The Washing Machine saga continues...

SO, the washer is gone.  (Deep sigh).  It's been a long couple of days.  Really, it was quite traumatic.

Here's why it was so traumatizing:

The laundry room is off of our kitchen, and has a door that we can close.  It is also where our one year old lab sleeps over night. She is a chewer so she sleeps with the washer and dryer.  Our lab is also a Nervous Nellie.  She gets anxious at any little change - when I move furniture around she pants and gets anxious.  I knew that.  Ohhh, hind site is totally 20/20...  The night the washer died, the dog went to her room, and all was well... until I woke to whining and crying and panting.  I ran to the laundry room, for the second time that night, and discovered something no one should have to discover at 3 a.m.  Nervous Nellie had diarrhea!  ALL OVER!  Apparently the doggie loved that washer!

I had to wash the floor, the walls, the doors... It took hours.  My hair still smells like Pine Sol.

Where was Big A, you ask?  He was asleep.  And by "asleep", I mean pretending to be asleep! Let's just say there have been some pretty frosty glares aimed at him in the past couple of days...

Okay, I feel better having vented!

So, the set we have is stack-able and 10 years old - which means the dryer wont fit on another model washer.  No can do.  AND, as the washer is old, so we decided to buy a new one rather than sink a ton of money into a repair.

Apparently that big hole, is in a part that costs $183 to replace.  We looked it up.



So, there's that money, plus its about $100 to call a repairman just to look at the thing.  And something caused that hole.  But what? That's the million dollar question!  Therefore, we decided to buy a new set.

So now you've had your fill of drama with the dog and the washer death, do you want my washing machine and dryer buying tips?  I knew you would!

1.  The first thing we did was get on line and browse all of the reviews of the washers and dryers on amazonWe decided we wanted a stack-able washer and dryer, with a front loading washer.  Here's why:

The best front-loaders are proven to clean better than the best high-efficiency top-loaders.  And they don't necessarily cost more. Most can handle 12- to 20-pound loads. The front loader spins faster than high-efficiency top-loaders and that means better water extraction, which reduces drying time and energy consumption. Front loaders are quiet.  And, many can be stacked with a dryer to save floor space.  Which is handy because our laundry room requires a stack-able set.

2. Once you've found the appliance/s you want, go to pricegrabber.com and type in the make and model.  Find the cheapest priced appliance, even if it's at a store in "the kingdom of far far away", print off the page, and stuff it in your pocket, cuz you're gonna need that.

3.  Head to the store of your choice that sells the model/s you want.  We went to Home Depot, because they are very helpful there, they don't try to hard sell you.  Plus they're attentive, and knowledgeable, and fair.  (No commission from Home Depot I just like em!)

4. Home Depot will match any price, so take that cheapest priced piece of paper from pricegrabber, and hand it to the sales person.

5.  To get an extra discout, pay cash if you can.  If you pay cash, most places will give you a discount for making their sale easy.

6. Take a floor model = Get a discount.  (Do you really care if your dryer has a ding on the side, or a small scratch?  Me either.)

7.  When you're digging deep to pay for that new washer/dryer, "it's hard not to be tempted to buy into the extended warranty sales pitch - even if it will increase the cost of your purchase by hundreds of dollars." Just say NO!!!  Take the hundred or more dollars they want for a warranty, and throw it in your savings account for a rainy day.  "Although warranties may seem like an act of customer service that companies extend to customers, they are actually carefully calculated to be profitable for the companies that offer them."

(Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/07/warranties.asp#ixzz2CPQDZL1s)

8.  Consumers who purchase select energy-efficient household appliances may be  eligible for a state income tax credit.  Each state has different requirements for state income tax credits, so check that out!

9.  Furthermore, some power companies give rebates to their customers for purchasing  energy-efficient appliances. Check with your power company to see ir your purchases qualify!

Got any appliance buying tips?  I'd love to hear them!  Or, do you have any interest in a one year old lab?  She says she's not nervous, she's sensitive.  Call me. :)