My mother is all about savings. She prides herself in her ability to clip coupons and save hundreds on groceries every month. She brags about the deals she gets on clothing and shoes. She’s even found ways to save on household repairs. I respect her thrifty ways because they save her hundreds, but I believe that there’s a fine line. She never listened to me though. Last summer, however, she learned a valuable lesson. Her air conditioning unit broke down on one of the hottest summer days. That day broke temperature records. She was absolutely dying, but she refused to spend a lot on an expensive repair. Instead, she went onto some sketchy website and hired a cheap HVAC repairman. She was so proud of her ability to find a cheaper option on such short notice until it all went wrong. The person that came to her house the next morning was a student that was enrolled in some HVAC courses. This guy wasn’t even certified to be doing a repair like this. Most people would’ve turned him away, but not my mother. She allowed him to come inside and try the repair. Hours after his arrival, the air conditioning unit was in pieces all over her living room. He tried to put it back together, but he couldn’t do it. He ended up leaving it the way it was. Once my mom called admitted that it was the wrong choice and finally called a professional, it was too late and she ended up needing a replacement. I wish she had listened to us in the first place; it would’ve saved her a lot of money.