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Through our 56 years of marriage Connie only bought GE appliances and in recent years their Profile line. I have to admit all the washers, dryers, dishwashers, ovens and refrigerators have served us well.
These products are made in the US and the prices show it. Our new fridge was $4,149, the dishwasher $829 and the stove $3,289. Not with all the bells and whistles possible either. You can get a fridge with a Keurig coffee system in the door. We passed on that.
Add up those prices and it is more than my first three new cars combined – purchased in the 1960s of course.
The value of excess cash flow and/or a contingency fund are quite apparent these days. I maintain that such funds are just as important in retirement – perhaps more so – than while working.
On occasion, living frugally in retirement is not an option😩
Always check for good deals, especially Early Black Fridays, at Temu.com. 🤣🤣🤣
If you have the time to wait.
Having known a person with detailed working knowledge of the scrap and rework rate at a well known U.S. based appliance parts maker, it comes as no surprise to see the repair rates and costs of every aspect of appliances continue to skyrocket. Worse, it just seems to be acceptable and part of the, “that’s how we’ve always done it” mentality.
Replacement parts are just as expensive. I paid $25.00 for a rubber shaft seal for my 30 year old dishwasher a decade ago. Our GE refrigerator is from 1986 and works without any issues because a backup awaits in the basement just in case…
Wow – benefits of living elsewhere with generally smaller houses. Just checked and a 60/40 stacked European fridge freezer seems to start at around £200 which is roughly the pricepoint I remember.