Do you use, wear, or drive something until it falls apart?

Yes.
For example my last pair of shoes.
I wore them until water leaked through the soles, and only then did I buy a new pair.
I even walked around with wet feet for a few weeks, and it was winter, too.

Most things I wear the hell out of them before I’m done with them. Computers last at least four years. I wear t-shirts until they have so many holes in them my wife sneaks them out and burns them when I think she’s going to launder them. I drive cars until they get stolen, or totaled in a crash. Ideally, I would drive them until they wore out, but haven’t yet had that opportunity.

The only thing I spend money on is food.

I was well known as a kid for doing this, no matter how many scrapes i’d get into playing out, i’d always keep my fave shoes until they were literally hanging off my feet.
“You’re not going out in those!” my mother would say, but I ignored her demands & carried on regardless.
Not now though, I like new stuff.

Use it until it falls apart. Patch or repair where necessary.

Falling apart. I think I’ve almost earned a new pair of shoes. My current pair, I scored them brand new at a thrift store for $0.50. Never going to find a deal like that again! I’ve had them four years or so, and they have holes in the soles.

I rarely buy anything new. Except food!

I have typically used things until they died; but now I live a bit more comfortably, and can afford to upgrade some items if I feel a newer item would better serve my needs. I have foot problems, so I need to wear different shoes each day, and when I find ones that are fairly comfortable, I might get them in a couple colors.

I use things until I cannot repair them anymore. So long as they maintain a basic functionality, I’ll keep using them. This tendency is somewhat tempered by my wife, who will occasionally inform me that something is too threadbare to still count as an article of clothing. She has the same attitude as I, however, when it comes to tools and vehicles and so forth.

A few things I upgrade before they are dead and buy new.

Undergarments/toys
Shoes
Waterbottles
Pillows

I do try to bargain shop for the rest and may pass it on if it no longer is an item of use to me or throw it out if I can’t use it. I was actually considering how many items I got that were gifts or something I picked out with ex boyfriends and kinda thought it was sad or odd.

Decorative or household items I picked out during various incarnations of me.

It all creates a homey atmosphere. Not sharp or clearly styled. But unique with common underlying threads.

Each item almost has a life or story of its own when I pause to consider them.

I often use and wear things past the point of having fallen apart. I like jury-rigging (or jerry-rigging, if you prefer), and the way I wear the hell out of things gives me practice.

I do not like doing that any longer with automobiles. Not that I replace cars frequently, but when they become “unreliable”, then I replace them.

I keep things I love wearing until they fall apart. Other clothes hang around for years, being worn when I remember them or run into them. I get a new car after about 8 years. I keep things I use unless I see something better, if it’s not expensive. If it’s expensive, it has to die before it goes.

Some things I use until they die, others I buy new regularly.

I buy clothes all the time and I don’t need them. There are items I wear to death but most I buy more of because I am bored with what I have or my eye was caught by something I like.

Appliances I will use until they die. My husband doesn’t like our washing machine but it works perfectly well and I refuse to replace it. Same with TVs, stereos and the like.

Cars – we have owned cars until they were ready for the scrap heap. This one is over three years old now and is in fine shape so why replace it.

As a teenager right up to my 40s, I was addicted to buying new clothes. I loved putting on a brand new shirt or pair of socks or shoes. But now, I have all the clothes and oither stuff I need, and the only things I buy long (long!) before I need to are gadgets—computers and such. I don’t even do that as much as I used to.

I am in my late 50’s.
I still have clothes from High School. I still have shoes from college.
I drove my Subaru over 223,000 miles, over 21 years, before it was destroyed in a head on.
I replaced it with a Jeep that is approaching 200,000 miles.
And you should see my wife…

I hang on to shit till it is done. Why spend money you do not have to spend?

Wow. I’m happy to see I’m not the only one who does this.

I don’t even see it as being cheap – because when I do buy something, I buy nice stuff. I just feel like I want my money’s worth. I’m always thinking, “do I need this thing, or just want it?”

I agree with those that mentioned food. I feel like we’re always buying food.

I think that I’m overall extremely conservative with things, complimentary to me being concerned with the environment. I see people wasting things day to day. I know someone who brings plastic containers to lunch everyday and then throws them out. What a disgrace.

@dxs: That’s insane. They can’t wash it and reuse?

Mostly, I use things until they no longer work. I buy used cars to begin with, and the only times I’ve replaced one before it was good and dead were when we were going from two kids to three (time for a minivan!), and when I had a gas guzzler and a long commute (for something more efficient: a used minivan). My cars are so exciting, I know. ~ I’ll wear holey jeans until the zipper breaks or too much of my underwear peeks out. Even then, I’ll still wear ‘em around the house. I had my last computer for eight years, and wouldn’t have replaced it except I couldn’t do my editing job effectively with it.

When I have money, I occasionally buy clothes I don’t absolutely need. And I’m always on the hunt for comfortable shoes that won’t make my pain worse, so I buy ‘em when I can.

I pretty much drive cars til there is nothing left to fix.

I have bought myself a new cashmere sweater yearly for the past twenty years. I am now starting to darn them.

My other major purchases are serious walking shoes.

My one black dress coat is probably 25 years old.

I do buy briefs and bras when necessary. And the occasional t-shirt. That’s it.

@cookieman She says that it’s because it’s “easier”. I use the same plastic containers for a week. I also refill my plastic water bottles, which some say is bad to do.

@dxs: “easier” – that’s just lazy.

I’ve always been very frugal, buy used, reuse, do without. I currently have slippers with duct tape on the bottom, and t-shirts with little holes in them or frayed sleeves and such. I have put new elastic in several pairs of slacks. We always drive our well maintained cars into the 100,000 miles and beyond, until they are donated to charity.

I have a hard time upgrading or getting rid of something if the old thing still works. I still have my electric beater from twenty years ago, and my dishes, and my TV’s were all the big box kind until I needed a new one for my bathroom about 3 years ago, and several months ago finally bught a new TV for my bedroom when the old one died after 15 years. We really want the slimmer TV’s in every room that currently has a TV, but can’t bring ourselves to get rid of the old ones while they work just fine.

I do buy new clothes now and then, I like to have a certain amount of clothes in good condition that fit well, and are on trend. Not that I am very trendy, I’m not, but like to look reasonably stylish in at a least a few outfits. However, I do wear a lot of jeans and t-shirts. My sister, who is a nurse, kind of opened my eyes to how many medical professionals judge people who have clothes that are worn, or God forbid have a hole or stain, and better keep your nails well manicured. But, that’s another topic.

My husband is a car nut, and he usually starts getting tired of what he is driving after two years. Lots of money spent on new cars that’s for sure. I think it is like throwing money on the street, but it is something he loves, and the only thing he is extravagant about. He rarely buys new clothes, I have seen him darning socks and sewing seems. He often takes his lunch to work to save money. He would stay in cheaper hotels when we travel, but I am the one who wants to spend a little extra for a little nicer.

For me, everyone spends their money as they see fit. I think is a waste to buy a new cell phone every two years (that’s another thing I tend to drag out until the phone stops working or technology has changed sgnificantly) or have wine with dinner, but others might find a lot of pleasure in those things, and would never spend money going to see a college football game or buy $100 jeans like I will. The only thing I kind of have a big opinion on is people who spend money they don’t have, or don’t plan at all for the future financially and just soend everything, and then when hard times hit, they have a bunch of pretty things, but not a pot to p$&s in.

Food, until it falls apart in my stomach, which then falls apart into something simpler etc.

Yes, yes and yes.

I say drive it until it crawls, play it until it sparks and wear it until it falls off!

Definitely. My shoes are always full of holes and they literally fall apart, before I throw them out. Some of my best shirts are full of holes, too. I don’t mind a hole or two, I don’t see what’s so horrible about it.

Depends on what it is.
I am driving my current car that I have had for 8 years until it dies. I have a 16 year old blow dryer that will NOT die and blows better than any new one I can find.
I have a sweat jacket that is falling apart, is threadbare in places and has a few tears that I still wear with my PJ’s around the house. It’s my favorite ratty comfort thing. haha

Now when it comes to my house, I LOVE changing things and decorating and rearranging and could happily get rid of or sell things and start over again and again. I like my home environment to be colorful and rich in comfort and a haven for the senses. If I had lots of money forget jewelry, cars, just let me redecorate every 3 years and eat really good food. lol

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room I was a teenager up until my 40’s too! Ain’t it grand? :)

I’ve had my hair dryer since 1985, my laptop since 2000 (or when ever Vista first came out) and my cell phone since 2001…
I’d have to say yes : (

You’ve had the same cell phone since 2001 @Ela???? Is it a bag phone? :)

I wear holy clothes whenever I can get away with it. I do use a computer until it develop problems that can’t be easily repaired,

^^^Bless your clothes and keep them holey.

glad that you, @gailcalled caught the hol(e)y reference.

I sure do: Corrs Online, Canswerbag, and now Fluther. ;-)

@Dutchess_III LOL No! It did not come in a box!! It also does nothing but talk n text ; )
I am concidering getting a new one though…