Thank you.

Mostly because the bet strongly favors the house. I prefer not to let anyone make easy money off of me, if I can help it. The chances of needing it are low enough where I feel safe holding my $$ and using it on something of more concrete benefit to my family.

I also like to be able to actually walk out of a place paying what the ad said I would pay. EW costs tacked on just make me cranky for the rest of the day.

I happen to be blessed with a decent ability to fix most things (NOT hybrid cars!) mechanical or electric. Repairing or replacing the few items I can't fix is a rare enough event such that I (am also lucky enough to be able to) take the one-time hit. You'd be surprised how easy it is to fix dryers, dishwashers, mowers, etc. by yourself. Especially with the internet.

My Dad taught me to always have a rainy day fund- a 2nd savings account that is not linked to anything else- to cover life's little emergencies. Not much- accumulated about $2k over 5 years. But it will cover almost any repair to one of the cars and/or insurance deductibles, and buy me time to chart the next course of action without sinking me into a credit card hole right away.

Between EWs for the cars, big TV, PCs, cellphones, mowers, and other assorted items that I've been offered, they would have all cost me about that much- $2k. What're the odds of all of them failing beyond easy repair within a short time?

This argument does not hold for non-negotiable items- like my family's health. Life and health insurance (really just extended warrantees on your life) are bets I gladly hand over to the house.