I've always been a hands on kind of person, learning about things by experiencing them. So when it comes to doing things that I don't know how to do, or know anything about, my theory is always "do/try it once".
Yesterday's lesson was replacing an AC compressor in our van. Air conditioning components, along with transmissions are the parts of a car that I try to stay away from. They both have little room for error.
I'm currently in the market for a new car to replace our van, so I don't want to invest another $1000 in it having someone replace the AC compressor. So I decided to make this one of those "try it once" experiences.
I did all of the research I could, picked up the parts and tackled it yesterday. It was a huge pain in the ass, but it was also a great learning experience and it saved me over $600. While it was time consuming, it would be something I'd be willing to do again.
But there have been tasks like this, that I've tried once and will avoid again at all costs, like
- Roofer – They don't pay these people enough
- Repo Man/Tow Truck Driver – Horrible hours and customer's at their worst
- Sod Layer – Hell no, never again. This is the most back breaking work ever.
What have you "tried once", but will never do again?