A few weeks ago. I started a discussion about helping to pay off your school loans by cutting spending. Remember that every dollar spent on things you don’t need is one that could be paid on your school loans. If you have school loans, you can figure you’ll need to pay them. Current school loan forgiveness is political rhetoric with little basis in fact.

Two weeks ago, I suggested that caring for your car could save you a ton of money. I will say the same thing about a home and its contents. If your home owns you (the most common situation), fixing things when they break or show problems is essential. Repairing something right away is usually cheaper than waiting until it worsens. Big maintenance bills can set you back, but waiting until they become huge maintenance bills is worse.

When an appliance makes funny noises, get it checked. Funny noises in mechanical items usually mean something. Often, a funny noise allows you to get a repair done rather than waiting for the time when a replacement is needed. I replaced the electrical heating element in a dryer multiple times for many years to keep it going. We finally replaced the dryer when the timer/control mechanism broke. I visited the parts place, and they raised their eyebrows. They said the part I needed was no longer available.

Getting things painted when needed will also stop the weather from deteriorating the items. Paint is much cheaper than replacing wood or other materials.

Of course, leaky pipes or ducts also must be fixed. Getting proper insulation and weatherstripping will save money, and usually fairly quickly.

I can’t end this discussion without suggesting that the latest in sound or video equipment is not a need. A new HD TV is undoubtedly a want in many households, but it is rarely a need. If you are careful with your electronic items, they can last longer than you might think. I buy upper-end, well-recommended computers with the idea of having them for at least five years. At this point, I’m writing this blog post on a 6-year-old computer, and I’ll watch some shows this evening on a 19-year-old television. I may be in the dark ages, but I am debt-free.

Please forward this to anyone who would benefit from reading it or anyone who would benefit from the upcoming posts. And thanks for reading.

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