It happened to me when I turned 11. That was the year my father left my mother for another woman and left us to fend for ourselves. It was my mother and myself, alone and living in a small apartment. My mother worked nights for the post office and I had to grow up quickly. I learned to cook, clean, and repair things. Without much income, we couldn’t afford any repair people. So, when something broke, I tried my best, to fix things. I would go to the library, get a book on electricity, plumbing, or whatever was needed. I remember the first major problem I faced: a broken toaster.
I took it to a local appliance shop and they told me it was ten dollars, just to look it over. So, not having that kind of cash in 1959, I went to a Sears store and talked to the salesman. He made a few suggestions about why it wouldn’t toast anymore, and I returned home. I only had two screwdrivers, pliers, hammer, and tape. I followed the man’s idea and unscrewed the bottom plate. After peeking inside for an hour and playing with various parts, I noticed that there was a loose wire. I retightened it on the screw, reassembled the toaster and plugged it in. I was amazed that it now worked perfectly.
I learned some valuable lessons, which I’ll share:
- You can learn a lot from books (or nowadays, the Internet).
- The broken item might be easy to fix.
- If an 11 year old can fix a toaster, you can probably fix almost anything.
- You only need basic tools to do most repairs.
- All it takes is time and patience.
- Most salespeople are happy to share their expertise.
Besides saving money, the ability to repair something is a nice talent to possess. It means that most of the objects in your home will work. It begins with an attitude. Don’t you want everything to work when you need it? From appliances to toilets to cars, broken items are wasteful and annoying. So make a commitment to keep thing going.
Put together a basic toolbox. Head to a hardware store and collect a cheap kit, many of which are sold as a unit. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just complete. Then start with easy repairs. Fix that wall light switch by going online to the free home improvement sites. They will walk you through the process. The same goes for that running toilet or ceiling light.
Over the years, I’ve realized that almost anything made, has a diagram for repair. Often the manufacturer has a site explaining what parts are needed and how they are installed. Of course, they will also sell you those parts. I’ve fixed copiers, faxes, printers, small appliances, door locks, ceiling fans, refrigerators, washing machines, and my car. If you feel overwhelmed, ask an expert. I wouldn’t tackle most audio-visual components, tv’s and complicated electronics. But I troubleshoot my own computers and upgrade them myself. I learned to look at the obvious first.
Many times, replacing a simple, relatively inexpensive part, is the answer. If you have tried everything else, and failed, it’s time to call a repairman. In that event, there’s no shame in admitting defeat. But I have saved my family tens of thousands of dollars over the decades and I’ve averted many hours of wasted productivity. I hate having a useless light or appliance in the house. Become proactive and also do the required maintenance for the larger items, such as lubricating moving parts, cleaning filters, and replacing belts in vacuums, furnaces, refrigerators, and alike.
Not only will you eventually save lots of money and time, but you’ll have the peace of mind that you are in control of your environment. So grab that screwdriver and start repairing your life. Remember: handy is dandy.
Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the Phoenix.” His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.
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