I know there is a global recession but I am not talking of retirees going back to work. I am talking of about reusing some of old equipment that otherwise only gathering dust.
Mine is an old laptop that I have from almost four years ago. It is hidden in my closet and had not been used for more than a year. The reason - I was told it was broken and two major PC shops told me that it can only be fixed by the manufacturer. I could not do it even if I wanted to because the manufacturer has already folded - an early casualty of the credit crunch.
It all happened by accident. I was surfing through the web and found out that this is a common issue with Averatec 3250 laptops. I even found photos from Flickr showing step by step dismantling of this particular model.
Since I have a desktop now, I thought there is no harm of trying to fix the laptop myself. After almost two hours and less than eight quid for the parts bought from ebay, I now have an extra computer for use. It is working for more than a month now with no problem.
My niece heard about me fixing my laptop so she asked me if I can fix hers. With my new found confidence, I took and worked on it for three days. I found out what was wrong and fixed it. Even I was surprised to be able to do this.
One added benefit - I got twenty-five quid for it. Not bad for a novice.
Now, some of my niece's friends are asking me to fix their computers. I maybe starting a business on the side without realising it.
If fixing computers is not your cup of tea, there are other skills that you learn to save and possibly money.
Learn car maintenance skills. This could be as simple as replacing busted headlights to small repaints - these little steps will go a long way when you intend to sell it (my wife make fun of me for having these skills although I don't drive). Oil change is also a regular maintenance skill you can learn - which can cost you around thirty-five quid here in Belfast.
Home repairs. Fixing a broken toilet flush. Building small storage boxes for toys. There are endless possibilities you can learn and do in this area. Just make sure that you don't sacrifice safety and quality just to save a few quid.
I always try to learn new skills whenever I can. This is something I learned from being an IT professional. I may not need them now but may be needing them in the future.
Just imagine how far I follow this principle. Give me a paper clip, a pair of pliers, a needle and thread and I can fix a broken umbrella. I had saved some money doing this several times when I was back in Manila.
