It's a Puzzle

Ok, I have kind of a puzzling question. Maybe it's just me...

I will fully admit that we are pretty strictly following a budget, I attempt to be as frugal as possible in everything that we do. That's not to say that we don't occasionally splurge, but as a whole, we try to make the most frugal choices we can. So maybe that makes us SO unusual that I am totally out of touch with the way "normal" people's minds work.

Within the last year, I have known three separate people whose washing machines or dryers have quit working for one reason or another. And every single one of them has dealt with this in a way that surprised me.

Person A: Washer broke. Had repair person out, the repair person couldn't figure out what to do, their fix worked temporarily, but the washer needed to be replaced. What did Person A do? They bought both a brand new washer AND a brand new dryer. Why? Because they wanted a matched set. Hmmm, I thought at the time, that's a waste of money, but maybe this person is just strange.

Person B. Washer broke a few different times, was able to be repaired twice, but on the third time, they just gave up. What did person B do? Bought both a brand new washer and a brand new dryer. Why? Because they wanted a matched set. I started on my line of being very confused. I asked Person B about this again, expressing my puzzlement at the logic--especially since their laundry room is in the basement and no one sees them but the person doing the laundry. Seems like a strange waste of $300. So she says, "The washer and dryer were the same age, so I am sure the dryer would have quit soon too."

Person C: This just happened a couple of weeks ago, so I am still scratching my head about this one. Person C casually mentions to me while at our daughters' shared activity that her washing machine was making an odd noise. She said that she had been researching new washers and dryers so she could replace the one making an "odd noise." I casually asked, "how old is the washer?" Thinking I would get an answer of "Really old." She says, "Oh, it's maybe a year old." Now, I know these people are not rolling in the dough, I know that money is tight for them. I said, "Um, it's probably under warranty. Did you call the manufacturer?" Nope. "I guess I should do that, huh?" spoken in an entirely guileless and non-sarcastic way--honestly, I think she just didn't even think of it.

So, am I just the clueless one? What is the deal with getting a new dryer when your washer breaks? Since hubby and I have been married, we have had to replace our washer once and our dryer once. But not at the same time. In fact, when we bought our washer, the salesperson (who was probably on commission) told us not to bother getting a new dryer if ours was working fine, because we could save a lot of money that way.

Things that puzzle me...oh well!