Light fixture died

When you don't spend money for a month you start to realize just how often small things need to be repaired or replaced.  About how often do you change a light bulb?  Or replace the filter on your heater/air conditioner?  Fix a leaky faucet? Or in my case this week, need to replace a light fixture? 

Several years ago my house went through a major remodel/addition.  Because I live in a highly regulated state and county, the county planning department had their say in things as minor as the type of light fixture I could wire up in my mud room, laundry room, bathroom, and closets.  This was before outlawing regular light bulbs, so in order to make sure that the overhead lights in those rooms used fluorescent bulbs specialized lights were required.  These light fixtures use large circular bulbs that don't last long, flicker, and are overall just a lousy product.  But they were required.  So in they went.  Over the past couple of years two of the fixtures, in the mud room and in a closet, failed and were replaced by regular overhead lights.  I went to OSH, looked for the cheapest ceiling fixture and replaced the faulty fluorescent lights.  

This week another of the overhead lights died - this time in the laundry room.  I switched out the bulb.  I have about 5 or 6 spare bulbs...you know me, must have replacements.  Unfortunately, it's not the bulb, it's the fixture once again.  Only this time I don't have a spare overhead light fixture for the laundry room.  There's a window in the room but that doesn't do any good once the sun goes down.  I can rig something up, like the brooder light for the chicken coop.  Or a flashlight.  Or just use a couple night lights.  I'd prefer a real ceiling light.  

Put this on my list of items to buy: New light in laundry room, my bathroom, my closet.  I know those two others are going to go out so I may as well have the new ones on hand.  For now though, the room will be dark since I'm still in my no shopping for a month exercise.  This doesn't qualify as an emergency or a great shopping deal that I can't pass up.  This is one of those inconveniences that I have to live with. 

Several years ago I saw chandelier for the dining room.  It was non-electric and used candles.  I thought it was a great idea but didn't want to replace the ceiling fan/light that is in there now.  I wish I had gotten it anyway.  It would have been a great light fixture to have on hand.  I have oil lamps and candle lanterns for each room in the house should we have a power outage but an overhead light like the chandelier would have been great.  Ikea has one but it's really junky.  I'd rather have none.