Tag Archives: repair

Free Tech Support and Troubleshooting

Is your high tech computerized dryer spitting out the clothes? Did your iPod go iKaplunk? Are your VHS and DVD player refusing to work nicely together? Before you go out and upgrade your appliance or gadget or spring for expensive technical support, why not visit this free and extensive website that offer technical support, instructions, manuals and troubleshooting for whatever ails you and your technology. FixYa (http://www.fixya.com) has a bunch of experts just waiting to help you fix your problem. With a $6 million budget, the site is filled with great stuff. FixYa consists of a community of users who … Continue reading →

Home Repair and Maintenance Tips

You can’t go wrong when you review these tips that solve common household repair and maintenance problems. From hiding furniture scratches to applying caulk as a pro would, we have got you covered. Hide Those Furniture Scratches If you have a few furniture scratches that you want to hide, here is an easy solution that doesn’t involve refurbishing the entire piece. First, soak the area of the wood that has a scratch. You can do this using a wet cloth. The soaking allows the wood to open. Select a Crayola crayon in a color that is a close match to … Continue reading →

Quick, Temporary Fixes

Maybe you haven’t been able to do some of the things you had hoped to do before the holiday season. Here are some temporary, alternative options: Don’t have time to paint? Wash your walls instead. You might find that you don’t really need to paint right now after all. Instead of getting new carpet or installing a different type of flooring, consider an area rug for a temporary fix. To save even more time and money, go to Target or another store that carries basic home furnishings, and look for an area carpet. You can often find good quality carpet … Continue reading →

7 Common DIY Mistakes (2)

Do you have a project that you can do yourself? Before you tackle that repair or remodeling job, you might want to read this series of articles. We’ll explore the seven most common DIY mistakes and tell you how to avoid them. Last time, we spoke about the danger of overestimating your skills. This time, we will cover underestimating the value of your time. Sure you may have the knowledge and experience to tackle your project, but did you factor in your time? There are a few ways where time can get you into trouble. The first is underestimating the … Continue reading →

Why Are My Photographs Deteriorating?

There is nothing worse than pulling a stack of photographs out of a container and seeing that the photographs are damaged or fading. Photographs are extremely fragile, and must be handled with extreme care if you want them preserved for future generations. There are plenty of reasons why your photographs could be deteriorating, however there are three main (and extremely common) factors that contribute to this. Poor Storage and Conditions Obviously as I have discussed in other articles, poor storage is the quickest way to damage your photographs. It is imperative that you take a little time to ensure that … Continue reading →

Appliance Repair for Less

Just recently, I wrote about how sometimes it makes sense to pay for an extended warranty when buying products on appliances. But what if you don’t have a warranty on your machine? Major and minor appliances can be costly to repair. When something such as a dishwasher breaks down, it can cost hundreds of dollars just to have someone look at the appliance, let alone fix it. This goes for other things around your home, too. One time, a plumber tried to charge us $300 just to tell us that we needed a new sink. He did nothing more than … Continue reading →

How to Repair A Garden Hose

Garden hoses are expensive! Learning how to repair your hose can save you lots of cash. Remember that one of the principals of frugal living is to reduce your waste, so why buy a new hose when you can still use the old one? Do you have a hose that is generally good shape but is in need of a repair? You can easily repair most damage, from a pin hole leak to a tear in the hose. There are two main ways to patch a garden hose. The first and easiest is by using a hose repair kit. These … Continue reading →

Repair or Replace Part 2–Other Electronics

In my previous blog: “Repair or Replace Part 1—Televisions,” I detailed points to consider when deciding whether or not to throw out large electronics like televisions. This blog will provide tips to consider if you experience the similar situations with other household electronics. COMPUTERS Electronic technicians will tell you (as with televisions) the same general rule of thumb applies: Toss any computer when the repair costs more than half the price of a new one. It only takes turning on the TV (to see the countless number of commercials) or opening a paper (and seeing the countless number of sale … Continue reading →

Repair or Replace Part 1–Televisions

Most of us are savvy shoppers, we’ve heard of (or at times even taken advantage of) pre and post holiday sales where you can find DVD players for $50, TV/VCRs for $89.99 or computers for $99. Let’s face it, in the fluid world of high tech gadgets, it seems if you wait long enough the price on high-end electronics will eventually dip into an affordable range. That’s why whenever my computer, printer or TV breaks I am always faced with the question: “Do I repair it or replace it?” I was faced with this question about six months ago when … Continue reading →

Toilets 101

I waited until I was in my 30’s to get married and when I did I ended up marrying a pilot who is frequently out of town. Consequently, I have learned how to fix many appliances on my own. (Did I mention that I also loathe calling “professionals” because I know it will mean a major hit to our household budget?) In the past decade I have learned to fix everything from vacuum cleaners to washing machines and dryers. I am by no means an expert, but there have been some situations that I have faced repeatedly over the years, … Continue reading →