Being Smart Pays Off…if You Use Your Brain

 I am an avid cheapster. I find things cheap or free. On occasion I find things that I can not pass up, but may be missing something. In these cases all you have to do is call the manufacturer and they will send you the part either free or at very low cost. I recently purchased a heavy duty office stapler (MSRP $77.99) at the thrift store for only $1.99. I am only assuming that they did not know what it was or was just trying to sell it as it was missing a part. Well, at the time, I was overjoyed at the fact that I had practically “stolen” this thing and paying them my two dollars was nothing. Then when I went to use it, I noticed that my staples were not being moved forward. I deducted that there was something missing…way after the fact. I went to do some research on the internet to try to find a place that might have that part. I went to look at the Swingline website, but there was no place for “Parts”. I had noticed an “800″ number on the stapler itself. So… I called it to see if I could buy the missing part. When I had gotten to the appropriate number, a real voice greeted me. That was a shock in itself. She asked me how she could help and I went on to explain my “problem”. She asked me the model of the stapler and I read it off to her. Then she said, “Well we will sent that right off to you free of charge”. I was like, “OKAY”. I’ll be getting that part in two days…YESH!!!

 That wasn’t the first time that I have done anything like that… Once I had gotten a water dispencer for free, but it had a bad spout. The lady swore that it worked, where it didn’t and didn’t where it did. Thank goodness I am a “Jill of All Trades”. I was able to fix it with little effort sans the spout. I called the manufacturer again to see how I could buy the part. Once again they sent it to me free of charge. Yeah!!!

 This world is already a huge garbage dump with people just throwing away good useable items. My parents seem to go through vacuums like they are changing their clothes. I don’t get it. I always tell them and everyone else to just call me when you have something that needs looking at, but they never do. Vacuums are an easy fix as long as the motor hasn’t blown up. Everything else is fixable. Trust me, I have fixed many vacuums. Why waste the money on a new one when you can fix the old one? Who knows. I am so livid that this is such a throw away society. All it takes is a phone call, an internet posting. Give your useable items away, fix those things that are broken, save your money. USE YOUR BRAIN!!! Work smarter, not harder. You’ll be surprised of the outcome!

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