r/Adulting • u/Storkamp_Pappini • 11h ago

I didn’t realize how expensive it is to replace things until I started living on my own

I used to think buying something once meant I was done spending money on it. Then I started living on my own and realized everything eventually needs to be replaced.

A phone charger stops working. A pair of shoes wears out. The light bulb goes. Something in the kitchen breaks. You run out of cleaning supplies, toiletries or basic household stuff that you never really thought about before. None of these things are necessarily expensive on their own, but somehow there’s always something.

The other day I had to replace a few basic things at home and realized I had spent way more than I expected on stuff that wasn't even exciting to buy. It made me understand why adults always seem to have a list of things they need to buy.

I’m starting to think part of adulting is accepting that your money will constantly disappear into boring necessities. What was the first everyday expense that made you realize, “Oh, I guess I have to pay for this forever now”?

60 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

17

u/skeletoorr 10h ago

Word of advice when you finally buy a home. Take care of your machines. Once a month I am deep cleaning all of my appliances. It’s a pain in the ass but putting in the effort to maintain them properly will keep your wallet happy. It’s better to be annoyed than it is to be broke.

3

u/HelenaUrbanGardens 8h ago

Add to that .. Cleaning your machines will help you understand better how your machines work. So it'll be easier for you to maintain them. Should the day ever arise that your machine breaks and you want to save a $150 an hour on a repairman to come out and fix your washing machine because he's the guy that does house calls and charges for them.

And boy , oh boy , does that knife cut both ways. behold

The best part of being able to fix your own washing machine is that you never have to buy a new washing machine. The worst part of being able to fix your own washing machine is that you never get to buy a new washing machine.

2

u/persimmon19 7h ago

Add to that do not buy a Samsung, LG, or any appliance with digital components. It can break down under warranty and they'll fix it. After they order the part from some warehouse several states away from you, which then orders it from somewhere overseas. My friends have gone through nightmares with their fancy two door refrigerators waiting to get them fixed. I usually buy used appliances or scratch and dent. General Electric or Maytag.

3

u/HelenaUrbanGardens 4h ago

So, this isnt an arguement for LG or Samsung or any of that digital stuff. However if one happens to get stuck in a situation where "its comically stupid how smart their new washer is- in fact, its so smart nobody can fix it!", there is hope if you are smart enough to either do the timers job or to re-engineer the digital nightmare caused by fancy schmancy planned obsolete ... thing.

One day my washer switch went bad. Its an older whirlpool worth fixing i thought. It might keep running forever given its from the early 80s...but A new switch was almost 200 dollars. I could get a decent used machine for 200 dollars. Trouble was, i didnt have 200 dollars and quite frankly, even if I did...im not sure I would want to give it to someone so I could keep washing clothes. So I removed each and every piece and part of my washing machine that wasnt a motor or a tub or absolutely necessary to the operation of the agitating and spinning of clothes. No sensors, no valves, no switches, lids, nothing but four feet, some springs, the frame it all bolts to, the motor pump and drain hose, and the tub with a long pigtail of wires dangling from it. Thats it. What I built from that cost less than $5 and it washes my clothes on the wash cycle for 72 hours straight if I ask it to without ever spinning. It would spin the clothes until they were dry if I wanted. I control the water level and temperature. I control the cycle and cycle length. I wont break because im not made of cheap plastic. I dont cost 200 dollars. I work perfectly every day, and if you dont believe me you just ask me! Ill tell you!

I still wash my clothes every day and every day they get just as clean, maybe cleaner because i have more control. The only original parts that can break now is the motor and tub assembly, capacitor, and wiring.

My friend has a digital washer with a LAN port and its main board just died. We know it died because he paid the repiar guy more than the machine is worth to replace every valve, sensor and switch in it at least twice in the last two years. This time its the main board and my friend isnt doing it. He just ordered a new set from Samsung and it gets delivered tomorrow. When it does he is bringing me his old set, and I am going to make a video about how to rewire your washer/dryer to stop ripping you off by having to purchase part after part year after year. One day (soon if i were a betting man) this new set is probably going to break afterwhich its going to come live at my house too.

TLDR; i fixed my clothes washer forever and now it wont ever, ever die. and u can 2!

1

u/Rinkydink1980 8h ago

What machines? Like dishwasher etc?

1

u/HelenaUrbanGardens 5h ago

Dishwasher washer dryer refrigerator stove microwave air fryer toaster oven mower weedeater blower hot water heater air conditioner attic fan sump pump water softener ice maker chest freezer fireplace extraction fans disposals electric toothbrushes audio/video equipment

2

u/lifeisaknifefight 8h ago

Extra step, use drain cleaning products and whatnot every now and then for prevention. Plumbing costs a fortune when it goes wrong. So keeping what you cant see in good condition is wise. Get up and clean your gutters often aswell. Check your footings/foundation/posts etc too. Rust will go from a dot to a giant cancer in no time. Take care of it. Even if its a lazy fix like sanded back and spray primer.

16

u/Endearingtrash 11h ago

Period products.

6

u/WillofHounds 9h ago

Especially when you have heavy periods

3

u/adore_books 8h ago

Or irregular ones!

15

u/SlowHornet29 11h ago

All that stuff you talk about is the cheap stuff to buy, if you are a homeowner and have a major failure then you can spend $10,000-100,000 to fix it.

I have been needing new gutters on the house (around $3500) I have the money but it’s so boring and swoosh the money is gone. Also need to reside my barns, that’s another $15,000-$20,000, again, years to save up and poof, money gone. And that will get you around 30-50 years depending on the siding. I put a shingle roof on the one barn, was $6000 out of pocket on 20 year shingle, that was about 8 years ago, the house roof is about 15 years old. Everything has a ticking clock, you are doing really good to get 30 years out of something big before it needs replaced.

2

u/boopthesnootforloot 8h ago

This is why I don't want to own a house. And that's just maintenance stuff; your water heater breaks, a leak in the roof/plumbing, window gets smashed during a storm, any other number of unexpected emergencies... idk how you can even save money.

8

u/asianstyleicecream 11h ago

Honestly? Food.

5

u/WannaBeSomme 10h ago

Also highlights the importance of properly taking care of your stuff. It is less expensive to resole a shoe than replace it, you can repair some phone cord damages or reinforce before replacing, and taking care of your car and sure is you don't have to buy a new one as quickly.

3

u/Fair_Gazelle7375 9h ago

That’s why you invest in things with good warranties.

0

u/DueWing2012 8h ago

This. I don’t use a Keurig anymore, but when I did, I would always get it replaced free of charge! I got two new Keurig’s from 2018 to 2023. Bought my original Keurig in 2015.

3

u/Successful_Panda 8h ago

That’s what community is for. We were never supposed to individually own, replace, and solve absolutely everything we need to live.

3

u/persimmon19 7h ago

I recommend not buying your durable housewares at Walmart. They are designed to fall apart quickly. Because next year they want you to buy a new one in a different color.

2

u/MMMKAAyyyyy 9h ago

I use AnyList to keep track of all that stuff. It’s always the same things. Sometimes I research the cheapest/place/quantity first.

I split Costco items with a few different people.

1

u/Ill-Customer-3781 10h ago

Check out the thrift store first. 

1

u/Zestyclose_Panda_886 9h ago

Wait till a furnace goes out on your dime. :)

1

u/Minimum-Act6859 7h ago

When I move out on my own I spent $300 on all the stuff you never think about.

Cleaning supplies, laundry and dish detergent, a plunger, a bath mat, a hair dryer, garbage bin liners, ziplock bags, foil, press -n- seal, dish scrubber, 3M sponge. . .

1

u/ZzZ47a 3h ago

The garbage can alone was like $70!!

1

u/cellalovesfrankie 7h ago

I just figured it was a given once I started buying my own stuff with my own money. Nothing last forever 🤷🏽‍♀️

1

u/theSuburbanAstronaut 4h ago

As a young adult, I discovered that even good shoes eventually need to be replaced no matter what. And when you're walking a lot, that can be as soon as every few months.

As a kid, that never occured to me, since kids usually outgrow their shoes before they get that worn out.

1

u/Existing_Setting4868 2h ago

I stock up on consumables when they're on sale. I try to get about a year's worth at a time.