Repair or Replace?
Your appliance has stopped working. Maybe its a clothes washer. Maybe it's a garbage disposal.
Should you replace it? Or repair it?
This is a good article on making the decision: //www.garynorth.com/snip/1245.htm
My view is that you should hire someone to fix appliances that have few moving parts.
If the garbage disposal goes out, consider not replacing it. Composting is good.
If the refrigerator or washer/dryer goes out, replace it with a used appliance from someone who is moving. Buy it on Craigslist.
New appliances are expensive. Used ones on Craigslist are cheap.
Of course, it's not really your decision. It's your wife's decision. She gets stuck with a lemon. Don't put yourself in the cross-hairs.