So very true.

A vaguely related anecdote: our hot water heater is near death. Had a guy we trust come to look at it, he was able to patch it and extend its life a bit. While he was here we mentioned that we were thinking of getting a new freezer for the basement as the one we have came with the house, 15 years ago and was at least 10 years old at the time. He said hell no, run it into the ground, it might last another decade; brand new ones have a life expectancy of 3 years.