My neighbor Carol had something similar happen a few years back with her fridge. It stopped working in the middle of July and she had to throw out a whole week's worth of groceries. That really got her thinking about how much she spent on takeout and daily Starbucks runs, because she suddenly had to cover a big repair bill. She told me she started adding up what she spent on coffee and fast food over a month, and it was over $300. That was a real eye opener for her. She ended up buying a cheap drip coffee maker and a reusable water bottle, and within six months she had saved enough to buy a new fridge outright. Sometimes it takes a little jolt like a broken appliance to make you see the small things that add up.