Day 7 - Make a Maintenance Plan for Your Appliances

After turning my personal finances around just by spending 60 minutes every day on small projects I decided to share everything I learned to get my self in a better position when it comes to money. I will be serializing all the 60 minute projects so other people can try them to get their finances in better shape. Most of these tasks will take no more than an hour and it's those tasks that we love to put off. So join me from Day 1 to Day 13 to see if you can get yourself in a more prosperous place financially.

Day 7 - Make a Maintenance Plan for Your Appliances

It's very annoying when an appliance breaks down especially when you're looking to save money and practice frugality! It seems as though some higher force is working against you. There have been countless times where I've nearly hit a savings target only to find my money being diverted to replace a broken down appliances. Most people who are good with their finances will have an emergency fund to take care of these things, they might even have insurance but who really wants to delve into their savings of any sort?

In Day 7 we spend 60 minutes making a plan to maintain all the equipment that might breakdown. You don't have to be a qualified electrician or mechanic to perform basic maintenance, all that is required is opening the item and giving it a good clean from time to time.

The first step which is always the most difficult step is to make a list of all the appliances in your home which might breakdown. Get a clean piece of paper and list the item one by one by visiting every room. Some of the appliances should include the following

1. Cooker
2. Washing Machine
3. Dish Washer
4. Heating System
5. Vacuum Cleaner
6. Television
7. Blender
8. Toaster
9. Juicer
10. Freezer

Now that your armed with your list you need to find out if you have any existing warranty or guarantee in place. If you have make a note of the phone number along with when the guarantee period runs out. Having a central place with all your guarantees and warranty helps especially when things breakdown and you forget where you actually put the important documents.

You should also check if you've bought the item with your credit card as they sometimes cover appliances for a certain period of time. I buy all of my appliances on credit because I get free replacement for a year if they breakdown.

Once you have all the important information you should know which items are covered and which items might need your attention. Turn to the appliances that have no cover/guarantee or warranty and then try to spend 60 minutes just caring for that item and maintaining it.

You'll be surprised how much free information there is on maintaining specific appliances, there are also so many forums where you can ask questions if an appliance does breakdown. Try to find a maintenance guide on the internet and use your free time to care for your appliances. Only recently I spent 60 minutes maintaining my washing machine by performing the following tasks.

1. Thoroughly cleaning the outside
2. Thoroughly cleaning the inside
3. Draining the excess water storage area
4. Removing any dust/hair from pipes
5. Opening the back of the machine and then using a vacuum cleaner to suck all the excess dust
6. Descaling the machine with Calgon Tablets

These jobs are the ones we hate the most but it's the ones that could save us a lot of money in the long run. Suppose on average a family spends $1000 a year on replacing appliances then with proper maintenance you could save up to $10,000 if you can avoid a breakdown for 10 years. Rather than lazing around you should use your time productively and maintaining items is one of the most productive things that you can do.

You could take things a step further and take out insurance on all your household items. There are policies on offer which cover up to 10 appliances however these policies are rather pricey. If you've got appliances that are aging or have been poorly maintained and you don't want to get your hands dirty then these insurance policies could save you a lot of money.

If you're forced to replace an item then replace the item with a quality reliable appliance which has a track record for lasting a long time. Go for the best brands and look for companies offering long guarantee periods and warranties. By spending extra you could make the appliance last years longer compared to the cheaper product which will breakdown sooner.

If you want to take frugality to the next level you could go appliance free! you could wash your own clothes, wash your own dishes, avoid watching TV all the time and wear a jumper to avoid turning the heating on. The less reliant you become on an appliance the less money you need to spend to replace it.