Your Most Expensive "Emergency"?

[GrayHare]

I think most members here are more proactive and forward-looking than average, so unexpected major expenses are rare. Many of the people that don't plan for retirement also don't pay attention to their car, roof, etc. until it fails (unexpected by them) and needs total replacement ASAP.

 

[Chris7]

Right around $10K for an appendix scare. Turned out not to be, but the ER visit and tests came to that amount. Hospital let us make payments, no interest charged.

We had a $12K bill to re-do the Heating/Air/Water Heater. Came back from a trip and the AC was dead.

 

[rodi]

House expenses (new roof, new driveway, new furnace, etc), to me, are not emergency... they are part of owning/maintaining a house. We've been replacing windows along the way, put in a new driveway 18 months ago, and are looking at a new roof and solar panels next year. None of it is emergency... it's all planned.

More in the emergency side of things... Having my estranged brother make contact and let us know he had terminal cancer. He was divorced (in the time he wasn't speaking to us)... so there was no one to help him. My sister and I tag teamed going out every weekend (Cali to Colorado) for 3 months - and spent the last 2 weeks of his life in Denver to be close to his hospital as he pursued radical surgical treatments. Before that final 2 weeks we were able to stay at his house - but the last 2 weeks were in Denver, in winter, and driving to/from the hospital and Ft. Collins through snow wasn't doable - so we had hotels on top of the airfares. That was a big expense, not planned for... not to mention eating 100% of my vacation time. I estimate that was about $5k all in.

Last year, as I've posted previously, was my first year on a HDHP. My kids decided to break many bones, and DH had a health crisis. We spent $9k in OOP. I'd anticipated using 3-4k worth of OOP....

In both cases - we had the money - but hadn't "planned" on the spending but had no choice - it was an emergency.

 

[HadEnuff]

Yes, i'm serious. I'm not rich like you. If it's a back tooth, it doesn't need to be replaced. I have more money than the average american but I still only have very low six-figures. I'm not going to spend $2K every single time I lose a tooth. That's for rich people like you.

I practiced dentistry for nearly 40 years, and many of my patients simply could not afford, or chose not to afford, spending 2G on a tooth.
I can totally understand it. And you know what? They all lived. Well, some died eventually but not because of a missing tooth.

Right now, if a root canal can't be done, a single tooth implant, after restoration can easily go for 4G, even more if complicated. I can understand why some people choose not to go that route.

It's nothing to feel bad about, nor anything to denigrate if that's a person's choice.

 

[HadEnuff]

AS far as my own expenses, I just had to have a head gasket replaced on wife's Subaru. 10 years old, 80K miles. Dealer want 4500.. I went to smaller outfit that always did nice work on my old Volvo. They did it for 3,000, and threw in a new water pump and new timing belt as long as it was on the table. Also they have had me back once just to check it, and didn't like something so they had me back again at no charge to alleviate the issue, and want me back again at no charge to check it again. Following up on their work. Kind of nice.

 

[Moemg]

$20,000 for a crumbling seawall

 

[Moemg]

I guess you could catagorize this as an emergency.

$25,000 for daughter's funeral expenses. She passed away unexpectedly at 22 years old, one month from finishing college. She had no student debt as we paid for the four years and she had a job.

Sorry about your daughter . My Son died suddenly at 32 . Cost $13,000 .Emotional cost billions !

 

[Texas Proud]

Vanguard says that a good size for an emergency fund, is enough to cover 3-6 months' expenses. Or, more during a recession, if employed in a high risk industry, if income isn't steady, or if retired with assets in volatile investments.

I think that's about right and it is consistent with my emergency fund balances in the past. Truthfully I'm not sure what my biggest unexpected/emergency expense was.

I think that is different than what the OP is looking for.... IOW, an emergency fund is to pay normal expenses because of a loss of employment... and emergency expense is to pay something that is not a normal expense... I think OP is looking for the second...

 

[Texas Proud]

Just wrote a check for almost $12K for the next round for my DWs implants... she is getting 3 posts that will be for 4 teeth...

Still more costs to go as this does not cover the crowns at $1500 apiece...


But, not a true 'emergency' as I knew it was coming and was bracing for the problem...

I will have to shell out over $24K for a new roof soon... I had no idea it would cost me this much, but the insurance adjuster said that with my pitch etc. that it would be this much... which is why I have not done anything yet as it has not leaked yet...

 

[MichaelB]

I think that is different than what the OP is looking for.... IOW, an emergency fund is to pay normal expenses because of a loss of employment... and emergency expense is to pay something that is not a normal expense... I think OP is looking for the second...

From a financial savings perspective I don't see much difference between a large unplanned expense, such as a medical emergency, and losing a job. In each case you need to have cash on hand to pay your obligations.

 

[aja8888]

Sorry about your daughter . My Son died suddenly at 32 . Cost $13,000 .Emotional cost billions !

Sorry to hear about your son and the emotional cost continues for us, even after 15 years.

This thread discusses several home and car repairs and unless you have not seen it coming, those should be normal expenses. Thinking back, we had a water heater start leaking in our last home while we were away. That water heater was in the attic (great place for a water heater, eh!) and it ruined two room ceilings and carpets. Fortunately, insurance covered most of the cost, except for the deductible (can't remember the actual cost) and the inconvenience.

 

[Big_Hitter]

This thread discusses several home and car repairs and unless you have not seen it coming, those should be normal expenses.

still waiting for a story about unexpected legal expenses

 

[Walt34]

For us the largest totally unexpected expense was $3,400 for a new water line from the meter near the street to the house a couple of years ago. I'd heard of that happening but didn't know anyone that it had happened to until the year before when my next door neighbor had to have it done.

Stuff like roofs, furnaces & A/C you know is going to happen. You just don't know when.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yes, i'm serious. I'm not rich like you. If it's a back tooth, it doesn't need to be replaced. I have more money than the average american but I still only have very low six-figures. I'm not going to spend $2K every single time I lose a tooth. That's for rich people like you.

This isn't really a good idea,dental health is a major factor for long term good health. You do actually use your back teeth it's not like they are spares.

Before you have a dental emergency look around for any dental schools/colleges that would offer you free or very lost cost care.Our smaller size town even has dental assistant program that brings in dental students for hands on work.

It would be time well spend for you to check this out in advance so you know your options.

 

[Dawg52]

I had one just today. Probably falls into the normal camp but I wasn't expecting it. Had a leak by my water meter in the front yard. Water association guy said it was my problem as it is in my yard, not on the water meter to the street side. Of course not a simple fix as the plumber had to go to a supply house to get a part. Takes close to an hour and at $110/hr that adds up. Overall the job took 4.5 hours. I'm sure they will gouge me on the parts so looking at a total cost well above $500. Nothing as costly as other emergencies I've had, but the most recent one.

 

[retire2020]

Margin Loan call of 22K around 1996 when I had no clue about investment. Had to pay that in 24hrs which I had borrowed from family. Thank God I did not loose my job around that time.

The recent one was 4.5K for transmission rebuild two years ago.

 

[retire2020]

AS far as my own expenses, I just had to have a head gasket replaced on wife's Subaru. 10 years old, 80K miles. Dealer want 4500.. I went to smaller outfit that always did nice work on my old Volvo. They did it for 3,000, and threw in a new water pump and new timing belt as long as it was on the table. Also they have had me back once just to check it, and didn't like something so they had me back again at no charge to alleviate the issue, and want me back again at no charge to check it again. Following up on their work. Kind of nice.

I just had head gasket replaced on 2002 Honda Odyssey two weeks ago for $1300. Timing belt was changed with new transmission two years ago on the same car.

 

[ziggy29]

Define "emergency". We had some roof leaks in my last house that could have been patched up with maybe $500 in repairs, but in reality we need to replace the whole thing with a new roof to the tune of $5,000. The $500 was a near term "emergency" but would have been throwing good money after bad when it kept failing.

 

[REWahoo]

New submersible well pump and cost to lower from 500 ft to 640 ft = $4,800.
Replace heat pump = $7,100 (after rebates and tax credits)

 

[FIREd]

$4K to dig up and repair a broken sewer line.

 

[homestead]

Had to put in new septic tank $5k right after I got laid off in 2008.

 

[VFK57]

Ours was around $35K in medical expenses when my son broke his arm. That was our share of the total cost after 3 surgeries and 3 months of intravenous antibiotic treatment, and included a fair amount of travel. We didn't have that much and were extremely fortunate that my employer gave us an interest free loan.

Depending on type of insurance, co-pays could be very expensive. Even with platinum health care plan there are co pays for surgery, hospital stay, CT-scans etc what could easily add up to a few thousand.
Our last year emergency expense was dog treatment after she was hit by a car ($1,400). A few years earlier we had fence replacement after strong wind collapsed large portion of it, our cost was $2,600. Of course some emergencies could be much more expensive.

 

[VFK57]

My wife implant 3 years ago $4,000.

 

[REWahoo]

My wife implant 3 years ago $4,000.

I'm familiar with dental implants but not a wife implant. Did you have it placed in your head, neck or posterior?

 

[calmloki]

Just wrote a check for almost $12K for the next round for my DWs implants... she is getting 3 posts that will be for 4 teeth...

Still more costs to go as this does not cover the crowns at $1500 apiece...
...

A friend down in La Quinta is having implant work down in Puerta Penasco Mexico by a dentist he raves about and has seen for many years. $1200 for the job from extraction to implant, abutment, and implant crown. Modern equipment, great staff, super gentle. My wallet was very jealous. Dunno how far you are from there, but...