Pride of Ownership

[foxfirev5]

This group is a pretty conservative bunch in my estimation. Never the less I would like an opinion regarding owning "things" and minimal waste in our lives. For example when putting away our lawn furniture my DS exclaimed that we should get the record for lawn stuff lasting over 25 years. Likewise our inside furniture, kitchen (all white which I guess is back in fashion) other than a new faucet and 50 knobs is over 25 years old. DW's Lexus is 14 years old and spotless. We clean the street and gutters in front of out house. Old time German approach to belongings and an attitude of preservation.

I feel that this basic attitude contributes greatly to success, rather than discussions about AA, SWR and when to take SS. Thoughts?

[RobbieB]

Our kitchen is brand new. Total new everything. The old kitchen was 34 years old and a POS particle board cabinet fell off the wall and nearly hit my wife. It now rests in the landfill.

I just bought a new car because I was tired of driving the old 2003 Taurus. I like it.

And I don't sweep the street in front of the house because the city street sweeper comes by once a week.and does the whole neighborhood.

I'm successful and I don't worry about dough at all.

[foxfirev5]

Nice. However I never would have never owned a 2003 Taurus or particleboard cabinets in the first place. Buy quality and keep it forever. I should have qualified this in my post.
Thanks.
Also, the street sweeper does not do that good of a job. And I value the exercise.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxfirev5 This group is a pretty conservative bunch in my estimation. Never the less I would like an opinion regarding owning "things" and minimal waste in our lives. For example when putting away our lawn furniture my DS exclaimed that we should get the record for lawn stuff lasting over 25 years. Likewise our inside furniture, kitchen (all white which I guess is back in fashion) other than a new faucet and 50 knobs is over 25 years old. DW's Lexus is 14 years old and spotless. We clean the street and gutters in front of out house. Old time German approach to belongings and an attitude of preservation. I feel that this basic attitude contributes greatly to success, rather than discussions about AA, SWR and when to take SS. Thoughts?

Concerning furniture, I think a lot depends on quality. High quality furniture should last a long time. Low quality furniture isn't meant to last. If I had it to do all over again, I'd buy fewer pieces of furniture, but of higher quality. I don't need nearly so much as I have.

When I see someone sitting on the arms of a sofa (especially my low quality sofa), or throwing themselves at it, I cringe. That's just me. My brothers and I were taught as children to be gentle with the furniture. Some people weren't.

As for cleaning the street, I have the catch basin (drain for excess rainwater) for our block, in front of my house. So, it's my responsibility to clean the catch basin as needed and make sure there isn't a lot of stuff near it to clog it up when it rains. This is so that the whole block doesn't flood the next time we have torrential rains. It's not a matter of culture, it's just practical and expected here in New Orleans.

[joeea]

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Originally Posted by foxfirev5 I feel that this basic attitude contributes greatly to success, rather than discussions about AA, SWR and when to take SS. Thoughts?

Why choose?

You can have your attitude and still discuss AA, SWR, and when to take SS.

And why throw out 50 knobs? What's up with that?

[TwoByFour]

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxfirev5 I feel that this basic attitude contributes greatly to success, rather than discussions about AA, SWR and when to take SS. Thoughts?

We are not crass consumers and tend to keep things as long as practical, but we are not averse to spending money on things we think are important, like a new kitchen which we did recently. We built it for ourselves - we like cooking together and do it every night and like to do it in a place that is just to our liking.

So to answer your question, no I don't think parsimony is better than wise investing. It helps but it can make life boring if taken to extremes.

[foxfirev5]

Good point. As DW now points out. Pretty high and mighty from a guy that fly's first class and parties down like a sailor in Key West.

However I stick to my original premise that preservation of quality tangible assets is a top priority.

[Amethyst]

The overwhelmingly most important tangible asset we possess is our own bodies.

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Originally Posted by foxfirev5 . However I stick to my original premise that preservation of quality tangible assets is a top priority.

[foxfirev5]

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Originally Posted by joeea Why choose? You can have your attitude and still discuss AA, SWR, and when to take SS. And why throw out 50 knobs? What's up with that?

Sorry I missed your comment. The 50 knobs were replaced because they were falling apart. The dumbass builder/installer failed to counter sink the screws which led to inadequate thread penetration into the knob. This led to most being crossthreaded and eventually pulling apart. Do you really think I would throw away perfectly good hardware?

[foxfirev5]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst The overwhelmingly most important tangible asset we possess is our own bodies.

Yes. And that's why the partying has become exponentially less expensive as time goes by.

[RobbieB]

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Originally Posted by foxfirev5 Nice. However I never would have never owned a 2003 Taurus or particleboard cabinets in the first place. Buy quality and keep it forever. I should have qualified this in my post. Thanks.

When we bought this house 30 years ago we couldn't afford quality. But now I can!

[foxfirev5]

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Originally Posted by RobbieB When we bought this house 30 years ago we couldn't afford quality. But now I can!

Exactly. That's my point. Buy quality and take care of it. As a example we're going through some Chippendale furniture from DM. A far contrast to our throw away crap from the '80's. Best wishes!

[pb4uski]

Its situational for me.. I think sometimes it is better to pay more for better quality, but sometimes not so much.

For example, we recently replaced our kitchen cabinets at our Florida condo as part of a kitchen renovation, I opted not to pay the premium for plywood boxes other than for the sink base. We have cabinets with MDF boxes and solid maple frames and doors/drawer fronts at home that have performed well... after all the boxes are just sitting there and I have no plans to move them (though the cabinets at home have actually been moved twice - 3 installs and two uninstalls)... that is one instance where I don't think that the incremental utility is worth the incremental cost.

Besides, in this market I don't think that buyers appreciate or would pay more for my condo because it has plywood boxes rather than MDF boxes and I'm pretty sure that the cabinets that we bought will outlive me.

I've also been disappointed when paying more for better quality... like the expensive Michelin tires that I bought that had a 60k mile warranty that I think will be shot at 20k miles.

[Midpack]

I generally look for the best value when I buy most things of consequence. Rarely the cheapest, and rarely if ever the best/most expensive. And I rarely replace anything that’s still working, no matter how out is date it might be.

We usually keep cars for 10-11 years. Our clothes washer is 26 years old, still running strong. Our bedroom furniture, desk, entertainment center, couch and two chairs are over 40 years old - though we’ll leave most pieces behind if we relocate. Our printer/all-in-one is 16 years old. Most of my (Craftsman) hand tools are more than 40 years old, and they’ll outlast me. I could go on...

We bought a new main TV a couple years ago, it replaced one that we’d had for 19 years. We had our kitchen completely remodeled in 2016, replacing the original 29 year old kitchen chosen by the previous owner (all the appliances were still working, donated to local group homes).

There are a few things we’re not as frugal about, but they’re exceptions.

I am not afraid to spend money, but I hate to waste it.

All part of LBYM. To each his/her own.

[RobbieB]

On my new cabs, solid maple and plywood only, I laminated formica in every drawer and shelf. On the lazy susans I used clear 2 part epoxy to finish. They will look as good when I'm dead as they do now and clean with a wet cloth.

[foxfirev5]

pb4, Good points. The cabinet choice you made was wise. Like I stated above the hardware I had to replace was on super high quality cabinets. As a builder I should have seen it. I didn't build it myself but instead bottom fed off a guy who was building his dream house. Top quality materials, Anderson windows - the good stuff not the builder specials they're now promoting. 30 year roof etc. Since I plan on living here forever maybe it doesn't matter.

Likewise I've been burned on the tire deal. I've bought all the major brands. The newer low profile tires do not hold up at all. The Bridgestones were great for life but a trainwreck in icy conditions. The Goodyears and Michelins wore quickly but had very good adhesion qualities. Each set is a new adventure.

[ivinsfan]

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Originally Posted by RobbieB Our kitchen is brand new. Total new everything. The old kitchen was 34 years old and a POS particle board cabinet fell off the wall and nearly hit my wife. It now rests in the landfill. I just bought a new car because I was tired of driving the old 2003 Taurus. I like it. And I don't sweep the street in front of the house because the city street sweeper comes by once a week.and does the whole neighborhood. I'm successful and I don't worry about dough at all.

Totally off topic but it makes me smile when you mention your "wife". 👍

[Bir48die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxfirev5 Nice. However I never would have never owned a 2003 Taurus or particleboard cabinets in the first place. Buy quality and keep it forever. I should have qualified this in my post. Thanks. Also, the street sweeper does not do that good of a job. And I value the exercise.

So back then it was the #1 rental car in America. So if you bought one would you be slumming? I had one and I'm not even sure what year it was. Yes I got rid of it early on but I detect a bit of snobby here. There are times when we are younger and try to keep within budgets that decisions are made. We can't all go out and buy a Lexus when kids are in high school.

Some have particleboard board cabinets. Did I have? No. But I don't look down on those that did. Sometimes it's a dollars and cents issue.

[foxfirev5]

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Originally Posted by Bir48die So back then it was the #1 rental car in America. So if you bought one would you be slumming? I had one and I'm not even sure what year it was. Yes I got rid of it early on but I detect a bit of snobby here. There are times when we are younger and try to keep within budgets that decisions are made. We can't all go out and buy a Lexus when kids are in high school. Some have particleboard board cabinets. Did I have? No. But I don't look down on those that did. Sometimes it's a dollars and cents issue.

Not trying to be snobby and I'm sorry if it came across like that. The point I was trying to make was to take care of what you have and minimize waste yet present yourself well.

[Tetto]

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Originally Posted by foxfirev5 Not trying to be snobby and I'm sorry if it came across like that. The point I was trying to make was to take care of what you have and minimize waste yet present yourself well.

I completely agree with your premise. I’m a very low maintenance type of guy and my wife is as well. We don’t “want” for anything and have the money to pretty much get whatever we want. But her 07 CRV runs like a Swiss watch with only 125k on it. My Mazda runs the same. House almost paid off and 10 more years to 62. I hope we still have the same cars when we retire. I really could care less about material things, but $$$ security is priceless.