What do you do with your broken down refrigerators, air conditioning systems, electric fans, television sets and other appliances around the house?
Do people still get them fixed or is it too much of a bother?
My 10-year old television set, for example, finally broke down and I asked a neighborhood electrician to come to my home to fix it. I paid P1,500 and after a few weeks, it broke down again! I asked another electrician to fix it and he billed me P300 and it worked for one more year.
Last December, my beloved Samsung broke down again and I was just too lazy to go through the whole process. I sold it for P250 and bought ice cream for the entire family.
Bah, good riddance, I thought. Then again, perhaps I was too lazy to be money-smart!
So my frugality tip for the day: get a good electronic guy and give that old appliance another lease on life!
From other bloggers:
Joelle of Mommy Banker suggests ordering water when eating out. For those who own restaurants, you know this is sage advice ☺ That fun-looking concoction with sliced fruit on top is grossly overpriced most of the time!
Ria suggests bringing only the exact amount when shopping or doing the grocery. I had to laugh at myself, Ria, when I read your tip because simple as it may sound, it’s really tough to do! But oh so good for the wallet.
Cezar suggests using Quicken to make sure you keep track of your spending. Sigh. I’m baaaad at keeping track of spending, but I promised to do this last year. Let’s try again.
Paetechie’s post on a deceptive sales presentation from a Fern-C agent says we can be frugal by not being easily taken in by sales persons. Save me from TV shopping networks!
April 29th, 2009 at 10:12 am
[...] Get an HMO [...]
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:43 pm
@don2x
Ok, thanks for the info!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:21 am
here’s my two cents worth :
1. electric fans - forget about getting it repaired. new ones are quite affordable anyway. besides, when it breaks down, it usually because the motor has broken which entails rewinding or new motor…
2. airconditioning system - spend on preventive maintenance e.g. getting the evaporators and condensers cleaned at least once a year to maintain efficiency of the aircon (lower electric bills) and prolong its useful life. if you have interested and able bodies in the house, you can ask to observe how the aircon tech performs the cleaning and perhaps consider doing it himself/herself in the next PM cycle. it’s really easy and the items needed (e.g. cleaning agent, brushes) is readily available in the hardware store
3. TV sets - avoid dust build up on the rear part of the telly (regular wipes or vaccuum helps). accumulated dust particles is one of the main reasons why electronic equipments breaks down. again PM is key for prolong useful life. if it breaks down, bring it to an manufacturer authorized (emaphasis on the last 2 words) repair center for an initial quote. ask them what they think is the problem and why it cost that much. then decide whether to go ahead or just buy a new one.
4. kitchen appliances (e.g. rice cooker, oven toaster) - just buy a new one… it’s really not worth the hassle of calling mang tino (your friendly neighborhood repairman) or bringing it to a repair center… i donate mo na lang kung may interesado
again… this is just my own thoughts and should not be taken as an expert opinion
February 29th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Sometimes it is better to get rid of old non-functioning or semi-functioning refrigerators and air-conditioners as the newer ones are more energy-efficient. They will save you more money in the long run.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Hi Salve,
electronics and electrical appliances usually have an optimal life span of 3 years. this means, they have been designed to work efficiently for three years, and are most likely to break down beyond that. so even though repairs might lengthen their usability by a few more years, it will cost you more to buy spare parts and pay for the repairman to do the job. not to mention that old appliances consume more electricity and most of the time contain materials that are considered toxic by the new environmental standards. one tip i could give is this: if a sales guy asks you to extend the warranty for your new appliance to 3 years for an additional fee, DONT FALL FOR IT. the free one year warranty will cover for whatever deficiencies the appliance will have almost all the time. and if you’re careful with your stuff, it will work and last for more than three years before needing a replacement.