I was invited by a dear friend to go to Chicago next weekend. My friend lives in a very small apartment with a roommate. Well, roommate is going out of town, freeing up the couch for me. (The last time I went to visit, I paid for hotel costs. No, actually, I'm STILL paying for hotel costs.)

Unfortunately, my car has a bit of a squeak. I've called to get it looked into, but they can't get the part and start work until sometime Friday. No guarantee they'll even get done Friday, either. The garage indicated that they thought it would be a minor, relatively inexpensive repair.

Now, driving to Chicago and flopping would have stretched my budget, maybe even exceeded it, but I probably would have gone. But I checked airfare, and it's just too much. Last week, I very easily might have gone anyway. In fact, my neice was encouraging me to go: "$200 on airfare is only $100 each way".

Plus gasoline for someone to drop me off and pick me up at the airport. Plus any beverages/snacks consumed while I waited to board the airplane. Plus any meals and entertainment expenses in Chicago. I probably would have taken close to $200 to drive there. I could have tried to be really careful, and done better. But I wouldn't have expected less. Flying would put the trip to $300, at least.

And I called my friend back and let him know I couldn't swing it with my car in the shop.

Bittersweet. I really wanted to go. But I guess I really am going to change my spending habits this time. Looks that way.