Up front, I need a minimum of $1,000 to replace my totaled car. The end goal for this fundraiser is set at $3,000, which would allow for a $5,000 budget to replace my car and an additional $500 for any fees involved such as title transfer, registration, and so on.

Early this month, on the 6th, my car - Baby Blue, pictured in the immediate aftermath - was in a low-speed collision while being driven home by my partner. While nobody was injured, the damage to Blue was more than just cosmetic, and the body shop estimate was about $7,000 - or twice the car's value.

This meant, as far as the insurance company is concerned, writing Blue off as a total loss. While we could have kept the car and tried to repair it out of pocket, there was a significant risk that we'd be unable to continue or find new insurance coverage. So, after 15 years of owning the same car with nothing more than minor cosmetic damage, it was time to let Blue go and find something new.