Curious - What are the last 3 things you used until they completely wore out?

[FLA]

found out the hard way: ratty PJs, "comfortable" panties

woke up appearing to be very ill, it took me over an hour to dial my MD, I could not speak clearly at all, she just kept saying call 911 now.  I had every intention of doing just that, however, they come fast and would be taking me to the ER of the company I have worked for for 23 yrs. So people I knew would be taking care of me.  And I was in crappy PJs and not quite granny panties, they were way too close to have anyone I know actually see.  Clearly not thinking, I tried to remedy this situation and ended up on the floor.  Eventually, the household woke up and my parents found me and they were smart enough to call 911, who showed up before anyone in my family had helped me change my clothes.  There were a ton of them, at one point I looked up to find 6 people, for some reason 3 were cops, and they were yelling at me to get in the ambulance NOW, "lady, you are having a stroke!"  Finally, the sole female, an EMT took the time to understand my garbled speech and got everyone to leave and we took 2 minutes to put me in presentable clothes (and underwear!).  And then I shut up and got in the ambulance. Luckily, it was not a stroke so me wasting all that time turned out not to be a problem. But it could have.

throw away your ratty PJs and any panties edging toward granny because your mother was right about having nice undies on if you are hit by a bus.  Maybe this isn't Mustachian to not wear these things to the absolute point of shabbiness but you can find nice PJs and undies cheap and spare yourself the humiliation. Also, unless you want the 6 people in your room to really lose their s***, do not ask if you can brush your teeth, lmao

[homehandymum]

I've got to ask, FLA, if it wasn't a stroke, what was it??  Cos that sounds very scary.  Glad you are ok.

And I will seriously consider upgrading my jammies now.

[FLA]

it turned out to be two things that took a ridiculous amount of time to diagnose. Mostly it's this ball of blood vessels sitting in my brain, probably since birth, that keeps growing and it's right where cognition takes place, it causes occasional seizures and mucho confusion and memory loss. As in being thoroughly convinced for at least a month now that it is January and anyone who tells me different, I nod my head and secretly think, "what a freaking moron!"  My poor father, who drives me to the ridiculous number of MD appts, had to hide my winter coat and hat/gloves because I would leave the house in them, lol.  I have become hugely entertaining for some and a total embarrassment to my teen children.   

[WYOGO]

High Performance Summer Vehicle Tires
Road Bike Cycling Tires
Trail Running Shoes

[Melody]

This weekend a lamp (cord broken in two places, could fix but that would cost more than a new lamp) and my pair of ugg boots but the dust. I paid $15 for each item, the lamp lasted 5 years and the boots 3 years so I think I did ok.

[sstants]

1. Leather sandals (wore them until they were a minute from holes under the big toes)

2. Laptop from college...then I donated to a charity that refurbishes them


That's all I've got now. Maybe I have too many things if I can't come up with anything else I've worn out.

[onehair]

2 pairs of sneakers worn down so far I could feel the ground directly beneath my feet.  One pair had cracked which was really inconvenient when we had heavy rains. Cold water rushing into your shoes is invigorating lol....
A turquoise blue sort of duffel bag I carried my needlework, books, sometimes shopping booty, bagged lunch lots of things til it developed enormous holes and had to be thrown away.

[gt7152b]

1) '99 Saab 9-5 but I'll be fixing it soon since I think it's just the fuel pump.

2) Some hiking shorts that I wore for years and got a split down the seam in the rear. I really want to stitch them up and keep using them.

3) Snowboard boots that I bought for $20 and got about 10 seasons of use out of. The sole on one boot came loose and I had to switch my stance so that one was always strapped in for the rest of the trip. Still leaked a bunch of water in but it was bearable.

[Left]

Great thread! Someone needs to invent underwear that lasts and is guaranteed like Darn Tough brand socks! I can't wait to see how long they last and then will attempt to return them as per their guarantee.

just go without it? oddly at a previous job, there was work announcement where a reminder was sent out to wear underwear... I guess too many people walked in on each other going to the restroom (yeah, they don't split them by gender since it is a general use one). Thought the embarrassment would have caused them to advert eyes where they didn't look for the underwear but someone must have noticed

[Digital Dogma]

I have been wearing through socks and boxers lately since all my clothes are 5-15 years old, and of course my work boots are missing half their rubber after a year of use but my employer covers that. Bought new tires after my old Michelin LTX AT2 tires were beginning to get low treads after 75k miles recently which should take me to 175k miles on my truck.

[Meggslynn]

A housecoat
A swimming suit
A blender

[stripey]

Dansko clogs... The sole broke in half under my arch after 7 years of wear

Jeans. Bought them 13 years ago. They are currently knee length cut offs with holes (after the knee holes got too big to support the bottoms)

Some scrubs that I wore until they were threadbare and see through. You look more professional if people can't see the color of your undies through your scrubs.

I do have two pairs of shorts I bought as a freshman in high school that I am still wearing 17 years later.

Have done the same with Danskos, but my scrubs have tended to rip prior to becoming see through pretty much without fail.

[Left]

my scrubs rip along seams, forced me to learn how to use a sewing machine. same with shortening the pants legs too.

i order my scrubs online at about $7 a set, top and bottom, so it is cheaper than dress clothes. i bet a few employer issued ones, but prefer my own.

[JJNL]

Another hiker here - my hiking things definitely take heavier beatings than my civvies so they are worn to shreds a lot sooner. Here goes:

1. Hiking pants. Tossed them when the repairs on the repairs started falling apart.
2. Hiking boots. Repairs > cost of new boots, so they went out the door.
3. Socks. Lots of socks.

[FrugalWad]

A whole set of Wearever pots and pans that were bought for a stupid cheap price at Ross. They lasted 6 months before the coating started to chip away, and they all started warping. Bought a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet and 7 quart dutch oven to replace them all.

My pair of Adidas running shoes. They've seen probably quadruple the recommended amount of miles they're supposed to be good for. Now I can feel the ground through the soles. I'm about to hop on Zappos and find a new pair.

A couch. Since I'm about to go take a year-long tour across the country, I'm not too worried about replacing that one just yet.

[big_slacker]

Socks
Sneakers
Jeans

[Bracken_Joy]

my scrubs rip along seams, forced me to learn how to use a sewing machine. same with shortening the pants legs too.

i order my scrubs online at about $7 a set, top and bottom, so it is cheaper than dress clothes. i bet a few employer issued ones, but prefer my own.

Oooh. Where do you order from? Please and thank you! =D

[Monocle Money Mouth]

1. My last pair of shoes.
    - I had to stop wearing them because I could see day light through the sole.
2. My file and print server at home.
    - I finally had to retire it and frankenstein a new server together from spare parts.
3. T-Shirts.
    - I wear them in public until the arm pits get crusty, I sleep in them until they start to get holes, then I use them for rags to clean my bike chain. I still have t-shirts from high school in my house.

[Rosy]

Black heeled sandals - kind of embarrassing, happened while we were visiting friends, she kept finding little black pieces of rubber on the floor until I realized it was my shoe:), the heel literally disintegrated, no replacement possible.
I'm a shoe murderer - most don't last but a year max.

Undies - I refuse to wear anything with holes, so in my book, one hole and you are out. We used to darn our socks and undies, but the only thing I will consider fixing now is a favorite T-shirt. Some of the materials used for socks these days don't lend themselves to being darned with any success anyway. 

Purses - contrary to my shoe murdering tendencies - those damned purses never wear out. At some point I donate and replace them. Oldest bag I own is 18 yrs and still going strong. A little leather cream every so often works wonders.

Dinner plates - either totally chipped or the ceramic coating completely wore off - tossed 4 this week. Time to de-clutter the kitchen cabinets anyway.

Buying quality is always worth it - I own several pieces of clothing that are 25 years and older, still in very good shape.

I do own a pair of "garden" pants that have lost all their color and shape and the zipper doesn't want to stay up. Guess you could call them threadbare:) I expect this season the knees might wear through, I may ask my DIL to sew on a patch if they do. When I wear my straw garden hat I will be a good imitation of a scarecrow. He he

[rocketpj]

Shoes wear out quick for me (I'm a big guy, 260 lbs).

Our current desktop computer is definitely a couple standard deviations outside the norm for life.  I think we'll replace it soon just so we don't get hacked - old machines (and old versions of Windoze) are vulnerable that way.

I still have the 12 speed I bought with my paper route money in 1983 (it did spend 15 years in the barn at the family farm before I rediscovered it).  It needs a new derailleur that I've been procrastinating about fixing, but it is the backup bike anyway.

[2ndTimer]

The Hub's clothes:

When his thrift store polo shirts become unacceptable for work due to the interfacing poking out of the button placket I convert them to cleaning rags.  All cotton polo shirts make wonderful dish cloths and dish towels.  Just the right level of scrub.

When his thrift store pants are not longer work acceptable, we make a big black magic marker X on the inside of the waist band and they go in a different stack for weekend pants.  When they are so holey and stained that they aren't even good for weekends, they become rags.

When his underwear is so thin you can see up his butt crack I take them away from him, save the elastic and throw the rest away.   Same with socks except the failure mode is holes not butt crack view.

[Bracken_Joy]

When his underwear is so thin you can see up his butt crack I take them away from him, save the elastic and throw the rest away.   Same with socks except the failure mode is holes not butt crack view.

Interesting, for my DH it's always the elastic that fails, well before the fabric becomes threadbare.

[Left]

How do you harvest the elastic? Just cut it out? And what do you do with it?

I like having elastic on the scrubs :D know if I can just sew them onto ones that don't have it?

[Rural]

Me personally:


Black linen jacket - dry rot and spontaneous slits appearing in the fabric, not at seams


Air compressor - leak at the hose connection point after about ten years


My right shoulder, apparently :(

[Gerard]

1. Definitely shoes. I understand the Captain Vimes Boot Theory as a concept, but I don't know anything about how to find shoes that will last or can be re-soled. And, like many on here, I guess I walk more than your average person.

2. T-shirts. I realized about a year ago as I moved one from "Around the House" to "Rag" status that I could remember buying it. In 1998.

3. A bunch of things that I thought I would keep until they wore out or broke, but which show no intention of doing so: a cleaver, a cast iron frypan, a down-filled winter jacket, a leather biker jacket... they may outlive me.

[oneday]

Lip balm - Not gone yet, but almost.  This brand came in a squeeze tube much like toothpaste.  I cut the end off & have been scooping the product out for MONTHS!

*Finally* used up that lip balm! I will not buy that brand again. So much wasted product that will not normally come out of the tube, plus the wasted packaging adds up to a waste of money!

"Trickle-down" frugality passed from depression-era grandparents to parents to my generation means that "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" is as normal and unremarkable as breathing. Had to really think hard to come up with three.

[2ndTimer]

How do you harvest the elastic? Just cut it out? And what do you do with it?

I like having elastic on the scrubs :D know if I can just sew them onto ones that don't have it?

I cut the fabric but leave the elastic as a closed loop.  That way it can go right into a waist for either of us and if I decide to use it for something else I can always cut it later. 

[wintersun]

hand held blender
wool socks
dish cloths
lamp shade
dish towels
eye liner
sneakers (annoying)

[Cassie]

Underwear, socks, shoes & pj's.

[tallen]

Last 3 things where all socks, which reminds me, I need to buy more socks.

[zephyr911]

I do it with underwear and t-shirts all the time. DW and I have actual fights over my favorite ones.
Jeans too.

[stripey]

Sorry, I replied before and didn't state my three things, so for completeness they were:

- Short leather boots (were re-soled several times, then the midsole wore completely through)
- Scrub pants (threadbare crotch, not really patchable)
- Plastic Keepcup (purchased replacement lid once, but now the cup rim has so many dents in it that it won't seal with the lid so it leaks if you use the lid with it to drink)

[Lizzy B.]

How do you harvest the elastic? Just cut it out? And what do you do with it?

I like having elastic on the scrubs :D know if I can just sew them onto ones that don't have it?

I cut the fabric but leave the elastic as a closed loop.  That way it can go right into a waist for either of us and if I decide to use it for something else I can always cut it later.

During a purging of the underwear drawer, we decided to remove several pairs of boxer briefs from regular service.  I cut off the fabric to use as miscellaneous rags, but didn't know what to do with the waistbands. I tied them together in a big ball just to do something with them before throwing them out. Then the dog walked in and started playing with it.

Four years later, that ball of waistbands is still the dog's favorite toy. We have gotten a few odd looks when the dog brings it over to a houseguest hoping for a game. Maybe this is a mustachian people problem and I'm posting in the wrong thread...

[wintersun]

Lizzy B.

That is hysterical!!!!

[snogirl]

Pair of Sandals
Pair of Keen Winter Boots (loved those things)
A winter jacket made by Black Diamond. 

[The_path_less_taken]

1. clothes: they go from work-play-yard-house-rags
2. shoes: I tend to crack the soles on them but also wear thru the leather
3. pens: but I steal those from the bank now (shhh!) so at least they're free

[2Birds1Stone]

Birkenstock Arizona sandals - 7 years
Jansport backpack - 18 years
Dr Martens Steel Toe boots - 15 years (still holding on by a thread)
 

[NoraLenderbee]

The cycling shoes that I bought in 1993 and have worn for every bike ride since. They were heavy-duty MTB shoes, very sturdy. Thousands and thousands of miles later, they have holes in the toes, the soles are worn almost flat, and they are completely sun-faded. I don't remember what they cost, but whatever it was, I definitely got my money's worth.

My new pair is waiting at home.

[FatCat]

I can't recall the last 3 things specifically. But two weeks ago a 20 year old pair of sturdy and comfortable flip flops finally broke. This made me quite sad because I doubt I can find another set that lives up to their greatness. Rest in peace, dear friends.

[Left]

I can't recall the last 3 things specifically. But two weeks ago a 20 year old pair of sturdy and comfortable flip flops finally broke. This made me quite sad because I doubt I can find another set that lives up to their greatness. Rest in peace, dear friends.

so get them fixed?

[FatCat]

I can't recall the last 3 things specifically. But two weeks ago a 20 year old pair of sturdy and comfortable flip flops finally broke. This made me quite sad because I doubt I can find another set that lives up to their greatness. Rest in peace, dear friends.

so get them fixed?

They ripped in a way that wasn't really fixable.

[ketchup]

Shoes.  I had the sides split open and multiple holes and it was about to get even worse.  Replaced with the same $15.99 Costco pair.

Clutch.  Still in the process of replacing it.  Looks to be the original clutch I wore out at 171,000 miles on my '99 Metro.

Computer mouse.  I think I bought it in 2006.

[asauer]

jeans
purse
makeup brush

[Bracken_Joy]

Two backpacks with lifetime warranties: one North Face that made it from 5th grade through 4 months before college graduations. And a Burton day hiker that made it through 5 very rough hiking years.

Flannel sheets.

[Punky Bikester]

bike chain on my commuter
bike shorts
a pair of flip flops

[1967mama]

Bracken_Joy,

Just wondering if you decided to return the backpacks with the lifetime warranties? I've always wondered which companies would actually honour that?

[nobodyspecial]

Bracken_Joy,

Just wondering if you decided to return the backpacks with the lifetime warranties? I've always wondered which companies would actually honour that?

Jansport do - they replaced a zip on a backpack I had used for 20years

The winners are Victorinox (the swiss army knife people) I broke one of their knives and sent it in for repair and never heard from them.
Eventually I emailed them  - they had sent me a replacement but it was returned, I had put the wrong address - and THEY apologized for this
So when I needed travel luggage I bought Victorinox


 

[Bracken_Joy]

Bracken_Joy,

Just wondering if you decided to return the backpacks with the lifetime warranties? I've always wondered which companies would actually honour that?

Most of the lifetime warranties are phrased as "due to manufacturing failure" or something like that. Basically, if any component breaks that could have indicated a production error they will replace it, but not due to wear and tear. Most are super misleading. Example:

  A “lifetime” warranty means the lifetime of the original owner. If a product is found to be defective by Burton, in its sole discretion, Burton's only responsibility shall be limited to repair or replacement of the defective product. Burton will not be responsible for any costs, losses or damages incurred as a result of loss or use of product.
Excluded from coverage under this warranty are the following: 4. Normal wear and tear.

So sadly, lifetime warranties mean nothing really. I'm not even sure of ANY products these days except Darn Tough Socks that actually cover wear and tear.

Oooh, thread idea!

[stripey]

Bracken_Joy,

Just wondering if you decided to return the backpacks with the lifetime warranties? I've always wondered which companies would actually honour that?

Most of the lifetime warranties are phrased as "due to manufacturing failure" or something like that. Basically, if any component breaks that could have indicated a production error they will replace it, but not due to wear and tear. Most are super misleading. Example:

  A “lifetime” warranty means the lifetime of the original owner. If a product is found to be defective by Burton, in its sole discretion, Burton's only responsibility shall be limited to repair or replacement of the defective product. Burton will not be responsible for any costs, losses or damages incurred as a result of loss or use of product.
Excluded from coverage under this warranty are the following: 4. Normal wear and tear.

So sadly, lifetime warranties mean nothing really. I'm not even sure of ANY products these days except Darn Tough Socks that actually cover wear and tear.

Oooh, thread idea!

Maybe Tupperware?

[dachs]

Last thing: My shoes. They have holes in the sole that I "fixed" with duct tape. Not a smart move though, now I have to get new shoes and the ones I like are not on sale.