The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Heather in Ottawa on August 05, 2015, 08:31:37 PM
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Bike rear wheel
A sock
Bike tire
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1. A pair of corduroy pants so threadbare you could see the color of my boxers through them. I only wore them around the house. I finally retired them. Now they are in the garage waiting for when I need a rag. Or maybe a tissue.
2. A rather large reference book used frequently for work. The spine is held together with duct tape. In all fairness, this is a book that gets used in the office, and outside, and gets constantly tossed in the backseat of my car.
3. Many years back I got a hand-me-down backpack from my wife. It was already several years old. I put it through hell for many years more. By the end, the main compartment had zipper disease, and was only held shut with some clever looping and tying of one of the side straps. I used it for several months that way until, for Valentine's Day 2015, she got me a new backpack! In red.
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Pair of boots with rubber soles. The soles cracked open and I didn't realize it until it was raining and felt my socks were wet. Rest of day was so uncomfortable, but I was 10,000 miles from home in another country during monsoon season. I liked those boots so much, leather and still in great condition except the soles gave out. Quote was $80 to replace soles, so I opted to just start wearing my 2nd duplicate pair. Still have the worn sole boots.
Roof on my last house. The asphalt shingles finally started to fail and I had to do an emergency roof replacement. Had to buy a giant plastic tarp large enough to cover entire roof as interim protection until it stopped raining and I could start the roofing job.
Clutch on prior car. No one except me could actually use the car. I was used to it so I could cruise around like normal. Finally replaced it.
Gosh, I have a lot more than 3 things...hah
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Harbor Freight 1/2" drive Torque wrench - 1 or 2 teeth left.
HF Aluminum Car jack - quit pumping, Chinese galled the threads in the pump body so couldn't R&R the O-ring
Dewalt 18v 1/2" Hammer drill/driver - Needed trigger and brushes. Started using my backup that I don't like as much.
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Rear brake pads on my Saturn--100,000 miles.
Leather hiking boots. Resoled once, but now the leather is coming apart.
Innumerable bicycle tires.
Many pairs of underwear worn with holes, elastic shot, etc
A couple of t-shirts worn until there were so many holes in the fabric, it looked like it was made that way.
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Hiking boots (...quite a few pair, actually. I could get my 3 right there).
A northface backpack I used for my unreasonable number of years of school (it lasted from grade 7-college graduation until the bottom completely split out past where I was able to sew it back up)
A pair of northface shorts. Lasted 12 years and quite a few countries.
This makes me sound far more outdoorsy than I really probably am, ultimately.
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A toe stop on my rollerskates (no rubber left, just metal). A plastic drink bottle (well it randomly got really dirty even though I was washing it regularly so it was way too gross to keep using. It was a freebee from work so no real loss there.) Numerous pairs of socks. I tend to buy socks in bulk lots so they all tend to break around the same time. The elastic went in three pairs in a two week period.
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1. Tube of toothpaste. I get such a sense of satisfaction of mooshing them as flat as possible;
2. My left ACL;
3. ummm...ummm...a shirt? I tend to lose and/or ruin things instead of truly wearing them out.
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I've actually managed to empty two different ball point pens before losing them recently. :)
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My flipflops. They fell apart.
My skin cream.
My trousers wore through completely at one spot, making them unsalvageable.
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My pyjamas
My lambskin slippers
My leather boots.
Actually I'm still using the first two of those, despite them being full of holes. The pyjamas are not for public consumption anyhow, and the slippers have responded well to duct-tape repair :)
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Pair of Sandals, they were basically in pieces by the time of their "death".
My first laptop, I used it for 7 years. In the end it had trouble starting up, I used a mini-fan that you could plug into the USB port, always pointing it on the literal hot spots, and an external keyboard I got for few bucks in order to replace the already broken original one.´
Pair of Wrengler Jeans. First I wore it in the office, then when it was more worn out in private, in the end for gardening and maintenance work only. Damn good quality, shame they don´t make them liek that any more.
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1) It takes me forever to find A Perfect White Shirt, and when I do, I wear it until it falls apart. And I can never find the same shirt again.
2) Generic UGG boots I got at BJ's. Wore the soles down.
3) A fleece jacket I bought 20 or so years ago. Wore the fleece clean off the wrists and elbows.
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My favorite pair of leather office shoes.
My favorite giant laundry bag.
My favorite lunch box.
I've replaced them all with serviceable alternatives, but it just isn't the same! I used the old ones for so long, I'd grown attached to them.
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A pair of Birkinstock sandals. They have been glued numerous times but I think I have to accept they're completely worn out this time
My hiking boots. I get a lot of miles out of them but they've developed a hole that will be too difficult to repair, so time for some new ones
A ballpoint pen. I was excited about this as it's the first time I can remember having a pen that was fully used up. Normally they get lost or nicked long before that happens!
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1. Tube of toothpaste. I get such a sense of satisfaction of mooshing them as flat as possible;
How about when you cut the bottom off and get another couple of days out of scraping them dry!
I wear out clothing all the time, much to my SO angst as she considers them worn out long before I do!
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Lawnmower
Weedeater
Set of Ping Eye 2 irons
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Guitar strings
Underwear
Shifter cables/housing on my winter bike
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Wearing things out, the girly edition:
My eyebrow pencil (as of this morning, I cannot actually squeeze another use out of it)
Bright red slingback heels (which I've worn to work multiple times per week for the last 7 years)
Flat summer sandals: I wore out the tip so badly they're now half an inch shorter than they were when I started out with them. So comfortable, though!
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1. My last car, 1995 Subaru Legacy GT, at 257,000 miles (its replacement, my current Outback, has 202,000 miles on it).
2. My Eureka Mountain Pass 2XT tent -- the fly is riddled with small holes from the fabric wearing so thin, the bathtub floor was no longer waterproof.
3. Also, I have a t-shirt from my college club volleyball team that is @25 years old; if it were any other shirt, I'd have tossed it years ago -- the fabric is actually tearing away from the printed graphics on the shirt -- but it has too much sentimental value! And yes, I still wear it on occasion!
patrickza -- YES! I do that with the toothpaste tube all the time!
Kitsune -- bright red slingback heels . . . yowza!
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1. I got a cheap warehouse club backpack in 7th grade and used it for school for the next 9 years in addition to numerous vacations and long weekends. I only had to repair it twice.
2. Jeans... I buy them used and wear them until they're completely destroyed.
3. Boots. My last pair of Docs were my daily drivers for the fall, spring, and winter of about 8 years (and I'm no slacker!). Finally got rid of those because the soles were gone and I slipped on a wet sidewalk, but the tops were still waterproof!
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Shoes - I destroy shoes because I wear the same pair 90% of the time until they get holes and have pieces falling off of them.
Pair of jeans - I hate shopping for pants, so I wear them until they become no longer socially acceptable(as in there are holes showing too much, not that they are not fashionable).
Car - Drove my old Mazda until it was totaled by a reckless teenager.
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Underwear and socks (purchased many years ago). All the food I buy.
I tend not to have things get completely worn out because I take good care of them.
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1. My 1998 subaru impreza with approximately 275,000 miles (I learned to drive on her and kept her until she *retired* on my sister's farm last year - she then stopped working).
2. Underwear - I wear them until they get holes and my boyfriend starts to insist that I throw them out lest there be consequences.
3. My parents' and my boyfriend's parents' 15 to 30 year old cooking pots. I got tired of eating Teflon flakes.
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My bike, which was interesting (only cost me $300, but parts and labour over three years have been nearly double that - still not bad for >15,000km ridden ($1000 all in, approx 6c/km)
My cell phone, which is on its last legs and will be the last fancypants smart phone I buy (am switching to an old-school job when I FIRE in January)
My underwear, about which I won't trouble you with any more detail.
Bolshevik.
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1. A t-shirt. Cut the sleeves off and it became a gym shirt once it wasn't acceptable for casual wearing anymore. It got so worn after that it started getting big holes as it became threadbare. Looked like it took a shotgun blast to the back. It finally hit the trash about a week ago.
2. My Jawbone bluetooth. It's several years old and should be replaced because the battery doesn't live very long anymore but I keep on using it.
3. A pair of running shoes. I got a replacement pair but I keep them for when I might get into mud. The soles are almost worn through and they stopped providing the intended cushion over a year ago.
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1. Socks - last week I had someone comment at work that I had holes in my socks, I had holes about 3 inches long on both sock heels that came up well past my shoe back height...guess it was time to retire them when they start to effect my career. They were 3 years old.
2. Front Brake Calipers - the calipers kept seizing up so I would pull them off and move the cyclinders in and out a couple times to free them, have done that three times prior till I replaced them on Tuesday. They were 10 years old.
3. Running shorts - there was probably only 1 piece of elastic left to hold them up, it finally gave way about 2 miles from home last week, I had to keep pulling them up every other stride till I could get back to the house. They were 12 years old though.
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It's important to get shorts with a drawstring for just that reason.
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1. Always my favorite pair of jeans that die a slow death until the inevitable hole wears in the worst spot. Will be my favorite yard jeans now.
2. My car at about 220,000 us miles has so many annoying electrical problems. I have to replace a fuse every time I drive it just to be able to roll the windows down and to set the alarm. Actually, I can no longer set the alarm.
3. Garden sprayer. Leaks all up my arm.. it's just really annoying.
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Socks X3
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Shoes and um, deodorant. I can't think of a third thing. I'm headed to the store tonight for deodorant. Mr. Crackin' has used mine in a pinch but I REFUSE to use his. Guys deodorant is super smelly! Can you imagine going to work smelling like your spouse? Not cool!
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An old, faded plastic hair clip that finally "snapped".
A measuring cup that had had a crack in the handle forever that finally "snapped", taking with it a chunk of the glass rim.
And a pair of grey shoes.
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Car -385K - replaced with 148K car
Underpants - 3 years/200 uses? Replaced with unused thrift shop sets
Jeans - 10 years? Replaced with thrift shop pairs
Boots - no heals left -- did not replace
Whoops 4
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Shoes - My number one item to completely wear out. Soles falling off my work boots and wet feet if I even look at a puddle. Other shoes are pretty worn out too. I've been set on getting new boots at least, probably be until winter before I get around to it. I hesitate on pulling the trigger because I know I'll have them a very long time.
Clothes - Usually let them get translucent and usually takes a big tear or blowout before I chuck them. Thin and holes typically become car/yard work clothes for a while. Jeans with holes in knees become shorts for summer work. Holes elsewhere is air conditioning for those really hot days.
Vehicles - And parts get completely used and repaired/restored indefinitely.
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Wow, the shoes, socks, and backpacks don't seem to be holding up well here... are we a bunch of hikers?
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Purse, shoes, underwear.
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Wow, the shoes, socks, and backpacks don't seem to be holding up well here... are we a bunch of hikers?
I think most of us walk quite a bit! (Well, some people cycle quite a bit, but there's still gotta be some shoe wear going on...)
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1. My Sorel winter boots, the rubber cracked across the toe. These still have to be replaced unfortunately, so will have a large expense in a couple of months, winter boots are not something I scrimp on.
2. My down jacket, the zipper finally gave out, and it had been molting feathers all last season. Got a killer end of season deal on a replacement one so all is good there.
3. Underwear, it is as embarrassing as my love life is right now...likely there is a correlation.
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I said goodbye to a lot of socks this summer - partly because I bought a bunch in bulk a few years ago that wore out all at once, partly because my favorite shoes wore through the inner lining and exposed a rough edge that was hard on my socks. (Not counting the shoes yet, I still have them.) Not a hiker but one of nature's pedestrians - I've been rocking public transit and my feet as my sole mode of transportation since 1999.
A dinner plate that I got as a hand-me-down from my mom developed a spontaneous crack all the way through. I'm afraid to try to carry food on it at this point because I feel like it's about to snap in half. No idea how it happened, I didn't hit it or drop it or anything... it just gave up the ghost all on its own.
Hole-y underwear.
I ran a pen dry today but it was more Murphy's Law than wearing something out - I grabbed it off a colleague's desk to jot a few deadlines on the calendar and it ran out just as I was about to write the final word. I have run a lot of pens out of ink, though - I've been working with a pen kleptomaniac* for 16 years and I've developed paranoid habits about hiding my good pens and never leaving them around the office where someone could take them.
*She owns the business so she's not stealing as such, but she chews them, and it's gross, so I try to keep my pens safe!
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Pinstripe slacks - 1 of 4 pairs of slacks for work (Friday is jeans day). They actually wore out about a month ago & getting dressed for work is much more difficult these days! I expect to be able to replace them in another couple weeks when the fall fashions are back in the stores.
Pen - well, the refill. I have one pen at work which I replace the refill every couple months.
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!
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Blue jeans that wore completely through in the thighs so the seam split.
Fitted sheet. It became so threadbare you could practically see through it, and one day I caught a toenail in it and left an 8" rip. I did cut it up for rags, so I am still getting use out of it.
A wool sock.
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I feel like consumable items society doesn't notice is sort of cheating on this thread (e.g. vehicle tires, brakes versus the vehicle itself). So excluding those items.
1. My grandpa's tape measure :( he was a journeyman machinist and my grandma gave me his tools. I get an inner thrill whenever I use his tools but I was super bummed when it broke this week. It had to be at least 40 years old and the metal tape failed at the end where one of the rivets was.
2. High end pair of leather motorcycle gloves. After 17 years and ~85k miles they have worn enough in the palm to no longer offer protection in event of a crash. One finger actually wore a hole through.
3. Jeans. Now that I can wear them to my office job the top of the thigh area wears out first. Think that area gets rubbed against the desk.
Great thread. I get a lot of satisfaction from long lasting durable goods and get a little sad when they do wear out.
Just for fun here are the three oldest durable goods items I own and still use (not including Grandpa's tools):
1. Key chain ring from 6th grade or 27 years ago.
2. Bike lock from 6th grade or 27 years ago. About 25 of those years has been with only one key...
3. Pliers and a screw driver from a small kids toolkit that I think I got in 3rd grade. 30 years ago.
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1. Work gloves
2. Several pairs of jeans
3. Camera (used on construction sites, it took a good beatings for several years)
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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.
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Black flats, undies, running shoes turned play shoes turned garden shoes
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My 1st ex-wife.
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I have a nice ski coat I bought around 1985 that I have worn an average of 30 times a a season as a winter coat. I anticipate it lasting another 30 years. Bought it on sale at season end.
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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.
Judging from some of the posts in this thread, I need to wear out a lot more things -- posting to follow (and learn from black belt Mustachians)
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The great Canadian hat maker (http://www.tilley.com/) guarrantees their stuff for life
A friend has been wearing their shorts everyday for 20years
( edit 3 years for socks/underwear)
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Running shorts- they tore down the left thigh, which was fine, I safety pinned it. Then tore down the right thigh, now they look a bit like the safety pin dress Liz Hurley wore in the 90s.
Socks, a million pairs (my toenails are like eagle talons apparently)
The padding on my old desk chair. I'm not overweight, but after 5 years of daily sitting I can't even pretend a cushion exists there anymore (will replace cushion)
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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
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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.
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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.
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High Performance Summer Vehicle Tires
Road Bike Cycling Tires
Trail Running Shoes
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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A housecoat
A swimming suit
A blender
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Socks
Sneakers
Jeans
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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 :(
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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.
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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.
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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.
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hand held blender
wool socks
dish cloths
lamp shade
dish towels
eye liner
sneakers (annoying)
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Underwear, socks, shoes & pj's.
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Last 3 things where all socks, which reminds me, I need to buy more socks.
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I do it with underwear and t-shirts all the time. DW and I have actual fights over my favorite ones.
Jeans too.
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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)
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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...
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Lizzy B.
That is hysterical!!!!
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Pair of Sandals
Pair of Keen Winter Boots (loved those things)
A winter jacket made by Black Diamond.
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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
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Birkenstock Arizona sandals - 7 years
Jansport backpack - 18 years
Dr Martens Steel Toe boots - 15 years (still holding on by a thread)
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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jeans
purse
makeup brush
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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.
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bike chain on my commuter
bike shorts
a pair of flip flops
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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?
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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
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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!
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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?
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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.
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I have one pair of shoes and one black winter coat that have holes (and lots of them). I still keep them clean and in the closet and wear them to the occasional rock concert so I don't have to worry about beer on the floor ruining the shoes or throwing the coat somewhere when I want to dance.
2 T-Shirts had holes everywhere after a backpacking trip to India, because of the laundry treatment there. They were old anyway, so they stayed in India ;)
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Just noticed my yoga/running pants (stretchy pants) have gotten to the threadbare/hole stage. Any recommendations for the next pair?
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My crockpot: the handle to the lid broke, but that wasn't enough to replace it. I kept using it until the switch broke too. I actually did a happy dance because I've wanted one with a timer for a long time, but couldn't justify purchasing a new one when I had one that still worked.
My REI coat: Bought in 2007 and wore it every day during the winter until last year when the zipper broke beyond repair. They replaced it because it was 'grandfathered' in to their lifetime warranty. Any new purchases are not subject to replacement due to regular wear and tear.
My hiking boots. The soles blew out after 13 years and about ~1,100 miles. I was crushed when I discovered the holes. "But I just got these" was my thought. Then I realized that I purchased them in 2001.
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3 pairs of my leggings worn til they developed holes.
3 or 4 sets of underwear so old when i was going to put them on they ripped at the waistline i think i'd had them since 1999 or something they were really old Victoria's Secret ones.
2 bras not of Costco or durable construction with the hooks in back dying and the underwire poking out to stab me...owww...
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Socks, clothes, car tires, belts on power equipment. I really don't like buying clothes. When my office clothes wear out I use them for working around the house. They go in the trash after that as they are usually split in the rear or something like that.
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I threw away a pair of socks with holes in them, a bra with a broken underwire, and I replaced a pair of sheepskin slippers due to the pelt being worn down to the hide. The slippers were from Costco and didn't last as long as I would have liked (3yrs) but they did get heavy wear over that time.
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I had a pair of Vans sandals for 18 years that my wife threw away and bought me a new pair for my birthday. The sole was completely gone and fairly impractical. Also, pretty much all other clothes and shoes as well. I have a sleeveless t shirt from 1995 that has the date on it from my little league team. The coolest part is that even though I was 10, my parents bough clothes for me that were way too big so I would grow into them and it still fits!
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Running shoes
jeans
crockpot
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Shirt - RIP (pun intended)
1992 Buick Roadmaster wagon
Not there yet but close: Canon 5D Mark II DSLR
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Toaster - hand-me-down toaster oven that I received from my parents about 6 years ago, they had it for at least 6 years before then. The glass door slider that covers 1/2 of the unit broke off.
Tacoma Battery - used it till it died after 7 years, then used my emergency jump-starter to source another battery. Buying batteries before the old one is dead is a waste.
Sneakers - Had a pair of new balance sneakers that were 11 or 12 years old, my toe started poking through the sole.
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1. Cherokee scrub pants. Wore them 3-4 times per week for 14 hours at a time for 3 years. Was sitting on the toilet at work and realized they were so threadbare I could see the floor through my pants.
2. New Balance sneakers. Only got a year out of these, developed holes where my pinkie and big toes were. Still wore them for several months that way--not buying super lightweight shoes again. My new ones are a different brand too.
3. Eddie Bauer backpack. This one doesn't even count, because my brother is still using it daily for class. It was my husband's middle school backpack--was used for his high school, four years of college, and four years of office work. It then passed to me, I used it all of nursing school. One of the straps was only hanging on by a few threads when I graduated two years ago. My brother came to visit and his suitcase broke, so I gave it to him thinking it would only last him the trip home, and he's still using it without fixing the strap! Those threads are miraculous.
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1. The phillips bit in my impact driver; the edges had rounded and worn bad enough that it would not longer engage.
2. A pair of sneakers I had had for 10 years; they had seen 3 continents and been demoted to yard care duty and finally delaminated (beyond what shoe goo could fix).
3. A cheap memory foam mattress; bought at a wholesale club support is gone in about 7 years.
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Do relationships count?
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Guitar strings
Underwear
Shifter cables/housing on my winter bike
I thought by your other post that you really meant to say...'underwear strings'
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I can contribute to this thread all over again!
1. Flannel pajama pants... although they'll probably be turned into rags now
2. Husband's tanktop- he wore it until it wore out for public use, then I wore it for pajamas until it wore out for home use
3. "Dog towel"- that is our generic name for mud room towels. I don't even know where this one came from (inherited from my parents probably), but it finally essentially disintegrated in the wash.
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Xbox 360 - overheated and died, don't play enough anymore to invest money in a fix
PS3 - overheated and died, don't play enough anymore to invest money in a fix
running shoes - I use them until the holes are big enough for my toes to fit through.
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Xbox 360 - overheated and died, don't play enough anymore to invest money in a fix
PS3 - overheated and died, don't play enough anymore to invest money in a fix
running shoes - I use them until the holes are big enough for my toes to fit through.
I feel like this says a lot about your priorities- and you're probably far healthier and happier for it! (Signed, former WoW addict, now "gym rat").
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Um, how about like everything I've ever owned? Clothes are the worst/best. One standup comedian (can't remember who) said that men in particular like to wear underwear until they can stand at the window and just let it blow away in the breeze.
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Bathing suit--only 2 years old but got weekly use at the gym.
Coffee maker--got it used at the auction for a few dollars and got maybe 5 years of use. It just...died. I tolerate its replacement.
Digital bathroom scales--ditto the auction above.
Most pride in my Masterlock combination lock that I was required to purchase for gym class in 7th grade. Has a key hole in the back so teachers could use a master key to unlock it. That was in 1965. I still use it at the gym, but it has also done duty as the protector of the canoe and trailer.
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Ninja blender (replaced with cheep magic bullet)
Shoes
Socks.
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1- Hiking Shoes
2- Duffle Bag
3- Leather Belt
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1- Hiking Shoes
2- Duffle Bag
3- Leather Belt
+1 for the belt. I just threw one away I've had since 1998. It was 3 layers of leather stitched together. The stitching started letting go several years ago but it finally got to the point wher I couldn't get the belt holes lined up anymore. My wife hated that belt too. It was pretty shabby looking :D
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1. Our stoneware pan just cracked randomly while in the oven the other day....1 year outside of the 3 year guarentee....grrr. Have not replaced...making do with the cookie sheet, deep pizza pan and roasting pan for various dishes.
2. Jeans that I had gotten used when I was in high school. Literally wore them until this year (I'll 27). The last year or so they were paint/dog walking pants...and finally the crotch was unpatchable and ripped, pretty much one of the legs was just hanging there...lol.
3. I shoe gooed a pair of strappy leather sandals 2 or 3 times before the straps busted mid-strap instead of at the base (where I could glue them back into the holes on the sole). I replaced with some ebayed Tevas...and I won't be going back :D
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1) Android tablet - Kept using it until it wouldn't stay running long enough to type a simple e-mail. It had developed a problem of spontaneously rebooting periodically (just like the iPad that it had replaced).
2) Motorcycle brake pads - ran those rears down until I think there was about 1 molecule of depth left (uniform though, so no rotor to backing plate action happened). Ooops, not intentional, glad I checked them when I did! Can't say I didn't get the full value of them though!
3) Car radiator. Been leaking (just a dribble in the Summer, more in the Winter) for a few years, but I just kept topping it off every couple of weeks. It finally sprung the big leak last month and had to be replaced.
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Just gave up a copper bottomed frying pan - handle held together with wire for the last 18 years. Really we could have chucked it a few years ago when a neighbour gave us about 5 different sizes of cast iron pans, but it still had occasional uses...
Shoes.
Jeans - they tend to be rags by the time I give up on them.