I tried to use my paper shredder the other day. It wouldn’t work. It was plugged in, but it wouldn’t turn on. It wouldn’t feed any paper through it. It wouldn’t reverse. I checked for paper jams. There were none.
The paper shredder was dead. It surprised me because it had worked perfectly during a previous session a few weeks prior. I sadly acknowledged that perhaps the motor burned out and it would be time to replace it. A quick search on Amazon told me that I was looking at a $50 to $75 purchase for one similar to the one I had.
And then I remembered the ultimate, modern day cheap trick: Ask the internet.
I Googled the problem. (Or rather, I used Swagbucks so I could earn free gift cards!) A quick internet search and I learned that there is a tiny little switch on the bottom of my paper shredder that is activated when the shredder is seated correctly on the shredder basket. If that switch isn’t activated, the shredder won’t work.
A little monkeying with getting that paper shredder seated just right and it was working again! Thanks to my internet search, I was able to keep $50 bucks in my pocket.
Asking the internet how to fix things, where to find things, and how to do things has saved me hundreds of dollars and hours of time.
The trick is to know where to ask. A quick search (using Swagbucks or Google) will offer you a great starting point. But don’t forget to ask your friends and family on Facebook. Check out online forums. Search the videos on YouTube. Take a peek at Pinterest. Look at your local library’s catalog. Read blogs on your topic. Chances are good that someone out there has had the same question as you. Someone has tried solutions and can tell you what works.
I’ve searched for inexpensive recipes to bring to potlucks. I’ve looked at how to fix screen doors. I’ve discovered eco-friendly ways to get slugs out of my garden. I’ve solved complicated computer issues. I’ve found replacement parts and missing game pieces. I’ve found fabulous deals on secondhand goods through eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook. I’ve found free stuff through Freecycle.
We’re often too quick to abandon something before we even try to solve the problem. But if you take a few minutes to ask the internet, you will often be pleasantly surprised that a low-cost, simple solution is out there.
Check out our other cheap tricks to help you save time and money and be sure to share your own cheap trick with us. You just might see it end up in a future Cheap Trick post!
I can attest to this being a GREAT idea! I frequently wait until the last minute to print out materials I need to take to shows (I sell tutorials of my beaded jewelry designs). Late one night I was doing a marathon printing session when my printer suddenly stopped printing black. Only black, and I knew it wasn’t because the cartridge was out. I sometimes get a “printhead problem” error, but it usually works fine, so I don’t think anything about it. Turned out that this time I actually HAD a printhead problem. I did a search and found a way to clean it. It was a little scary because they said that it could easily get damaged, but I followed the directions, was very careful, and after two dunkings and a very careful dry, it worked again! I have no idea how much a new one would have cost. Wait – just did a search, and it’s about $50. Yay me! I not only fixed it myself (while my husband was sleeping, no less), but I was able to finish printing what I needed.
I use Swagbucks, too. Love that site! I have about $40 sitting in Amazon waiting for me, and my husband and I have seen two movies and had popcorn and pop for free with some left over on the gift card!
Thanks for all the tips!
Thank you for this reminder tip! I need to look up how to fix my printer so it will feed the paper through and print correctly. I tried playing around with it (several months ago), but I just made it worse.