Given the state of the economy, exemplified by another steep petrol price hike on Wednesday, we need to put extra effort into saving and finding bargains.
I have now become that bargain hunter that I used to look down my nose at.
As Murphy’s Law would have it, I had two unexpected expenses in the last two weeks, both to do with doors.
First, the key broke off the lock of my back door, requiring immediate locksmith action, which as you know, does not come cheap.
Kids, if you are confused about what to do with your life, become a plumber or a locksmith.
Besides the fact that they are always needed, they truly make good money.
Better than most professionals I know. Plus, many of them work for themselves.
Anyways, the next disaster saw my fridge door come off its hinges, crashing onto the floor, sauce bottles and all.
This is where the bargain hunting comes in.
I mentioned my dilemma on my breakfast radio show and a listener made me aware of a place in Montague Gardens called Cape Town Appliances.
They sell shop-soiled appliances at seriously knocked-down prices, which was exactly what I was after.
Everything from gas hobs and ovens, to washing machines, dish washers and of course fridges.
To be honest, I was a little worried about what condition these things would be in, and whether it would last and the length of time.
It turns out there’s very little wrong with these appliances, safe for a dent or a scratch here and there. Let me give you an example.
I had a look at a double-door fridge with one of those French-drawers at the bottom.
One of the handles had some scratched on it, which will cost you under R1 000 to replace.
The price of the fridge, which is otherwise brand new, is reduced by R10 000.
This is the case for most of their appliances. Most have never been used and got their damage during delivery to a customer, or while being moved in store.
But it’s usually nothing that can’t be covered up by a fridge magnet or two.
Plus, you get all the peace-of-mind after-sales service, like onsite warranties and so forth.
I’m telling you about them, just in case you suddenly need an appliance urgently, like I did. No need to get yourself into debt and pay double the advertised price for the “privilege” of paying it off over time.
It’s also just a wonderful way to replace your ageing appliances, at a fraction of the price, assuming you place practicality over a slight detraction from the aesthetic.
I have written before about the importance of repairing, recycling and reusing things that we sometimes simply just throw away.
This thinking is given a lot more traction these days, with movements like the Repair Café, which now has a chapter in Cape Town.
It's a Dutch idea that regularly brings expert repairers and tinkerers together to help ordinary people fix their broken stuff, giving them a second life.
This is why I love what Cape Town Appliances is doing. When they dropped off my new double-door bridge on the same day, they also took my old broken fridge with them, because they are also able to repair them.
So one of these days, it will get a second life as a second fridge in my house.
This in turn will allow me to take more advantage of frozen food bargains, now that I have the storage.
Daily Voice