How I Saved $1168.00 on my MiniVan Repairs

On April 30th, the transmission on my minivan died. I was looking at a hefty sum, which included repairs and a minivan rental. The following is what I did to save $1168. from the total cost.

1. I needed to increase my income. I found several new sites that pay you to blog. This will help me earn the money I need to pay for the new transmission.
2. I immediately called a mechanic for an estimate. He stated I would be looking at $1500.00-$2000. in repairs!
3. I visited Enterprise online to get a quote on the rental of a minivan for the two weeks they would be holding my minivan for repairs. It would cost me about $1400.?! The last time, the mechanics took a full month and the rentals fees were outrageous.
4. Thought of a plan B. The Little One's Dad bought a used minivan in January. He parked it in my driveway and after getting a quote for insurance decided he'd just use my van for free... Yeah well, I decided I wasn't going to pay for his insurance. (Can you blame me? I only support 7 people?!?) Insuring his minivan was cheaper than renting one. Guess what I did?! Yup, I insured and registered the minivan last Friday, May 11th. Why not? He's not going to pay for the repairs on my van, even though he grabs my keys as if he owned my minivan (and yes I complain everytime). The final cost was $232.00 for the taxes, registration and insurance! Was he upset? Nope. He didn't offer to help with any of the expenses either. I still have to do the inspection, so I made sure to request the money for it.
5. I'm going to shop around and see if I could get a better quote for the transmission. There has to be a way I can get it done cheaper.
6. Tomorrow I'm going to check out a few quick ways to raise some funds buy selling some stuff. No, it's not ebay. I'll definitely keep you posted...

A car is a necesiity when you live in the middle of nowhere. That's why I deal with the car drama and the endless money pit.