealer for the estimate? $500 is a lot for a side mirror.. you were probably quoted for a new part. I’d check out another bodyshop. You should be able to get a used part for way less.
I’m sorry Julie! My brother did the exact same thing to my parent’s brand new suv a couple years ago. He was backing out of the garage trying to avoid the other car in the driveway, only he crushed up the entire side of the car, not just the mirror! Hopefully you can find a cheaper way to replace the mirror!
Sorry about that car accident. The same thing happened to my dad once.
Also, why was there another car in your driveway?
Oh sad–sorry about your accident! It happens to the best of us, that is for sure 😉 Once my mom had such a tall van that when she drove into a medical covered parking lot, there was a large scccrraaapppiingg noise-and she was stuck. It was quite the sight!
I haven’t had any candy yet–but I’m thinking of having some soon 🙂
um, peanut butter reeses?! how in the world did i not know these existed?
so sorry about your accident 🙁 totally cliche, but at least you’re ok! (i know that doesn’t make the repair bill any easier to swallow)