How Often Do You Have to Replace Pricey Products? 'GMA' Separates Myth from Fact to Save You Money

Replacement Myth #5: Your Computer Becomes Obsolete As Soon As You Buy It

"GMA" quickly learned this myth is a giant whopper.

"As long as the computer's not really running slowly, there's no reason to upgrade," Good Housekeeping's Stacy Genovese told "GMA."

In fact, as long as your computer has at least one gigabyte of RAM, and if you are just using your PC for things like checking email and shopping online, there is no need to replace it with another.

Replacement Myth #6: You Have to Replace the Ink Cartridge When Your Printer Says So

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Not so. In fact, you can keep printing well past the moment the warning lights on your printer start blinking.

Tests conducted by PC World magazine found that some ink cartridges are, in fact, still 40 percent full when the indicator says they are empty.

The Savings?

So what would happen if you, the consumer, saved, instead of replaced, all the items in our "Replacement Myths" checklist?

To find the total savings, "GMA" added up what it would cost to not replace, but save, the so-called "expired products" we set out to investigate, totaling the cost of new running shoes ($89), an oil change for your car ($39), saving your computer and print cartridges ($1050), and keeping 3 types of medicines and 6 various food items past their expiration dates ($20).

The result?

You could end up with more than $1,200 in savings, back in your wallet!