$75 Wiper Blades and the Quiet Cost of Complexity

Why a simple mechanic visit made me think about wealth, work, and what’s quietly breaking in the middle class

Recently, I went to the local dealership for my routine six-month oil change and tire rotation. I’ve taken my truck there for over a decade since they’ve done almost all the servicing since I bought it, so they have the full history.

As part of the standard maintenance check, the service rep asked if I wanted to replace my wiper blades since they looked a little worn.

“Sure, but how much is that going to cost me?” I asked.

Wiper blades aren’t exactly a high-ticket item, so I figured it’d be a small add-on. I was genuinely shocked when he said, “$75. That includes installation.”

If you’ve ever replaced wipers yourself, you know it takes five minutes at most. Most of that time is just opening the packaging.

Needless to say, I declined. While I waited in the lounge, I hopped on Amazon and ordered top-of-the-line replacements for $16. They’d be at my house in two days, and I could install them myself in less time than it takes to microwave some popcorn.

What That $60 Really Means

That’s a $60 gap for five minutes of labor. I had the knowledge and confidence to find a better solution, but it struck me that many people wouldn’t. Or couldn’t. Not because they’re lazy or careless, but because they’re overwhelmed, time-starved, or just trying to make it to the next paycheck.

I think we’ve all had a moment like this recently, where the cost of something seemingly simple feels almost laughably out of touch. But it’s not really about the wipers. It’s about how complexity and specialization have made us more dependent and, in some cases, more vulnerable. The real frustration isn’t the price itself. It is the creeping realization that so much of modern life feels financially rigged.

I don’t blame the mechanic. He is doing his job, working within a system where everyone is under pressure to upsell, hit margins, and make ends meet. That is just the game.

The Vanishing Do-It-Yourself Culture

What worries me more is the growing divide between those who can afford that kind of overpriced convenience without blinking and those who can’t. I keep thinking about how comfortable my grandfather’s generation was doing basic things for themselves: repairing cars, plumbing a house, dabbling in electrical work. There was a self-reliance that is slowly disappearing.

We are long past those days. And I think it comes down to two core things:

1. Technology and products are massively more complex.

2. It requires increasingly specialized knowledge to perform even basic tasks.

I don’t know the solution. But the more specialized we become, the more incompetent, and maybe even insecure, we feel about doing anything outside our narrow expertise. I try to push myself to stay well-rounded and capable across a broad range of skills, and I’d like to think I’m doing okay compared to most. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have big blind spots. Just ask my wife how bad I am at anything involving healthcare or banking.

It is only getting harder and more complicated for the next generation. And that brings me back to the original story.

The Bigger Picture

Is the future a place where we’re all just trading overpriced favors with each other to survive? Is everyone going to be forced into gig work just to patch together an income, not because it’s empowering, but because nobody else has the niche knowledge to do the thing but them?

Can AI help flatten this divide by putting powerful tools into everyone’s hands? I hope so. But right now, I’m not feeling very optimistic. If anything, it feels like things are accelerating in the wrong direction. And the financial situation for many people in this country, despite all the “record highs” and sunshine headlines, is abysmal.

This problem is so much bigger than overpriced wiper blades. But that moment was a crack in the surface, one of those tiny, sharp flashes that forces you to think about the whole foundation.

Looking Ahead

Next week, I want to take a deeper look at the data. Not because I have all the answers, but because I think we need to be aware, really aware, of just how wide the gap has gotten. We cannot afford (no pun intended) to ignore it.

And if you’ve made it this far, I’d love to hear from you.

Do you want more stories like this, real, sometimes uncomfortable, but honest? Or would you rather I stick to lighter, more optimistic topics?

Let me know. I’m a realist, but I believe that telling the truth is the first step toward something better.