this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
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That's how i think of it. My dad can tear a car apart. I can't wrap my head around changing the brakes. But i know how computers work, because i grew up needing to know.
I always found it fascinating to learn about the things I used in my life worked, because as a kid I loved learning to take things apart, mod, and put them back together. But there never seems to be enough time to study and understand everything, because most devices we use are over-engineered (read: repair hostile), so I can't ever think about becoming a jack of all trades like my family members are.
Electronics, yes. Mechanical, no. I have to pay someone else to help me.
Same on the computer thing, but I feel that knowing how to tear a computer (or anything, really) apart reduces the "I don't think I can do this" threshold a bit. Not having a choice also helps, as in "Oh, the turbo died and all the shops say it'll cost more than the car is worth to replace? Guess I'm learning how to swap a turbo."
I'm not trying to be negative about blaming people who are in bad financial situations but idk why more people don't realize that you can get things that you wouldn't normally be able to afford if you're willing to learn about it and do some work. Technicians/mechanics aren't usually geniuses, they just read the manual.
I spent a lot of time having a very tight budget. I realized that the only way to afford a car was to buy a busted one and fix it myself. I couldn't afford a mechanic but I could afford a repair manual.
But, I'm also confused by people who simply aren't curious. They don't want to know. They're totally content just not understanding how all of this technology around them works. Like, how are they OK with that?
I've been in the spot before and honestly it comes down to risk management. Usually it's a case of considering fixing something myself, and as I analyze it I end up determining the risk of either being unable to fix it after investing in tools/parts or worse making it worse due to my lack of skill ends up outweighing the cost savings of just paying a professional.
Or for a real world example, I had the rubber gaskets wear out on one of my toilets. I took it apart, dremmeled off the corroded bolts (after buying a big honking screw driver and bolt cutters hoping either would help, and ultimately the bolts were too corroded to unscrew and the bolt cutters couldn't fit the space to reach the bolts to cug) replaced the gaskets and suddenly have leaks in new spots. Other parts looked corroded so I basically bought completely new innards for the toilet, replaced them, reassembled and it still leaked in the same places. Finally having spent about $300 in parts and tools plus multiple Saturdays of my time, I accepted there must be some art to this plumbing thing that I'm missing and I hired a plumber who fixed it in 30 minutes for about a hundred bucks.
You make good points and I agree that in this case, hiring a plumber right off the bat would have given you the better outcome.
As you mentioned, there is some risk to doing it yourself and this risk often motivates people to avoid even attempting to fix things. Part if it really is an exercise in learning about the thing and being realistic about how likely you are to succeed.
However, I don't think you should characterize the $300 as a total loss. You probably still have that big screwdriver and set of bolt cutters. Some of the toilet parts you bought might have been appropriate and included in the plumber's repair. You also probably learned a thing or two about plumbing, even if all you learned was that you'd rather hire a professional for future plumbing projects.
Exactly. I figure changing the sound card is like changing the transmission.