Over the past few holiday weeks, money has been flying out of my bank account like Tim Burton's Dumbo. Unfortunately for me, that didn't stop my car from deciding its battery was just sick and tired of working. The story starts with me, stranded in the Cast Member parking lot of Disney's Hollywood Studios after a 12-hour shift. Enter Disney Security, alerted via pixie dust that my sputtering engine would require assistance. I shuffle over in my fuzzy driving slippers and admit that my 3-year-old battery needs a jumpstart.

That's not especially surprising. I get it, car ownership is paying through the nose to drive the vehicle off the lot, and then continuing to pay to keep it driving. However, that rationalization didn't ease my indignant shock the next morning when the lady at the mechanic shop quoted me the price of a car payment to replace my battery. After a hasty search for less expensive alternatives, I admitted defeat and allowed the repair. That evening, the receipt showed a more expensive battery than I agreed to and a higher price than my original estimate.