Considering how skint we are.........would you replace your dishwasher if it broke? Is it a necessity?

[LoveMyGirls]

Our's is broken but we are very skint (working really hard to try and reduce our overdraught) BUT I'm a childminder and am cooking dinner for 7 of us during the week and that's a hell of a lot of washing up!

If we replace it we would have to buy a 6 place setting table top one as our workbench couldn't fit a full size or even a slim line model but it irks me that we would have to pay almost the same for a small one as we would for a big one and part of me is thinking we don't have the money for this and people used to manage.

What shall I do?

A dishwasher is cheaper than a divorce lawyer

cs they are always cheaper in the sales.

Any chance of getting it repaired?

I guess it just depends on one that I want being reduced. I hadn't thought about sales (probably because I have been half heartedly looking for 6 months). I will wait for the sales then (and visitors can wash up over xmas).
I want an AAA semi-integrated, and don't want to pay more than £350 really.

we don't have one because DH has ishoos with them... but despite the fact everyone thinks we're mental and I bitch and moan about it to join in, I secretly don't mind. Not that bad washing up by hand when you have a Method and a System.

just recently got a dishwasher as part of the house we bought.

just cooked sunday lunch for 10 - tbh - its easier to just wash the plates after you have rinsed them anyway.

i like a dishwasher - don't get me wrong - but essential ? nah

I would definitely try and buy another one in your shoes

(i) they wash more economically (use less hot water) than washing by hand

(ii) it will help you do your job more efficiently and use your time more productively (in my view anyway - but I take a long time to wash up by hand as I'm a bit obsessive)

(iii) if you are child-minding small children who are, after all, aprone to bugs - it sterlises the cups and cutlery etc

(iv) I do lots of cooking and baking activities with dd and her small friends - it's great to be able to stick all the many bowls and implements generated by these sorts of activities in the dishwasher afterwards - it means I do much more of this sort of thing than I would otherwise

Hell, I'd have TWO dishwashers if I could afford it - and in the event of a fire, I'd be found dragging my dishwasher out of the front door along with dd and my guinea pigs ...

I couldn't agree with counting more, esp the water saving aspect. I don't mind the washing up myself, but it's the clutter of dirty dishes that gets to me.

So for me a dishwasher is necessity...

Thanks everyone

I think we do need to get one, I agree with all the points counting has made, I've been looking and I've found if you are child-minding small children who are, after all, aprone to bugs - it sterlises the cups and cutlery etc this one BUT dp is worried it is too big to fit on the worktop (and we would have to reinforce the worktop with batons and L shaped mental brackets) the worktop is 60 cms the depth of the DW is 58cms so it is cutting it fine, dp is worried there will be pipes at the back and that will mean it won't fit.

Chasingsquirrels I agree with you too about the cost being the same and it is annoys me too, I'm being charged the same for something that is half the size so is double the work! SO I think if we're going to spend the money we need to go to the 8 place one really.

Any more opinions? Should we go for it and hope it does fit?

I don't have one, so no.

Ahh but CS do you cook regularly for 7 people?

No dishwasher here.

There were 2 on Freecycle this week, both working.

We were given a dishwasher last year as an xmas pressie from the IL's and it has been so helpful,also got a tuble dryer as we asked friends and family to get us gv from currys,so if you can wait you might get dw this way,i've found it's given me a bit more time in the evening to spend with kids or myself

It's not essetnial, no.

LoveMyGirls- sorry couldn't make link work - but mine has place setting for 12 and it's only just big enough for three/four of us - - it's an AEG and really great but I think all the brands tend to exaggerate the number of place-settings they take ...so I would go for the biggest possible and try and adjust work surfaces accordingly

don't quite understand about it fitting "on" work-surface - is it not going to go on floor?

forgot to mention;

remember they dry up as well as wash up - double time-saving

if you can survive Christmas would wait until end January sales to purchase, with economic down-turn there's bound to be good bargains to be had

(I'm putting up with bed linen I can read the newspaper through .... waiting until sales to purchase new ...)

No can't go on the floor we've got a tiny kitchen and theres only 3 applience spaces so one for washing machine, fride freezer and one for oven the tumble goes under the stairs and Dw on the work top. The current one was only a 4 place so was going on twice a day and I was still having to wash up.

No chance of getting one for christmas as all our family are already spending money helping us out with our wedding so we've said not to bother for christmas and my birthday as they're doing enough already.

I'm on free cycle but have never seen anything like a DW being given away only things like tyres and old clothes etc

I love my d/w, but definitely regard it as a luxury, and would never buy such a thing if I was in debt. There were 7 of us at home and we never had a d/w.

We've only had ours for 6 yrs.

There are 4 in our house so no. Still think it's not an essential if you are skint. It's a luxury.

Oh - sorry (experiencing Sunday evening brain-fug) - so you are after a compact/counter-top model ...in that case not sure if very economical if you are constantly doing lots of little loads (see last para):

www.servicemagic.com/article.show.Compact-and-Counter-Top-Dishwashers-Save-Space-with-Style.15036.ht ml

I still haven't ordered one I'm going to wait as long as I can and get one once my overdraught is cleared which it hopefully will be by January so now I have even more of an incentive to sort my overdraught out!! The added bonus will be if I can get one in the sales!

my oven packed up the same time as my dishwasher! the guy came to see if they could be fixed and I said ' if i've only got money to mend one it has to be the dishwasher! .

Yup - I refuse to buy anything large at this time of year. The sales will be on in less than a month and you can save a fortune.

We bought an obscenely large tv (well, MIL did) but by buying the summer sales she saved a fortune.

This is really interesting as mine has just packed up too, and I can't even afford to get it fixed! Have been washing up and tbh it really isn't as bad as I remember it-it only takes 5 mins!

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