Save Big $$$ With Small Mouse Clicks

Is your car, computer or appliance on the fritz? Before opting for an expensive repair or replacement, log on to the Internet to find do-it-yourself solutions

#1 CITE THE MANUFACTURER

Say your car's "check tire pressure" light keeps coming on. You can see that the tires are properly inflated, so the real problem is getting rid of the message. A mechanic could help- at a price. Instead, go to a Web search engine and type in, for example, "Toyota check tire pressure light". Seconds later, you'll get a link to material (that may not be in the car manual) that explains how to disable the light. Car blogging sites can also offer advice.

Smart Savings: $100 for the dealer to diagnose the problem, plus the cost of any repair.

* I do this all the time! Whatever the problem is, I always go to my favorite search engine and almost always find the solution and step by step instructions sometimes on how to fix the problem. Our hot water heater was not working properly and I searched for it and determined the thermostat was needing replacing. We went to the local hardware store and bought what we needed for around $30 for both thermostats and we even got step by step directions online on how to replace it ourselves. Savings- AT LEAST $200.

#2. ENTER THE ERROR MESSAGE

Problems with your computer or printer? Someone we know had an Epson printer that got huffy, flashing an "align print cartridges" message. The cartridges seemed aligned, yet the printer wasn't working. He turned to Google and typed in: "Epson align print cartridges." The responses included a link to a site with the you'd-never-figure-this-out solution (press two buttons at once to make the printer believe the faux problem is fixed).

Smart Savings: $200 (cost of a new printer).

#3. TYPE IN THE BRAND AND THE WORD "PROBLEM"

Another friend consulted Google when her digital camera stopped shooting. A manufacturer's troubleshooting page popped up and explained that she likely had a defective memory card.

Smart Savings: About $265 (she ended up spending $35 for a memory card instead of $300 for a new camera).

#4. SPECIFY NEEDED PARTS

Order repair parts for appliances through the Web. For example, a co-worker needed a new refrigerator-door bracket. She entered "GE replacement refrigerator parts" and quickly learned where to find the necessary model numbers. The $17 bracket arrived in five days, and she easily
installed it herself.

Smart Savings: $90, plus the cost of labor

Source: Good Housekeeping's Quick & Simple Magazine, Nov. 2007