Just a few more years, and you'll be happy to receive some warm socks for christmas π
this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2024
356 points (99.4% liked)
Memes
45445 readers
1439 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
I remember HATING clothes for Christmas. But now itβs all I want (so long as itβs my style). I donβt want random useless shit at Christmas, I want stuff I can use for years and wear out.
tbh I hit the socks before appliance
Yeah my wife's Granny would buy me some every year. Then she died and now I don't get socks at Christmas and it makes me sad. Not because I want socks, I want Granny Babs back
Only self-knitted socks by my grand ma <3
I'm right there right now. Whole family felt xmas was ruined if we don't get them from grandma.
Appliances are super expensive. It doesn't help that so many of them have planned obsolescence built in so they fail just after their warranty period.
One little thing I learned is that upper "tier" appliances that cost more share many of the same components as cheaper models. The fancy clothes washing machine might have a color touchscreen but the motors and control boards are the same, so you could save a lot of money by just getting the cheaper model with buttons rather than one that is capable of running Skyrim.
A good way to check is to look for maintenance manuals for these appliances. If you see parts lists that are shared between the more expensive and cheaper models, you're better off going with the cheaper one.
Can confirm. That's also why most appliances are surprisingly repairable today. You can just buy used appliances that aren't working as long as it's something minor like leaking or squeaking of a washer, no heating of a dryer, rumbling like crazy, etc. Inside you usually find many parts from Whirlpool and a few other components like Bosch Motors (which often enough do not actually fail). Those parts have numbers you can find for cheap online. Just get a proper(!) bitset with some generic tools and go watch Youtube repair videos. It's too easy these days.
Heck I even bought a completely dead machine where the description clearly matched a note online that a resistor and a single easy-to-solder chip for 2$ total need to be replaced. That repair worked for 5 years until I sold it for a better machine.
It's always a resistor. Planned obsolescence is basically putting a too small resistor somewhere. The parts they make for repair shops are usually better, so if you do take the time to swap a print, you will have a better appliance afterwards for a fraction of the cost of a new shitty machine.
Soldering the specific resistor can be done too, but for anyone who doesn't have a stock of resistors and soldering tools/skill it's usually a easier and just as cheap to get new print if they're available.
I got my washer and dryer from the side of the road garbage. Diagnosed the problem, Installed a $25 flow switch or some crap (can't actually recall what it was anymore) and been using it for about 5 years no with zero issues. Nothing wrong with the dryer. I assume they didn't want to have 'mismatching appliances' :/
so you could save a lot of money by just getting the cheaper model with buttons rather than one that is capable of running Skyrim.
Those super fancy appliances are also often forcing wifi connection and farming your data, so there's that added bonus too.
Around here we have "half furnished" apartments that include appliances.
I've always lived in a place where they are included with the rent. So I don't have to move them up and down the stairs or the elevator every few years. Also, if they break, the landlord just change them.
To me, winning a refrigerator would be a burden. I'd have to store it and sell it. I'd prefer what it's worth in money.
There's something to be said here about how normal it is for people to be renting later and later in life. I totally get what you're saying but it's sad that it's true.
Why is it sad? No lawn to care about. No snow to remove in winter. No garbage day. No electricity bill. No roof or windows to change. No water heater to worry about.
I much prefer to rent than be stuck owning a condo where I have to deal with the other owners and plan maintenance. And I wouldn't want an "affordable" house that is much too big, in a suburb or in the middle of nowhere, where a car would be a necessity, and another thing to own (or rather pay for).
As far as I am concerned, owning a home is a social construct. A goal imposed on us by capitalism. Our collective dream, should be to own a home in the middle of nowhere before we're too old to have a family, with obviously, a car! But I never wanted to have a "death pledge", nor a family, nor a house, nor a stupid condo. Renting is perfectly fine for a whole lot of people. It's not something to be sad about. The only sad thing is that we don't have enough cheap housing of any kind for everyone.
Renting is throwing money away. It's not an investment by any means. In 40 years, it's nicer to be able to sell and get money back from your investment. Renting, you're just stuck renting.
Iβve gotten fancy (though unmatched) washers and dryers free or dirt cheap off craigslist every place Iβve lived that had hookups. Wish my current place had hookups:(