Podcasts about amazon item

upgrade life The Upgrade Trap | Episode 600 It's incredibly easy to fall into what I call the upgrade trap. Phones, laptops, TVs, cars — companies are constantly pushing the newest version of everything. The marketing tells you your current gear is outdated, slow, or missing the latest features. So people upgrade every year or two without really thinking about the long-term cost. Today we're talking about how this trap works, why it's so effective, and how you can break free from it. The Phone Upgrade Cycle Smartphones are probably the most obvious example of the upgrade trap. Every year there's a new iPhone. Every year there's a new Android flagship. Folding phones, bigger cameras, faster processors — and most of the time people are paying more for features they barely use. For years I fell into this trap myself. Back when the first Android phone came out — the T-Mobile G1 with the flip-out keyboard — I jumped on it immediately. After that I kept upgrading every couple of years. And phone companies make it easy to do. They'll happily “upgrade” your phone while quietly adding another $20–$30 per month to your bill for the next couple years. If you're doing that for every device in your family, you might be adding $100 or more every month just to keep chasing the newest gadgets. That's money that never stops leaving your pocket. A Smarter Way to Handle Phones These days I take a completely different approach. First, I stopped paying for phone insurance. That alone saves around $18 or more every month. If you take that same money and just set it aside, you'll have enough to buy a replacement phone every year if something goes wrong. When my phone breaks, I simply go to eBay and buy a model that's a couple years old. Usually I can get one for around $100–$200. Then I sell my old phone — even if it's damaged — and recover some of the cost. People buy broken phones all the time to repair and flip them. So instead of paying monthly fees forever, I just replace devices when I actually need to. It's simple and it saves a ton of money. Planned Obsolescence Everywhere Phones aren't the only place this happens. Software companies do it too. Microsoft recently caused a lot of backlash by ending support for a bunch of devices that aren't even that old. Suddenly perfectly functional computers are considered “obsolete.” Laptop manufacturers have also leaned heavily into planned obsolescence. Cheap laptops in the $300 range often seem designed to last only a couple years before something fails. Hard drives die. Performance slows down. Parts wear out. For years I would just buy a new laptop every few years because it seemed easier than fixing the problem. Eventually I stopped doing that. Now I'm still using a desktop that isn't perfect, but it works. Sometimes a simple upgrade — like adding RAM or doing a fresh operating system install — can breathe new life into a machine. Companies want you replacing devices constantly. But most of the time you don't actually need to. The Worst Upgrade Trap: Cars Phones and laptops are expensive enough, but the worst upgrade trap is cars. The average car payment today is around $400 per month — and many people are paying far more than that. I've seen car payments pushing $900 a month. That's basically a second mortgage. And people get stuck in this cycle where they trade in a car every few years and start the payment clock all over again. Personally, I've almost always bought used cars. It's not glamorous, but it works. The better approach would be saving money in a high-yield savings account and paying cash when you need a replacement. Even if you don't do that perfectly, buying used vehicles can save you an enormous amount of money compared to constantly financing new ones. Yes, the used car market has been weird lately. But if you're patient and willing to look around, you can still find good deals. Don't Keep Up With the Joneses At the end of the day, the upgrade trap is really about keeping up with the Joneses. People want the newest phone. The newest car. The newest everything. But every upgrade comes with hidden costs: higher bills, more debt, and less financial freedom. Breaking the cycle means asking a simple question before upgrading anything: Do I actually need this? Most of the time the answer is no. Keep your gear longer. Buy used when possible. Repair things instead of replacing them. Your wallet — and your long-term resilience — will thank you. Final Thoughts The upgrade trap is everywhere in modern life, and companies are counting on you falling into it. But once you see it, you can start making smarter choices. Delay upgrades. Buy used. Fix things when you can. That mindset doesn't just save money — it builds the kind of independence that survival is really about. Amazon Item of the Day A great tool to help avoid the upgrade trap is being able to repair things yourself instead of replacing them. iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit – Electronics, Smartphone, Computer & Tablet Repair Kit This toolkit has everything you need to repair electronics like phones, laptops, game consoles, and small gadgets. Instead of tossing something and buying the newest version, you can often replace a battery, screen, or small component and keep the device running for years longer. Learning basic repair skills is one of those quiet survival skills that saves money and reduces your dependence on constant upgrades. Think this post was worth 20 cents? Consider joining The Survivalpunk Army and get access to exclusive content and discounts! Don't forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube Want To help make sure there is a podcast Each and every week? Join us on Patreon Subscribe to the Survival Punk Survival Podcast. The most electrifying podcast on survival entertainment. Itunes Pandora RSS Spotify Like this post? Consider signing up for my email list here > Subscribe Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk's The post The Upgrade Trap | Episode 600 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

replacement parts What Happens When Replacement Parts Disappear? | Episode 599 Good morning, this is James from SurvivalPunk.com. Today we're talking about something that most people don't think about until it's too late. What happens when something breaks… and you can't get the replacement part anymore? Planned obsolescence. And what you can actually do about it. Planned Obsolescence When I first learned about planned obsolescence, it pissed me off. The idea that companies intentionally design products to fail after a few years so you have to buy another one. Your phone getting slower after a couple years. Appliances dying earlier than they should. Meanwhile your grandparents had a refrigerator from the 1950s that ran forever. The difference? It wasn't designed to die. Modern products often are. The Repair Problem Even if something can be repaired, that doesn't mean you'll be able to. Repairmen aren't nearly as common as they used to be. And a lot of things aren't built to be repaired anymore. Cars are a perfect example. Older vehicles were simple. You could practically climb inside the engine bay and remove parts comfortably. Newer cars? To replace a starter in one car I worked on, I had to remove the front wheel and drop the part out through the wheel well. Ridiculous. And then you've got sensors everywhere. A tiny sensor fails and suddenly the whole car refuses to run. The Real Problem: Parts Disappear Even if you know how to fix something, there's another issue. Replacement parts eventually stop being made. Say you have a washer — the JamesCo Washer 2000. For years, replacement parts exist. OEM parts. Aftermarket parts. Repair manuals. But eventually the manufacturer stops making them. Suppliers stop stocking them. And suddenly your washer becomes unrepairable — not because the repair is impossible, but because the part doesn't exist anymore. Strategy #1: Stock Common Failure Parts If you've got the space and money, this is a powerful strategy. Find out what parts fail most often. Examples: Ignition coils Fuel pumps Sensors Belts Filters Control boards You don't need to stock every part. Just the ones most likely to fail. I once suspected my fuel pump might go bad, so I ordered a replacement ahead of time. Turned out the issue was something else… so the pump sat in my garage for months. Then one day the fuel pump actually died. And I already had the part sitting there. Problem solved. Strategy #2: Learn Workarounds Sometimes you don't need the part. You just need a workaround. Example: catalytic converters. A friend once told me two tricks: One — cut it open and clean it out. Two — if you live somewhere without emissions testing, cut it out and straight pipe it. Not always legal everywhere — but the point is there are often solutions people have discovered that extend the life of equipment. Another time I ran over a rock that punctured my transmission pan. Fluid leaked out everywhere. Instead of replacing the entire pan, I used steel epoxy putty and sealed the hole. Worked perfectly. Sometimes the “temporary fix” lasts forever. Strategy #3: Make Your Own Parts This is where things get really interesting. With modern tools, individuals can manufacture small parts. Two powerful options: 3D printers Small CNC machines These can produce: brackets clips plastic connectors housings mounts small mechanical parts And many of these designs are already shared online. Someone else might have already solved the exact problem you’re facing. Download the file. Print the part. Fix the machine. There's Also a Business Opportunity Think about this. If a product has a common failure point… And replacement parts are no longer available… Whoever figures out how to make that part can sell it. People do this already. They reproduce discontinued parts for: vehicles appliances electronics tools Sometimes a simple plastic part that costs 50 cents to print can sell for $20 because it solves a real problem. Preparedness Angle From a preparedness standpoint, this matters a lot. If supply chains break down, replacement parts will become extremely hard to find. You won't be able to just order them online. Being able to: stock parts repair equipment improvise fixes manufacture replacements …is a massive resilience advantage. Final Thoughts Everything breaks eventually. And the modern world is not designed to help you repair things. It's designed to make you replace them. But if you think ahead… Stock a few parts. Learn some workarounds. And maybe even learn to manufacture simple components. You can keep things running long after everyone else has given up. This is James from SurvivalPunk.com. DIY to survive. Amazon Item of the Day Steel Reinforced Epoxy Putty Stick Steel Epoxy Putty Repair StickPerfect for sealing cracks, holes, and emergency repairs on metal equipment. J-B Weld SteelStik, 1 Hour Cure, Steel Reinforced Epoxy Putty Stick – 2 Pack, Dark Grey (8267-2) Think this post was worth 20 cents? Consider joining The Survivalpunk Army and get access to exclusive content and discounts! Don't forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube Want To help make sure there is a podcast Each and every week? Join us on Patreon Subscribe to the Survival Punk Survival Podcast. The most electrifying podcast on survival entertainment. Itunes Pandora RSS Spotify Like this post? Consider signing up for my email list here > Subscribe Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk's The post What Happens When Replacement Parts Disappear? | Episode 599 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

Windows 11 requirements and removed features, Amazon destroying unsold items and unregretted attrition, Google CEO Sundar Pichai passing on a Shopify acquisition, FLoC's delay, and plenty in between.Hosts: Emil Protalinski (@epro)Owen Williams (@ow)Kyle Wiggers (@Kyle_L_Wiggers)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(February 19) He’s been talking a lot about it. What’s an item you cannot live without? Listen at 13:05. Aimee is kind of the luckiest person ever when it comes to WHERE her car breaks down! Find out why at 2:30. Dolly Parton DOESN’T want a statue of herself in Nashville. Find out why at 8:00. The post The Amazon Item Jeff Is DYING To Buy appeared first on 102.7 Coyote Country.

It's all about golf clubs on Ground Under Repair this week as Pure Science Golf's John Reynaud joins the show to talk about his business and their approach.  There are many places to get golf clubs custom fitted, but Pure Science Golf takes an extremely personalized approach that seeks to help improve the game of any golfer, from a devoted scratch player to your average once-a-week golfer.  We talk about John's methods, the benefits of custom clubs, and a few things about golf clubs that most of us never think about.   Check out Pure Science Golf's website here. Amazon Item of the Week - Callaway Launch Zone

A month and change into the hockey season, and St. Cloud State is undefeated.  Puck University checks out their early success.  The Big Ten has created another college hockey power conference.  And of course, with Chris Lynch appearing again, Northeastern alum Tim Williams and the proud Terrier have a passive-aggressive back and forth.Amazon Item of the WeekAmazon Music Unlimited 30 day trial

A month and change into the hockey season, and St. Cloud State is undefeated.  Puck University checks out their early success.  The Big Ten has created another college hockey power conference.  And of course, with Chris Lynch appearing again, Northeastern alum Tim Williams and the proud Terrier have a passive-aggressive back and forth. Amazon Item of the Week Amazon Music Unlimited 30 day trial

Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund Executive Director Bob Donovan joins the show to talk about the fund, the PGA's involvement with charities and organizations like his, Ouimet's legacy, and the PGA Tour Pro-Am experience.   More on the Ouimet Scholarship Fund:  ouimet.org Brush-T, the Amazon Item of the Week:  http://amzn.to/2faN7Vu Add the NFL to your Amazon Prime Video watchlist