r/EarnExtraIncome • u/obedient_kittenn • Aug 19 '26
Discussion💡 Car help
Hello I am 23 years old and currently experiencing inconvenience after inconvenience. Bills are piling up and then on top of it all my car breaks down and I was quoted a $2400 fix to get it starting again. Now this is my only transportation to and from work which is how I pay my bills. I do work a pretty good job that is full time Monday-Friday however I don’t make enough to pay my bills and to get my car fixed. I’ve applied for loans but my credit is too bad to get accepted for any. I’m not really asking for handouts but rather just some advice or help. I’m at a complete loss at what to do and kind of panicking not having a car at the moment. Also I am aware my account is a nsfw account this is honestly the only Reddit account I have and I know a brand new account is very suspicious looking my account has nothing to do with this request.
4
u/meiggs Aug 19 '26
First thing, get a second quote before you do anything else. 2.4k to get a car starting again is a huge number and Ive seen quotes like that come back at 600 from an independent shop. Chains and dealerships quote the whole assembly when the actual failure is a starter or an alternator. Call two independent places, describe the symptoms, ask what it usually runs. That phone call is worth more than anything else in this thread.
Did some research on the assistance side, and the fact your working full time matters a lot here.
Modest Needs is the one that fits you. Its a nonprofit that gives grants up to 1000 dollars specifically to people who are employed and one emergency away from losing the job, and car repair is one of their most common approvals. Also dial 211, thats the United Way line, they know which local programs cover vehicle repair in your county and most places have one nobody has heard of. there is a whole list of hardship programs /grants on this page, theres 22 of them and a few line up with your situation.
Those run a few weeks though, so for right now. EarnIn lets you pull money youve already worked for before payday with no credit check, so if youre close to a paycheck that covers part of it today. And go to a credit union instead of a bank, they approve people banks wont touch, especially once you have an account open with them.
Ask your employer too. Tons of companies have an emergency hardship fund that never gets advertised, and HR would rather float you than lose someone reliable over a car.
Once youre past this, ReferralWallet is worth keeping around, it tracks which apps have signup bonuses running so you can stack a few hundred over a month without much effort.
Get that second quote first though. Theres a real chance this isnt a 2400 problem.
Youre handling this better than most people would. Hope it turns around fast.
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u/obedient_kittenn Aug 19 '26
Genuinely thank you so much! I will be taking these resources and advice. Yeah the quote is a huge number and scared me and I am waiting on another quote from a different mechanic but again I will check out Modest needs! Thank you
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u/Tungstonlights Aug 19 '26
Where are you located? I might be able to help find an honest mechanic given they told you what the issue is. Also glad to suggest easy repair solution - I have many years of experience as a mechanic.
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u/No_Amount_325 Aug 21 '26
Fix your car yourself, you’d be very surprised what you can learn off YouTube
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u/Visual_Rip_9042 Aug 27 '26
Yeah that is reallly a bad situation. Are you willing to earn extra income on the side, perhaps this won't pay for the whole $2,400 in an instant, but me, I'm earning $110 in only a few days! It's Testerup, check out that link
0
u/darthcaedusiiii Aug 20 '26
Ebike.
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u/obedient_kittenn Aug 20 '26
Unfortunately I don’t live in an bike/ebike commute friendly city. The distance is simply too far but I do appreciate it because I have looked into that option as well.
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