Follow the 50% rule, and these four rules for determining when to repair an object, rather than replacing it.
My grandfather Clyde was one of the handymen of all time. He could fix anything.
Before Clyde bought something, the first thing he did was ask whether he could get parts and supplies to fix it yourself when it exploded. If you answered "no", it would not buy it. If the answer was: "You do not have to worry about it, Mr. Yeager. This can not be broken, "Gramps thanks politely and sellers on foot, rather than accuse him of being a shameless liar. When grandfather Clyde was happy to say" automatic that you can not repair it yourself "and he wanted nothing to do with it.
Unfortunately, times have changed Clyde days. We now live in the world, planned obsolescence, and one in which costs more to repair most of the articles - if they can be corrected at all - to replace them. It is not only cost us more, but it is a huge waste of resources of the earth. America dumps nearly 2,000 monuments to be sad as our throw-away society and culture.
But sometimes you pay more - financially, and of course the environment - to repair rather than replace, though not as convenient as Clyde and having to pay someone to fix it for you. Here are some basic rules on whether to repair or replace:
The 50% Rule:
Financial experts talk about "50% rule" when deciding whether or not it is more cost effective to repair rather than replace point. The conventional wisdom was that if the repair was estimated at 50% or less the amount you pay for an item, usually it was the best way to repair. It is always a good guide to take into account, although many consumer products (appliances, furniture, appliances, including clothes) have declined steadily in price (in dollars adjusted for inflation) in recent generations. So now, to be precise, the 50% rule should be based on replacement value, the purchase price is not original, or even in the current estimated market value or resale value of the most important items, as cars. Anyway, it's just a rule of thumb among many other considerations.
Enjoy score:
Before you decide to replace something rather than repair, think carefully about what you think of throwing may appreciate in value over time. In the case of a well made piece of furniture that will become an antique, choose repair, it is probably obvious. But it can not always be as clear: When they needed repair, I wanted so much to live up to the stereo speakers bulky old, my father gave me when I was a teenager, and buy some trendy new (cheap) to those of Kmart. But Dad would not let me, now, these JBL speakers are classics and worth almost as much as my 401k (unfortunately, in this sense).
Around the house:
Well done, older devices may be worth the cost of repair (if you can still find parts and someone to do the job), but keep in mind that older devices use much more energy than models new (see energystar.gov), so the final cost is often more effective to replace them when they need repair. On the other hand, replace old windows in your house (if still running) with higher energy efficiency can not be a good investment, having a number of years in most cases to recover the initial investment. What about the roof over your head? Investing in the maintenance and repair of the roof, large enough to extend the life of a roof - if you are in a healthy in general - is often more profitable, especially for areas of large roof.
Rags or riches:
When it comes to clothes, should be primarily to take care of him (do not use the dryer!) For the latter, instead of investing in the repair. Because most non-designer clothing are relatively cheap, it is generally cheaper to buy something new when clothes are worn. Even if you put on a few pounds, tailoring clothing in general has economic sense with clothing upscale unless you're a seamstress herself.
E 'connected?:
A friend of mine who owns an electronics repair company, once told me that almost half of all the elements that people bring in their store are simply suffering from a bad cable electric, plug, or connection problem or something well with a simple solution such as cleaning an air filter or replace a belt. If so, the relief will save you major currencies (see?). But if it is more important and requires special parts, including my friend admits that newer electronic products are so cheap it's probably not worth repairing.
