Fix it!

We're seeing a massive increase in the cost of living at the moment. This is largely created by our own Government and they seem intent on blaming it on outside factors, coming up with bullshit ways we can 'save money' and still taxing us more

I'm not sure what the fuck they thought was going to happen after closing the economy, destroying businesses and paying people to stay at home for months on end, but at least now there's a war they can blame it on

Did you notice how the Government and media started a petrol shortage scare a while back? One the turned out to be something or nothing. Did you also notice how the petrol prices went up at the time and didn't come back down again?

Well that was before the war they are now blaming petrol prices on

There's not actually much we can do about Government incompetence, but there are small ways we can reduce our own expenses and reduce what we give to the Government at the same time
We pay VAT at twenty percent on most purchases (In the UK). Somebody creates, markets and sells a product, we put up the money to buy it and the government gets twenty percent of the purchase price for doing bollocks all...which they then waste

VAT is only charged on new items, not second hand. I live by second hand stuff, in fact if I got burgled and all my stuff got nicked I would be far better off because my insurance company would replace it all for shiny new things. I only go for stiff home security because my cats are at home alone during the day sometimes.

Apart from the telly and the couch, I don't think me and Mrs Bucko own a piece of furniture that isn't second hand. Nope, the spare bed was an ex-display that was heavily discounted. Took it home in the pickup, when I had it, so no delivery charge either

We do have some brand new kitchen appliances as we're refurbishing the kitchen and decided to buy new items that match, to replace the old ones that were years old. The washer had been repaired with a bit of gaffer tape. Sometimes it would come off, so I would just put a new bit on. The cooker was second hand and we never had to do anything to it. Unfortunately we also didn't clean it, so it was in a bit of a state

Tip one: Clean and maintain your items and they will last a lot longer

We have two decent PCs in the house which I build from various parts and we both have gadgets that are budget and second hand, but do the job required perfectly well

Tip two: Buy second hand and don't fall into the trap of needing to have the latest of everything 

And when something does go wrong, your first instinct should not be to bin and replace

Why do people keep throwing stuff in the bin when it packs up? We have become a nation of people who replace rather than repair.

Tip three: Fix it

I once traded an old PC in exchange for a repair on Mrs Buckos old laptop. So sometimes you don't have to spend any money. Barter still exists, you just have to ask. No VAT and not even any money. He would have made more money from that tower than I could and I didn't have to pay for the fix. No money even changed hands.

I fixed our central heating boiler once, too. Admittedly it was a very minor problem, but while I was Googling it I realised that more complex problems are also fairly simple to fix with the right instructions and a bit a patience. Being a gas appliance, you are supposed to get a man in to do it, but the only qualification a registered gas installer has that you don't, is that they know how to do the job right and safely

If you can gain the knowledge to do it right and safely, why not? Of course there are certain things that need actual safety certificates due to building regulations, so you can't circumvent those, but basic electrics, plumbing and carpentry can be easy to learn online, fun to do and save you an arm and a leg, if you have the right temperament for it

There are many things we can fix ourselves and we just don't know it. Many people would not know where to begin if they had a fault on a printed circuit board. These boards are in most electrical items and if they have a fault the item packs in. In most cases a printed circuit board cannot be repaired but if say there is a crack in it. the contacts can often be bridged with a bit of solder. Far cheaper than buying a new telly.

In the age of Google and the web, instructions for fixing almost any item are there to be found, you just have to look. Read the instructions on the internet and watch the videos on Youtube. You'll be an expert in no time

Take cars as an example. Modern cars are not designed to be fixed. The parts that pack in are just supposed to be replaced, and more often than not, at great expense. Most modern mechanics can't figure out a fault until they have hooked the car up to a computer.

I used to drive older cars, but I'm slowly modernising. The first thing I do whn I get a new car is learn about the engine and how it differs from ones I'm familiar with. I'll usually always have a go at fixing the car before taking it to a mechanic

I tinker with general vehicle maintenance a couple of weekends per month and I've also tackled some really complex jobs that would have broke the bank otherwise

I did once bugger up a very complex job though and if that happens, it can end up costing more than it originally would. I got lucky and the repair wasn't too bad, but one thing about doing big jobs you've never done before, is being confident you've fully researched the work and accept that things may still go wrong

For those who don't want to tackle proper mechanics, learning and doing basic maintenance, is still a big money saver

I don't know why anyone would want to buy a new car anyway. None of them have no character and they're all over priced

If you want to avoid paying out and financing our glorious leaders whims and hobby horses, stay away from new goods as much as you can. And you can. The Gov is unlikely to notice the dent, but you might just notice the saving

And the next time something breaks, don't instantly throw it in the bin, ask yourself if you can fix it.

I bet you can.