I've been a big fan of the iPhone since it came out but I've always been too cheap to actually pay for the service plan so I've had to live with using iPod Touch. I've had a fourth generation iPod Touch for about four years but last month we finally took the plunge and purchase iPhones!

Two Sundays after we got them my wife and I had plans to purchase cases for them. The day before that, we went for a walk with my daughter and I took my phone out to look something up and I dropped it. On it's face. On the sideway. Breaking it's screen. After less than two weeks.

In the 6 years that I've had my iPod Touch I've dropped it numerous times and never broken it. I think this is because I've always purchased a rugged case.

Enter the iFixit.com

My first plan was to send it into Apple and have them repair it but the estimated price to have just the screen fixed was almost $300!

I started looking into alternatives and I found iFixit.com. They sell a kit with all the tools you need to replace the screen and the screen for a little over $100 after shipping (I was actually amazed someone still charges for shipping but I guess I'm used to buying everything from amazon.com). They also have a nice how to replace the screen guide (which [spoiler alert] is just about the biggest pain in the butt). It took me a couple hours because I REALLY didn't want to break anything extra.

The only thing I wish I had know before hand is that there are two options for this. The one I purchased doesn't have the front facing camera and earpiece speaker and you have to transfer them from the old one to the new one. They have an option with these pieces already installed. It's $10 more expensive but it would have saved me a bunch of work and I wouldn't have had to purchase this iOpener tool that they sell.