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I grew up watching those responsible adults, tinkering with this and that, checking here and there, and looking in every way....from a young person's vantage point, to be living a perfectly wise and "boring" life. Then again, by maintaining everything they owned, they saved themselves a pile of money over the years, because their stuff lasted a long, long time.
And it's not just about puttering around....it's about taking cars in, getting the furnace checked up on, visiting the dentist regularly, and so on. It's about regular, timely maintenance of things.
The results are often unexciting. You'll hear things line, "looks fine", "come back in 6 months", "did a small tweak", and so on. Nothing earth shattering! In fact, did I really have to make this appointment, and pay this extra cash just to hear that??
Maintenance is important however, because on average folks who do regular maintenance probably have less problems and repairs in the long run. That makes sense.......right?
BUT....on the other hand, I believe that some folks spend way too much on maintenance/warranties and so on. In fact, most companies count on that revenue......they make it a goal to maximize every penny. When I was a career guy, I dealt with a lot of software manufacturers, and they would give you a decent discount on the system, because they typically got close to 20% annually on maintenance/upgrades and such. They just needed to get their feet in the door, for long term annual payback. Same goes for those Tech stores, where they always try to get you to extend warranties on things that you will be better off throwing away when they fall apart.
But in general, it's wise to maintain things that you can maintain. And it's smart to spend a few bucks every year on purchases of significant value. But in a world of instant gratification, don't expect too much excitement in the process. On the other hand, if you want the feeling that comes from "instant fix", you could let everything fall apart, and look forward to the excitement of buying new things....all the time!!!
And it's not just about puttering around....it's about taking cars in, getting the furnace checked up on, visiting the dentist regularly, and so on. It's about regular, timely maintenance of things.
The results are often unexciting. You'll hear things line, "looks fine", "come back in 6 months", "did a small tweak", and so on. Nothing earth shattering! In fact, did I really have to make this appointment, and pay this extra cash just to hear that??
Maintenance is important however, because on average folks who do regular maintenance probably have less problems and repairs in the long run. That makes sense.......right?
BUT....on the other hand, I believe that some folks spend way too much on maintenance/warranties and so on. In fact, most companies count on that revenue......they make it a goal to maximize every penny. When I was a career guy, I dealt with a lot of software manufacturers, and they would give you a decent discount on the system, because they typically got close to 20% annually on maintenance/upgrades and such. They just needed to get their feet in the door, for long term annual payback. Same goes for those Tech stores, where they always try to get you to extend warranties on things that you will be better off throwing away when they fall apart.
But in general, it's wise to maintain things that you can maintain. And it's smart to spend a few bucks every year on purchases of significant value. But in a world of instant gratification, don't expect too much excitement in the process. On the other hand, if you want the feeling that comes from "instant fix", you could let everything fall apart, and look forward to the excitement of buying new things....all the time!!!
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