My Sink Sprung a Leak and I Panicked Over the Cost

Hi, hi, hi! Before we get into it, could you please click that heart? It really helps me out. Thank you. ❤️ My sink was hissing at me. You read that right:hissing. Like a cornered, feral cat. I was washing out a pot when I heard the strange noise. I turned off the running water and lowered to the sink – was it just the bubbles? That's when I noticed how hot the cupboard underneath was. Radiating a steam room-like heat against my legs. Then I heard the drips. Opening the cupboard, a cloud of steam burst out, and when the fog cleared, I could see the sink basin dripping as if someone (not me!) left a tap on a quarter way. But there was no tap. And even with the faucet above turned off, the water kept dripping at a mad clip from… somewhere. The pipes? Probably. But which one andwhere? My building has had a lot of problems with leaks. My own suite has been floodedthree separate timesfrom the neighbours above. Last year, a burst pipe on the fourth floor caused 60-thousand dollars' worth of damage as water cascaded through floors and ceilings all the way down to the basement. Luckily, I'm another dozen stories above that, so I wasn't affected. But I was now. My own mini-tsunami flowing from my cupboard was making quick work of my floors, warping and buckling the planks with water and heat. Grabbing my recycling bin, the nearest thing I could access in my blind-panic, I caught the dripping water as best I could, and tried to shut off the main water valve, which, of course, was stuck. I called the emergency line for the building. No answer. I called my brother-in-law. No answer. With steam building and water cascading, I could do nothing more than fret. Eventually, someone from the building came to my door, helped me shut off the water valve and determined the faucet needed replacing. Call the plumber, he advised. This was Friday morning of the Labour Day long weekend. Dollar signs started floating in front of my eyes. A day I had planned for other things was hijacked by trips to the hardware store, though through the kindness of strangers (helpful shop keepers and random plumbers in the same aisle as me) I learned what needed to be done and my panic and blood pressure was slowly lowering. A simple faucet replacement. My brother-in-law, a very handy guy who has gutted and rebuilt many, many properties, was willing to do it – and show me how so I could be more in control next time. The morning's disaster turned into a brand-new faucet that I likemuchbetter than the original, and, me learning a new trade. All for the cost of a few hours' time and about $170 after tax (but on sale for the long weekend!). Did I mention my bookshelf fell out of the wall? Subscribe now I'm someone who works for myself. I openedThe Wine Sistersin 2012, and so far, have managed to not lose my home. I've flown close to the sun a few times, and there's no skin left on my teeth, but, as Elton John says, I'm still standing. I credit my 14-year self-employment (and staying housed!) to a peculiar, and highly unfashionable, conservatism with my money. When I bought my condo, a staggering20 years ago(back then I opted for a three-year mortgage expecting life would whisk me away to the next stop: marriage, family, life in the suburbs… thank heavens that never materialized.) I was still a reporter, working for BN/CP when I pulled the trigger on home ownership. My salary at the time qualified me for a suite one size larger than the one I bought, but the larger unit would push me to the ceiling of my income. I knew that if anything went sideways – and thingsalwaysgo sideways – I wanted some space between me and any potential wolves darkening my door. Similarly, I gave up my car. Returning to Toronto after a few years away working for CHEX Newswatch in Peterborough and CTV in Kitchener, I moved back to the city to work for BN. Even back then, driving around Toronto was a major pain. I bid adieu to my Honda Civic, got a car membership for $11 a month (which I still have) and never worried about car insurance, oil changes, new tires, dings, rust, scrapes, or gas prices ever again. My laptop, which –obviously– is my lifeline, is second hand. My phone is two generations behind the current model, and like the ones that have gone before it, I will hang on to it until it's so slow I'm lulled into hypnosis by the lethargically spinning rainbow wheel. (This is done as much for my guilt over throwing electronics into a burning toxic pile somewhere in Africa as it is for my finances.) And I eat almost all my meals at home. Students will regularly ask me to share my favourite wine bar. Mia Casa, is what I truthfully answer. I have tons of sympathy for restaurants and bars right now, I know how the math maths, and really, it's not mathing well for a lot of them. Still, it's a tough martini to swallow when three ounces comes at $25 –at least– a glass. I worry this makes me sound like a miserly, tight-fisted, anti-fun, Scrooge. Or maybe to some of you, fairly pathetic. What about Amazon Prime Day, and market hauls, and the latest gigantic water bottle? (BTW – I still use the water bottle I got for free four years ago as part of the swag given out at an event.) I do spend money! I promise I'm not sitting in the dark eating beans out of a can. I get my nails done professionally (but I pay cash so too avoid the tax), and buy quality groceries, and good wine from under-the-radar, well-priced regions, and travel reasonably regularly. The things I find important. It's tough to pass on some of the shiny stuff sometimes, especially when it's being paraded across Instagram with such beauty and ease, but as activist Betty Friedan, or maybe it was Oprah, said,you can have it all, just not at the same time. I eat what I kill, and occasionally, the buffalodon'troam in ample herds, and the one that can be found is a skinny, parched thing. So, as a single lady without the luxury of someone else's income to pad the fall should something go wrong, I need to be vigilant with my budget. Which brings me to my next point. If you are in, or near, Toronto on that day, I really hope you'll come out to this super important event. There's loads of great wine, lots of excellent food, and, of course, thought-provoking, inspiring conversation. I started this event because everyone I spoke to – from all professional backgrounds and of all ages – wasn't using words of positivity around their money. No one was saying, 'I'm so excited about my finances,' or, 'I'm super pumped about my investment strategy,' instead they were using words like fear, worry, anxiety, shame, and guilt. My friends wondered if they could afford quality care for their aging parents; to pay for their kid's wedding; if they could afford to get married; if they could afford to get divorced, if they could afford to start a family or have a second child. They wondered if, after working all their lives, would they have enough? When it comes to finance, women arestillbeing left behind. Because of the gender wage gap (women in Canada make88 centsto every dollar a man earns), time taken off for caregiving, and longer life expectancies, nearly half of senior females,despite their marital status or previous affluence,live below the poverty line. Wine, Women & Wealth aims to change that. In this no-shame, judgement-free event, we're laying it all on the table, giving you the tools you need to get ahead, achieve peace-of-mind, and sleep better at night. Whether you've put off investing, relied on someone else to manage the finances, or simply want to better understand your money, WW&W offersrealisticideas to create a future that works foryou. This isn't some finger-wagging banker talk where you're made to feel guilty about buying a latte. This is an idea-generating, motivating symposium that pairs expert financial insights with exceptional wine, chef crafted bites, and meaningful conversation. WW&W is welcoming, inclusive, and anything but intimidating. You'll hear practical advice from respected experts, discover fresh perspectives on investing and wealth building, connect with others on similar journeys, and enjoy an experience designed to make personal finance approachable, inspiring, and – dare we say it? – exciting. Whether you're taking your first steps or looking to build on what you already know, you'll leave feeling more informed, more empowered, and ready to take a more active role in your financial future. Let's do this. Join us for Wine, Women & Wealth Wednesday, September 23 atVantage Venues, downtown Toronto. Register now Evening Itinerary 5pm – doors open; wine and light bites served 5:30-5:45 – Welcome address, including short wine tasting exercise byThe Wine Sistersfounder and chief sommelier, Erin Henderson (that's me.) 5:45 – Erica Alini takes the stage 6:20-6:30 – Wine-refill break 6:35 – Gwen K Harvey takes the stage 7:00 – Intermission; wine and food stations open 7:30 – Sarah Jeannault takes the stage 8:00 – Fireside chat, hosted by Erin Henderson (me again) with all speakers, Q+A from the audience. 8:20 – Q+A conclude and closing reception begins; wine and light bites served 9:30 – event concludes: see you next time! Future-Proof Your Financespresented by Erica Alini, personal economics journalist, The Globe and Mail Don't sacrifice the security of your tomorrow with the meaningless spending of today. Erica Alini, financial journalist and best-selling author, joins us for this inspiring, eye-opening talk on how to build a meaningful nest egg that feels right for you, whether that's building an emergency fund, reducing household expenditures, or trimming some of the debt that's weighing you down. This isn't a lecture on forgoing the daily pleasures that make life enjoyable; it's about acknowledging where there are blind spots in your spending habits and getting excited to building something better. From Financial Advisor to Fiction Author: A Blueprint for Transitioning to a Writer's Lifepresented by Gwen K. Harvey We all have secret, or not-so-secret, dreams of leaving our current job for a life of fame and fortune – or at least the peace and quiet of running a charming artists' colony in the countryside (or maybe it's a cafe in Paris or perhaps it's a Bread and Breakfast in Tuscany.) In this motivating talk, Gwen Harvey tells us her story of how she did just that. Mixing the practical with creative, the realistic with the ambitious, Gwen uses her own life story of going from financial advisor to published author and leaves us with the inspiration to turn dreams into reality. Own Your Investing Decisions: A Simple Roadmap To Startpresented by Sarah Jeanneault, CXO, Trading and Market Expert, Author Stop guessing and start investing with confidence. In this practical session, Sarah will teach you to understand the difference between robo-advisors, bank investing tools, and DIY investing choices and what that actually means for your money; she'll break down ETFs vs. Mutual Funds and share how to make informed decisions without the overwhelm. Sarah will also talk about investing without jargon, giving you real information to help you feel better about ways to invest – because investing can be fun and feel good. Get tickets I realize this was a slight departure from the normal content, but like all of us, we're more than just one thing. I'm at an age in life where I've seen friends suffer needlessly from divorce, from illness, from being made, 'redundant,' – which to me seems even more cruel than simply saying you're fired. I hope you will join us for this evening. It's inclusive, educational, entertaining, and fun. OK! Back on the weekend with some good reading recommendations and thoughts on hosting for the fall season. Until then. Be good. Let me know what it's like. xo – Erin Subscribe now