In a lot of cases it's not, but people don't want to troubleshoot or 3rd part makes more money by replacing it.

I try to fix my suff not for economical reasons, but environmental. In many instances I also save time as well. A few examples:

- car service wanted to replace windshield wipers on my car. I took a piece of sandpaper and cleaned up wax and oxidised rubber. They could last an extra year.

- Microwave stopped working. I cleaned up the connector to the magnetron. I took me less time than buying a new one.

- Plumbing under the sink. Pretty sure the plumber would like to replace everything and charge me a lot, plus it would take a few hours to find a guy, book him and be at home at that time.

I think I save about 10h and over $500 per year. It's often fun to replace something.