I used to swear by used parts to keep costs down, but that near-miss on the interstate totally flipped my view.
Always put off brake jobs. My knees would be sore for a week. Saw a comment here about using knee pads. Got a basic set for under fifteen bucks. Did all four brakes on my old sedan last Saturday. Knees felt cushioned the whole time. No lingering pain at all. Finished the job in one afternoon. Felt proud and saved maybe three hundred dollars. Such a simple fix made a huge difference.