Fixing things

There seems to be an "art" that is disappearing... 

I remember when I was younger, my parents would get things fixed...  The TV, the bicycles, small appliances, clothes,shoes, etc... If there could be a way to fix something, there was no way they would get rid of it.... I remember my dad would fix anything (or just about) with crazy glue!  And he was not the only ones...

Over time, however, the trend shifted towards changing things instead of fixing them... I think that happened for several reasons... First of all, fixing things mean you will have to actually go without it for a while... wether it is a piece of clothe, a pair of shoes, furniture or appliances...  It means sometimes bringing it to the repair man, or waiting home for him to show up... and sometimes, it involved taking you own time to do it, as for clothes, toys, etc...  Now, unfortunately,  time is a luxury most people can't afford anymore... who would spend a week withour their TV so it gets repaired?  Who actually brings their clothes or shoes to be fixed?
Who can afford spending half a day home waiting for the guy to fix the freezor?

Isn't just easier to get new stuff?  This can be done in a couple of hours or even a few minutes over the internet (assuming the computer is not what broke down on you), and shipped to your house anytime you wish within 24-47 hours if need be... It seems like stuff is not done to last anymore... My mom had in her basement a fridge that was 30 years old... Which fridge build today will last 30 years? Same goes for TVs...  When I moved out in my first appartement, I found a TV that was some 30 years old if not more, you know those TV that were actually inside a wooden box?  Well it lasted me a few months... The TV I bought after that, in 1997, just died in 2009... just 12 years after... and not because it was overused... 

This is just my opinion, but the big consumerism machine would not do as well if everything
we buy would last forever!!!

Lastly, some people think that the cost of fixing things is just as high as buying new ones... that is not true! Even if it cost a few hundred dollars getting you washing machine repaired, a new one will cost much more! Plus look at the environmental cost...  Changing you stuff means sending something to the landfill most of the time...

Over the last year, I had several of my clothes fixed because I have been losing weight and stop wearing heels... Of course, shortening pants may cost 10$, making them smaller at the waste maybe 20$ depending on the cut... But that is well below the price of new pants... I even had a red velvet dress turned into a nice skirt for 35$ !

Now if you get a sewing machine for a little more than 100$ on sale and learn how to sew, those will come out even cheaper as the number of pieces of clothes you can fix with one machine is almost unlimited!  My next objective is to get a sewing machine! I already know how to sew, I just do not have the equipement!
I have just get two pair of boots repaired...  and they did a great job!  It cost me 30$!  Some might say that
this is a lot of money... but each of these pair of boots cost me aroung 70$... So that is 140$...  fixing them
for 30$ and allowing them to serve me for a few more seasons is way more cost efficient than buying 2 new pairs at the same price... Plus I saved the landfill from 2 pairs of boots still very wearable with a little help!

So I will ask you, the next time something brake down, please consider fixing it... if this is really not your approach at least send it to a place where they will do it and some people will at least be able to buy it for cheaper! Not everyone can afford a brand new fridge every 10 years!!!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!