The average homeowner spends anywhere from 1% to 4% of their home's purchase price on maintenance every year.<br />That can make home warranties appealing. But a home warranty's fine print can translate into it not always coming through when you need it to.<br />So when Business Insider contributor Choncé Maddox got burned by her home warranty company skating out of some pricey repairs, she turned the tables.<br />Instead of paying for another warranty, she put the same $500 she would have spent on it into a high-yield savings account for home maintenance.<br />If a new air conditioner costs $2,000 to $3,000, she can come up with the money a lot quicker without paying for a warranty!<br />Also, she and her husband took it upon themselves to learn how to take care of the valuable systems in their home. Hooray for YouTube!
