Here's mine - I also posted it in the main forum - these times call for learning new things and not being as hasty about discarding broken things I think.   I was thrilled to learn how to fix a broken plug for my vacuum cleaner this week!

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Monday my canister vacuum plug had a broken prong -- and of course would not work - so oh boy did I worry.   I'm out of work for a few weeks - expecting to go back but even these few weeks cause a strain on the budget.   My husband and my Mom both told me to throw the vacuum out.   Something told me not to though --- I do believe I saw someone replace a plug once - probably my Dad.   Well, my Dad is going thru some treatments right now so I didn't want to bother him with questions.    I did a quick e-mail to my brother (who can fix anything) just to see if it was possible/safe to replace it.   He e-mailed back that it was really simple.    I went to Ace Hardware with the cut off plug and they sold me a little replacement plug for $1.59.   My husband and I easily put the new one one - it was so easy!  Neither of us had ever had to do such a repair though - so we learned something new.  

Oh, I forgot to say that when I called a vacuum repair place for an estimate, the man told me (in a gruff annoyed voice) that I'd need the whole cord, I'd need to order it from Sears and they were EXPENSIVE.   

So, I am happy -- I can once again vacuum up cat hair, dirt, etc. And the out of pocket costs were $1.59 + tax.      I imagine most people know this can be done but I didn't.   LOL

Our van is coming up on 100,000 miles and I want it to last.  So we are getting lot's of maintanance done this summer.  Taking it in chunks as we can afford.  If we can keep it for a few years without car payments, we will be able to pay off lots of stuff and have a nice chunk of change in the bank for a down payment on our next vehicle.  It's not really fixing, instead of replacing, more maintaining rather than replacing. 

Edie

Oh wow, I couldn't bare to just throw out a vacuum, kudos to you for fixing it!!!!!  I am always trying to fix that break here, rather than just buy them.  I need to teach my husband that skill.  After moving my computer chair wouldn't go up and down anymore and it really leaned around and wobbled something fierce so I stuffed foam in the pipe area that attaches to the base and it's fixed!  It doesn't move up and down, but it's not dangerous to sit in anymore and I don't have to buy another $120 computer chair!

Me and vacuums have had a very tough relationship!  I guess I am hard on them but this canister vacuum I've had about 8 years and it has great power which is good for cat hair and stuff on bare and carpeted surfaces PLUS I had just bought bags.   So, I was super determined.  My husband doesn't fix things.   He has his skills but they are not in the fixing department.

Edie - I think keeping a vechicle  running (maintaining it)  is a brave and challenging thing but worthwhile!   It is something I am hoping to be able to do with our minivan which is a 05 -- because I really hate having payments and we could take most of the van payment and put it toward debt and repairs then save the payment amount  for a good used car if only we can keep this one running for many years.   We've done it before -- my car I ran for 15 years and my husbands truck he is still running it and it's a 92.   But I know the challenges.

edited because I didn't read real well the first time. i can't spell either.........

Rachel, way to go on fixing your computer chair.   I know those are expensive!

I just had my hiking/snow boots fixed.  The seam along the laces was undone.  In the past, I would have thrown them out, but they still have a great sole and the repair was only $20 for both boots.  New boots would have been at least $100. 

A few months ago our George Foreman grill stopped working in the middle of making some bacon. DH took it apart and found that a wire had burned off. He replaced the burned wire with a new piece of wire and it was good as new. We use it several times a week and it's still working. A dirt cheap fix too, since he already had the extra wire laying around.