I didn't spend $1200

[RetiredAt63]

Background - I live in the country, 1 acre lot, so even with all the gardens there is still a lot of grass to cut (especially this year with all the rain). 

I have an old lawn tractor (MTD for those who care) with a 38" mower.  My mower died, the tractor is old, and not that powerful, and I was seriously considering just going out and getting a new one (nothing local on Kijiji).  Forget "Jonesin for a Tesla", I was *really wanting* a nice powerful tractor, maybe 18 HP, with a 42" mower. 

Instead the local repair guy found an almost new mower, moved it to my tractor, put an inner tube in the tractor rear wheel that kept going soft, and did a pile of other small maintenance work on it. 

So the $1200 I didn't spend is the difference between the tractor I wanted, and the repairs I actually did.

It is so easy to want big machinery for country living - I would also love to have a pickup truck (for compost, manure, etc.) instead of my Mazda3 hatchback.  But really I don't need the big truck or the big tractor.

[cavewoman]

Woo hoo to you for going that route!

[MrsPete]

Whether it's country or city, a measly one-acre lot doesn't warrant "big equipment". 

[daverobev]

What you need is a trailer!

Pretty sure your car can take a class 1 hitch. Should've done that with our Civic.

[StangStache]

What you need is a trailer!

Pretty sure your car can take a class 1 hitch. Should've done that with our Civic.

Exactly what I was thinking when I read the OP's post.  Search craigslist and I'm sure you can get a nice trailer and used hitch.

[RetiredAt63]

@cavewoman - thank you.  Common sense and frugality won over the "I Wants!".  This should last me for several years.

@mrspete - what I wanted wasn't what I would call "big equipment" - my neighbour has a Kubota with a mower and a front end loader (and a snow blower in winter) - that is big equipment for a one acre lot.  Of course, since I live in farm country, I see the really big equipment all the time - nothing like trying to pass a combine on a country road to see what "big" really looks like  ;-)

@daverobev, stangstache - I've thought about a trailer, and seen them for sale in peoples' yards, and they are another "I Want!".  Really I would hardly ever use one, and that would be one more thing to have to store, look after, etc.  I find having a hatchback is almost as good, and a lot easier on my time and money.  I demolished an old manure pile one year over the course of a summer, bagging it in old dog food bags (strong and fairly wet-proof).  I have carried pallets home in the Mazda, 2 at a time.  I have brought 6 large bags of mushroom compost (very stinky) home in the Mazda.  I have heavy cardboard in the back so dirty things don't leave a mess.  And at my age I don't really want to have to shovel out a pickup truck or trailer all at one time, little bits work better  ;-).  I have a yard trailer for the tractor, so I can move soil, manure, compost, etc., wherever I want without worrying about the wheelbarrow tipping.  This summer I moved 10 cubic yards of topsoil and am working on the second 10 cubic yard pile.