Forget Fixing It: These 14 Household Items Are Cheaper to Replace

It’s inevitable — stuff around your house will break. When it does, you must weigh an important question: Do you fix it or toss it? When it comes to certain household items to replace instead of fix, the answer might surprise you.

Fixing may feel like the frugal, reasonable, and sensible thing to do since it avoids waste, but it’s just not worth it for some items. Some things are cheaper to buy new than to fix. So if any of these household staples go on the fritz, we hereby advise you to buy a new one and not waste time and money trying to fix them.

Toasters

Is your toaster not toasting? When you put a slice of bread in it, does it remain a slice of bread and refuse to become toast? Well, keep the screwdriver in your tool kit and buy a new one. Some models don’t even exceed $20.

Blenders

Has your trusty blender acquired a broken blade or motor in the process of being used? Do yourself and your loved one a favor, and don’t waste your time on parts and repairs. Just buy a new one, which you can get for around $30.

Vacuum Cleaners

Some people take their vacuuming very seriously and will spend hundreds of dollars on a high-end model. If you have a normal vacuum cleaner and not a high-end model like a Dyson, you can donate your busted vacuum to the curb and get a new one for well under $100.

Microwave Oven

When a microwave oven stops working, you have two choices. One is to try and fix it yourself, but do you really want to tangle with a contraption that was once wrongly believed to emanate deadly radiation? Do you even know how? A new microwave oven can be secured for $100 or so, so please accept reality and buy a new one.

Hair Dryers

As with microwave ovens, we must ask the same question regarding hair dryers. Would you even know what was wrong with a broken one, much less how to fix it? Embrace your own ignorance and lack of practical knowledge and just buy a new one, which will run you under $100.

Electric Kettles

Standard kettles are fantastic. You fill it with water, put it on the stove, turn on the flame, and in a few minutes, you have boiling water. Naturally, some people couldn’t handle having this incredibly simple process in their lives, necessitating the invention of the electric kettle. When it croaks, toss it and buy a new one for under $20.

Lamps

That lamp on your desk that stopped working even after you put in new light bulbs should not be allowed to sit there, mocking you with its uselessness. Do not even entertain the thought of fixing it, as the costs associated with such an effort will exceed the roughly $20 price tag of a new one.

Headphones

Do your headphones have a snapped headband or frayed cord? Most headphones you paid less than $100 for aren’t worth repairing, especially since you can get a new pair for $50 or less.

Non-Stick Pans

This is one where it’s not even about cost. If the coating on one of your non-stick pans starts peeling, you have to buy a new one, since it’s no longer safe to use. Give your wallet and your digestive system a break by getting a new one for under $20. Since it doesn’t have a peeling surface, you won’t have to go to the emergency room!

TV Remotes

A replacement remote is cheaper than trying to fix a broken one or digging into the electronics. In fact, there are some basic ones for under $10, which is less than the cost of the screwdriver you would use if you tried to fix it on your own.

Plastic Storage Containers

Cracked or warped lids? Please, we beg of you, grab a fresh set. These containers cost next to nothing, and people who save plastic containers, empty jars, or other prefabricated storage solutions sometimes give off major hoarder vibes. For the sake of your family, throw it out already.

Office Chairs

Fixing broken wheels or armrests can be pricey, especially on cheaper models. While some office chairs exceed $200 in price, there are less expensive ones that can be purchased for less than $50 and can be assembled in about ten minutes. While we all know “a penny saved is a penny earned,” Benjamin Franklin himself would probably see you under the chair with a Phillips head screwdriver and say, “Dude, just buy a new one.”

Bathroom Scales

If it’s not giving accurate readings, it’s not helping you, even if it’s giving you an ego-boosting inaccurate reading that subtracts 50 pounds from your actual weight. Throw that sycophantic but errant contraption in the dumpster and buy a new one for around $30.

Coffee Makers / Coffee Machines

Many basic drip coffee makers are inexpensive (often under $50) and parts or service for repairs (especially out of warranty) can cost as much as — or more than — buying a new one.

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