Now more than ever, money is tight for a lot of families. The very last thing you need is to be faced with a large bill that comes out of nowhere. That can easily upset the delicate balance of your family finances. Unfortunately, unexpected expenses like repair bills are a fact of life. Things get broken or do not go to plan so you inevitably end up with these bills. But there are things that you can do to reduce the impact they have on your family finances. Here are just a few of them:
Attempt repairs yourself
In the past, repairing your dishwasher or washing machine would have been practically impossible. This would leave you with no choice but to pay the call out and repair charges to get it fixed. Today, you can easily buy the replacement parts you need online – you can then simply find an appropriate YouTube video to show you how to fix most things. Often, you will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to do so. Usually, you do not need specialist tools. If you get stuck a friend or relative should be able to help you out.
Buy the best you can
The quality of the products we use is often not that good. They are no longer built to last. For this reason, when you go out to buy something, it is wise to buy the best that you can afford, and do your research online before parting with your cash.
Use consumer reviews to guide you
Reading reviews helps. Amazon is great for this, but you do need to be aware of the fact that some of them have been written by fake reviewers. But don’t worry, over the past couple of years Amazon has done a lot of work to reduce those. Plus, using this article you will easily be able to spot the fake reviews so you can avoid taking them onboard.
There is no need to spend hours reading the reviews. It is usually enough to just read a handful of the 5 and 1- or 2-star ones. Then perhaps key a few search terms into the questions box to check that what you are buying has the features that are important to you.
Don’t be afraid of buying second hand
You will be amazed by how good the stuff you buy second hand can be. People regularly struggle to dispose of their white goods, so it is sometimes even possible to get them for free. Most of these items will fit into a hatchback that has had the seats folded down. For example, this video shows you how to load a fridge into a car when you are on your own.
The above are just a few suggestions to help you to stop appliance and car repairs from unbalancing your family finances. Of course, saving for them is important too. Sometimes you cannot get around having to buy a replacement or paying to get something repaired. If you are not already doing so, start putting your change in a jar. That way you will have a small cash fund to turn to when you can’t solve the problem another way.