I save up to pay for home improvements/repairs myself. Being as I have an older home, the home warranty route would be more expensive for me (older home = greater chance of stuff breaking plus risk of asbestos/lead, which means they bump the premiums up significantly). Saving up the money myself allows me to keep that pool of emergency funds for when I need it, gain interest on it, and have the flexibility to hire who I want when something does need to be done. The down side, of course, is I also have the headache of having to find contractors, research to see if they're certified and if they have a good rep, etc. It would be nice to have one number to call, but that convenience isn't worth $5k per year to me.
Had one with my home i bought, had a glogged drain week after i moved in so i called them. They wantwd $75 for a claim, and they were sending out a company called 55 DOLLAR PLUMBING😂 told them id just deal with it myself with my plumber
