Home Warranties and Home Shields are not your only options.  Here are some things that you can do to protect yourself as an alternative to purchasing a Home Warranty

1. Know who you will call for help.  Lets face it, the costs alone are not the only issues at play when something breaks.  If you lose your air conditioner in the middle of August for example, you may have issues with getting a licensed HVAC Repair company to respond quickly.  Talk with your neighbors, talk with the person that you purchased your home from.  Get references and “interview” the service companies that you think that you might use.
2. After you interview the companies, ask them to come out for a preventive maintenance visit.  Most companies will inspect your major appliances for a nominal fee.  Preventive maintenance is almost always less costly than emergency work.
3. DIY.  Most appliances require some amount of routine maintenance.  Spend some time familiarizing yourself with owners manuals for your appliance.  Can’t find yours?  Check search the web.  Most major manufactures have the last 10-15 years of models on their web sites along with the manuals that shipped with them.