Make do and MEND!

Nightowl

Hi,

It's all about saving money, so, when something breaks we go onto the internet and start searching for the cheapest best value alternative, and mentally give ourselves a little pat on the back for 'saving' money. I say 'we' it's certainly something I've done in the past. Recently I've had a series of potentially disastarous (financially) breakages. The first being a broken screen on an eReader that I was bought for christmas, a real luxury and prized possession. Couldn't believe that it was broken so soon, looked at others on ebay and knew I could not justify replacing it. So, in desperation I did what I should of done in the first place. I looked at the instuctions and found the number of manufacturer. I send the eReader to them and got it repaired and returned for £25! I broke the door on the washing machine, got a new one (door not machine) delivered from ebay, total of £33 inc postage. Dropped a shaver and broke the foil, couldn't find a replacement part on the internet, rang the manufacterer and having a new foil delivered for £6.
Now these are real savings, not a percentage off retail price. What's more, I am helping the enviroment.
:beer:

jenniewb

Your e-reader was bought at Xmas and went wrong so soon after: if it was within 12 months, it being an electrical item you should not have had to pay £25, if it was faulty you were due a replacement or if not a refund in full.

I think (sorry to sound negative its just a correction!) the idea of "make do and mend" is about either doing without or fixing something with your own bare hands, sending it off to be fixed as its broken is a good idea but its not so much make-do-and-mend as much but closer to getting things repaired by someone who can (and perhaps shopping around to find the cheaper price?) rather then throwing them away. Still a good idea though.

Red_Doe

Good points, I think what puts many people off having things repaired nowadays too, is that a great deal of modern goods simply aren`t made to be repaired. They are shoddily manufactured compared to things in the past, and really designed to be thrown away and replacements bought. I think haranguing manufacturers to create repairable goods in the first place is the way to go.

rabidbun

I've found that a lot of companies are very helpful regarding spare parts for things. My latest was a set of spare wheels for a clothes dryer - considering it was £50 or so, it was very good value to just replace a wheel.

Wish I had the sewing skills to make do and mend properly on my clothes though, been several years since I actually went and bought something new without it being in last clearance and the old stuff is starting to show its age!

Nightowl

jenniewb wrote: »

Your e-reader was bought at Xmas and went wrong so soon after: if it was within 12 months, it being an electrical item you should not have had to pay £25, if it was faulty you were due a replacement or if not a refund in full.

I would have been entitled to free repair or refund have my daughter not stood on the screen and broken it, lol! It was not a fault but an accident. You are quite right that