Be Handy, Save Money

Problem: Motor scooter idles rough, frequently stalls at idle, and generally runs poorly. It wasn’t always like this.
Spendy: Mechanic wants ~$70 for diagnosis and repairs.
Handy: Open carburetor access hatch. Inspect for obvious defects. Find cracked vacuum hose.
Cheap: Spend $1.39 for new vacuum hose. Replace hose. Scooter runs great.
While being specialized skills can be a definite perk, just having a base level of “handiness” can be…well…handy. Knowing how to troubleshoot, find, and fix problems with commonly-encountered things (e.g. computers, guns, vehicles, home electrical appliances, plumbing, etc.) can be rewarding, useful, and cost-effective.
Just don’t hurt yourself too badly while learning. 🙂

2 thoughts on “Be Handy, Save Money”

  1. I decided my mechanic was charging too much for the services rendered, but not everybody works on old Volvos, ‘yknow? Handiness coupled with the information age, however, means there’s almost nothing I can’t do now. 🙂 And it saves a bundle!

Comments are closed.