Ever had an unexpected expense? Well, I’ve got one now. I put a new roof on in 2012. What I didn’t know and/or understand was that it was installed incorrectly.

How do I know? It started leaking this year. Evidently, the nails were put in the wrong place on the shingles and are rusting and pulling up from the wood on the roof. We did a couple of repairs earlier this year but it wasn’t enough as the roof is still leaking. As a result, water is coming in around the nails. NOT GOOD!!!

And, as you probably know, the cost of getting roofing done has escalated a lot in the last thirteen years. The money spent on repairs was wasted, although I didn’t know it at the time. If I don’t replace the roof, it will start to leak in other areas and cause more damage to my ceilings. A replacement will happen.

I went out for bids and just accepted one. Hopefully, the replacement will happen within the next few weeks. I live in a climate where we do get snow in the winter and I want to ensure that the roof stays where it is. I also don’t want leaks when I can’t replace it due to cold temperatures.

If you’ve been following my blogs, you know I redid my kitchen and main bathroom this year. I also installed a standby generator. I really thought I was done with expenses on the home for the year. But SURPRISE!!!!! I need a new roof.

The question became, how was I going to pay for it? Fortunately, I had enough money in my emergency fund to cover it. But, it will take me down lower than I prefer.

What is the moral of this story?

Make sure your emergency fund is flush with cash and ready to use in case. You need to be prepared for any unexpected expense as they do happen. And, I do consider this a true emergency as I cannot continue to let the roof leak. My roof will get worse before it gets better so replacement instead of repair has to happen. Remember, your home is one of your biggest investments and you need to protect it.