#025 — Avoid “Dollar Disconnect” – Do It Yourself!
I am SO mechanically inclined
My wife’s left headlight has been out for a couple weeks now. We’ve put up with the warning notification on the dash panel that pops up every time you start the car. After finding out the dealer wanted $45 to change it, I figured it shouldn’t be too difficult, even for me, to just replace the bulb myself.
So I went by O’Reilly Auto Parts and picked up a bulb for $8. After a bit of tinkering around and undoing bolts that didn’t need to be undone, I went online and Googled directions on “how to change headlight on Saab“. The directions made a little more sense after-the-fact, so I tinkered a bit more, then realized you don’t even have to remove the headlight set from the car — there’s a rubber cap on the backside of the headlight set that you can pop off. Removed a fuse box attachment temporarily, and I had direct access to the bulb! I’ll be honest — what took me probably an hour should’ve taken about 10 minutes. Next time, I won’t hesitate to again make headlight bulb changing a DIY project.
It feels good
My dad was a mechanic for years, and even though I have replaced an engine or two, and we always repaired our own vehicles growing up, I didn’t exactly absorb all that knowledge. It feels good to accomplish something that’s a little out of your element. It did cost me an hour of sleep last night, but it did save us the money and time of going to the auto shop and paying someone else to do it. Maybe I’m speaking from more of a male point of view, but most importantly, doing it yourself gives you the ownership of a job well-done.
The Dollar Disconnect
I’m not going to lie, it is nice to have someone else cook & serve you food, clean your house, walk your dogs, mow your lawn, or repair your car. If you do not have enough time but have enough money, it’s just easier and less stressful to have others help you out. But sometimes easier & less stressful can lead to excuses and laziness, which will hit your budget big-time. A “Dollar Disconnect” occurs, where the appreciation & satisfaction of fulfilling a need is separated by a money transaction, causing you take that need for granted.
If I would’ve sent this to the dealer to be fixed, I would have created a Dollar Disconnect and have missed out on this reminder: sometimes, it’s nice to see that work can be rewarded, even if it’s something as simple as changing a headlight.
Have you done any recent DIY projects? Have you experienced too much “Dollar Disconnect” in your life recently?
photo by pedrosimoes7