About to toss that non-functioning gizmo into the trash? Not so fast! There’s a good chance that it can be salvaged.

Although repairing something is more work than simply discarding it, the process can be more than worth it. Here’s why you need to learn how to fix your stuff, rather than trashing it.

You’ll Save a Pretty Penny

Think about how much hard-earned cash you’ve wasted simply replacing the broken things in your house. On second thought, don’t—it’s too depressing. Saving money is an obvious reason to learn how to make your own repairs. It’s almost always less expensive to fix the broken piece than to replace the item in its entirety. DIY fixes are also more affordable than relying on pros to do the repair work. In some instances (think most things related to electricity), it makes sense to hire a professional. But in many cases, performing an easy repair job yourself can save you on high labor costs.

You’ll Become More Self-Reliant

Combining your hands with your brainpower can yield some pretty impressive results—in fact, you’re probably capable of much more than you give yourself credit for. When you learn how to fix your stuff, you’re no longer at the mercy of store hours, someone else’s schedule, or costly quotes. It’s a case of learning to take matters into your own hands—and gaining some confidence along the way.

You’ll Learn Some Useful Skills

It’s pretty amazing what you can learn with the help of YouTube videos, library books, and the assistance of your skilled (and patient) friends. Learning how to fix things will give you a better appreciation for how stuff works. Not only will you become handier around the house, but you may even uncover some new hobbies and interests along the way—not to mention an impressive party trick or two.

You’ll Help Protect the Environment

Replacing something broken with something new quite simply creates a massive amount of waste. From adding to the landfill to the environmental impact of having to create something new, treating items as disposable can have a hefty impact on our planet’s health. Do your part to minimize your environmental footprint—learning to fix stuff is a good place to start.

You Can Justify Higher Quality Purchases

When you know how to fix your stuff, you can save money and acquire better gear by investing in higher quality pieces. It’s easy to treat things as disposable when they cost next to nothing (like cheap socks)—but inexpensive items are often poorly made, meaning they’ll break much faster. A higher quality pair of socks, for example, will take much longer to wear down—and when it does, you’ll be more likely to sew that hole up, knowing you can get many more wears out of it after you do. Higher quality purchases are usually better-constructed, more enjoyable to use and more durable—a triple-win, if you will.

You’ll Feel Awesome

The feeling of instant gratification when you buy something new is fleeting—but the aura of awesomeness that envelopes after you’ve repaired something you thought was fit for the trash is immensely satisfying. Learning how to breathe new life into something produces a warm fuzzy feeling that will last all day. Go ahead, try it—you’ll see what we mean.