Debate: Is it worth fixing a cheap appliance or just tossing it?

I was talking to my buddy Dave last week after I fixed his neighbor's $40 toaster that had a stuck lever. Dave said I was wasting time on junk that should just go in the trash. But I told him that toaster was 3 years old and worked fine after I bent a piece of metal back. He thinks spending 20 minutes on a fix that costs nothing is dumb when you can buy a new one for $40. I feel like we're drowning in throwaway stuff and a little DIY keeps things out of the landfill. Plus now I got a six pack of beer as payment. So what's your take? Do you try to fix your cheap gadgets or just replace them when they break?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_chen61mo ago

Read a study that said making things last longer actually saves more resources than recycling.

lucas_perez1mo ago

Man I'm totally with you on this. It drives me nuts how quick people are to toss stuff that just needs a tiny fix. That neighbor was lucky you took the time, and honestly a six pack is way better than another piece of plastic garbage in a dump. I've got this old coffee maker from like 5 years ago that my wife wanted to replace because the lid hinge broke. Took me under 10 minutes to rig it with a zip tie and it's worked perfect ever since. Feels good to beat the system a little bit, you know? Keep fixing stuff when you can, it matters more than people realize.