and we're back on super high-speed spin!

I am partially talking about the washing machine. It was fixed today! No new front-load machine, but that is okay, this bill was a little better on the pocket book.

But still, I have to rant about this. It cost me almost $250 to repair my $450 washer that is 10 years old. I hope I get another 6 years out of it based on that ratio!

Furthermore, I'm still not grasping the whole thing. How can the complete machine, with all those parts, all that handling, labor, shipping, etc, be only 50% more than the cost of replacing ONE PART? I understand many of the factors: the company that makes the washer orders parts by the thousands, not onesies/twosies; they manufacture and assemble a lot of it by robotic and other computerized equipment; and they have the capacity to make better deals. Besides, I'm guessing their real labor costs aren't 90 bucks an hour!

Even taking that into consideration, if you add up the sum of its parts, the washer is worth more than its original cost. What does that say to all those along that production line and their wages? What does that say about me as a consumer? I want my good deals, but what is the real cost of those good deals? I'm saving that for another day... (and yes, I know I have a couple other entries with a similar line of a follow up post needed, I will get to it!)

I am still happy to have a working washing machine again! And very grateful to wonderful neighbors who offered me the use of their machine without hesitation, I don't even need to knock to enter their house! Wow, never thought I would have good neighbors.