(Links in this post are affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking those links. See my disclosure page for more information)
Last week I showed you pictures of some of the items we have fixed in the last year with replacement parts from Amazon, and how much money we have saved doing that.
After that post went live I was vacuuming when I had a thought, sometimes how we save money is by either not replacing what is broken, or by what my husband calls “good enough” fix jobs.
For instance my vacuum. The on/off switch broke years ago, it is constantly in on mode unless unplugged, so we simply plug it in when we need it and unplug it when we don’t.
One of the drawers in our fridge cracked over 5 years ago and I have held it together with see through packing tape for years. I made sure the drawer was good and dry, cut a piece of packing tape to generously cover the crack, pressed it down hard to make sure it stuck really good, and it has I made the fix years ago and it is still going strong.
The drivers seat of my car got a rip along the edge a short while ago. This week I got some duct tape in a similar color and I intend to do a similar fix to my driver’s seat as I did to my fridge drawer.
The zipper pull fell off one of my favorite purses, so I used a ring from a free key chain as a replacement.
Yes, it is true, these “good enough” fixes may not be aesthetically pleasing, but when you are on tight budget, they really do help stretch money further.
It is all a matter of priorities. Would you rather spend money on a new fridge drawer, or would you rather put that money towards a larger money goal like getting rid of the car payment, or going camping for the week as a family, or ……….(fill it what you would rather do).
Does your family do “good enough” fixes?
For a list of 52 different websites, apps, and stores our thrifty family uses to help us keep our expenses low, click here to visit our Thrifty Tools Resource Page.
Available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon–get your copy here!
Get snail-e-mail in your inbox each week!
I agree!!
I love this post! Anytime I see something that I can fix to make it last longer I am all for it.
Love your ideas.
Thanks and me too!
Great tips! Here’s one more I thought of:
even though the foot pedal broke on our stainless steel trash can, we kept using it for a few years, by just lifting up the lid instead of using the pedal. (=
That is a good one!
Found this on Pinterest. We are definitely a “good enough” family and I love this post because not everything has to be perfect. My bread machine is years old and the hinge on the door is broken. A little super glue doesn’t make it close perfectly but it still makes delicious bread. It’s good enough!
Super glue is amazing for good enough fixes! 🙂
Thanks for giving permission to thousands of people that it is “good enough”. Too many times we are quick to cast aside items that still have life left in them.
For 2015 I am rethinking all my purchases to make sure that I don’t spend if I don’t HAVE too.
Thanks for writing…