The art of frugality

[haha]

AL, my chainsaw is a very old Stihl. Cuts like mad but I have never considered it or any other chainsaw anything even close to safe. What are the features that you look for that give greater safety?

Ha

 

[FinanceDude]

AL, my chainsaw is a very old Stihl. Cuts like mad but I have never considered it or any other chainsaw anything even close to safe. What are the features that you look for that give greater safety?

Ha

Body armor.............

 

[SecondCor521]

I feel like I recently discovered at least a "frugal triple play". The previous owners of my house left a Mexican fireplace on the patio, and I now plan to use it to burn my paper trash.

1. I saved buying myself a cross-cut shredder. All my private data is going to be turned into ashes.
2. My kids and I can use it as a low cost form of entertainment (ahh, sitting on the patio with a cup of cocoa watching the nice fire!)
3. The ashes can go into the garden area, saving on fertilizer costs.

It also reduces my trash output considerably, so I only have to take my trash out every second or third week. I was going to say this made me more environmentally green and acceptable to Mr. Gore, but then I realized I'm contributing to global warming with the fires. Hmmm.

2Cor521

 

[NinjaPigeon]

I had to google what Mexican fireplace was. But after looking at it, I realized it wouldn't work out for me since I still live in an apt So I'll have to stick to the full trashbag of paper I shred every other week filled with credit card offers, home refinancing offers (I sold my house a year ago!), and various other crap.

But, to be honest, I do enjoy shredding It's therapeutic!

 

[Texas Proud]

Want to talk about frugal.... and I would not do this EVER....

They had a guy on the public TV that would camp out and cook 'off the land'.. some of what he ate was road kill...

The guy that did the interview was skeptical, but did eat a bird.. said it tasted great...

The guy is a trained chef and said he only gets ones that were killed by being hit and that were 'fresh'...

I for one had enough cheap stuff growing up... I am very willing to pay for the things I need and get something good... but, I don't 'need' as much as a lot of the consumer people... still waiting for the HDs to come down in price... might even get cable ...

 

[TromboneAl]

AL, my chainsaw is a very old Stihl. Cuts like mad but I have never considered it or any other chainsaw anything even close to safe. What are the features that you look for that give greater safety?

Ha

The one feature that I required was an inertial chain brake.

For you non-chainsawers, the most dangerous thing about a chainsaw is "kickback." If, for example, the tip of the chain hits something the wrong way, the chainsaw can be propelled up and back towards you at high speed. Very often, the operator will reflexively put his/her left hand up, and the still-spinning chain will cut the hand.

The newer saws have a chain brake that will automatically stop the chain if the position of the saw changes quickly. That is, if the chainsaw bucks back, the chain is stopped before it hits your hand.

The newer saws also have chains and tip shapes that reduce the chance of kickback.

Still dangerous, as you say. I'm ambivalent about using one, but I'm super careful, and have almost all the safety gear (helmet, face protector, special gloves, kevlar chaps). I'd like chainsaw boots, but they cost about $350.

 

[Nords]

Let's talk about the false-frugality trap.

A shipmate moved from Japan to the Mainland and as part of his downsizing he offered me his old Mac Mini-- free! What could be better than free?

Good: Free Mac Mini, Kensington KVM switch, Samsung SyncMaster 191T, and many many connector cables. All free.

Not so good: The cost of shipping the hardware & a foot-high stack of books was $70. (Plus whatever it cost my shipmate to get it to my drop shipper.) I also "needed" a new power strip, a PS/2-USB adaptor, & a few feet of Ethernet cable. (I shoulda stopped there but it was too tempting to add a UPS and a backup HD connector.) Let's call it $60 of "needs" and another $190 of "wants".

Let's not forget "some assembly required": an entire afternoon of furniture moving, body contortions, positioning, repositioning, connecting, reconnecting, routing, testing, tidying, downloading, tweaking, and so on. Some of the documentation was only in kanji and four-point graphics. Seven PC USB ports were barely enough. I also devoted a good bit of time to cable wrapping & bunny-proofing.

Then there's the deferred "just one more thing"-- in this case a Firewire rig or maybe a USB hub. The Mini seems a bit light on connections.

What initially seemed like "free" actually worked out to a modest capital expenditure (and hours of effort) as the tuition payment for self-paced learning. I like the Samsung monitor a lot more than our Sony (same display area) so later I'll sell the Sony and split the profits. That's probably $50 off the $130 "needs" spending.

I'm enjoying myself but there's no way that I could ever sell this as "frugal", let alone "free".

Our kid says she wants the Mac when she moves out. I told her I'll give it to her for "free"...

 

[rw86347]

Want to talk about frugal.... and I would not do this EVER....

They had a guy on the public TV that would camp out and cook 'off the land'.. some of what he ate was road kill...

The guy that did the interview was skeptical, but did eat a bird.. said it tasted great...

The guy is a trained chef and said he only gets ones that were killed by being hit and that were 'fresh'...

I for one had enough cheap stuff growing up... I am very willing to pay for the things I need and get something good... but, I don't 'need' as much as a lot of the consumer people... still waiting for the HDs to come down in price... might even get cable ...

I would eat a freshly hit dear.

 

[REWahoo]

I would eat a freshly hit dear.

 

[runchman]

There was that guy in Wisconsin that chose to do something else with a freshly hit deer:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1122061deer1.html

Would have been a bit less embarrassing had he eaten it instead.

 

[REWahoo]

There was that guy in Wisconsin that chose to do something else with a freshly hit deer:

Dear, deer...

 

[TromboneAl]

Here's a dear quail that hit my window:

 

[rw86347]

There was that guy in Wisconsin that chose to do something else with a freshly hit deer:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1122061deer1.html

Would have been a bit less embarrassing had he eaten it instead.

Sick sick sick ... I hate to think that guys like that walk on the same sidewalk as my daughter.

That is why I carry a gun.

 

[tikitoast]

Let's talk about the false-frugality trap.

A shipmate moved from Japan to the Mainland and as part of his downsizing he offered me his old Mac Mini-- free! What could be better than free?...

Nords, that computer hutch/desk unit looks perfect, may I ask where you got it?

 

[runchman]

Sick sick sick ... I hate to think that guys like that walk on the same sidewalk as my daughter.

That is why I carry a gun.

It is scary having daughter(s), isn't it? As a guy in our childbirth class (wow 12 years ago already) said, "we're having a boy.... I only have to worry about one dick - you have to worry about all of them!"

- John

 

[Nords]

Nords, that computer hutch/desk unit looks perfect, may I ask where you got it?

Craigslist, so it came already assembled, $100!

I think it's a Sauder MDF/laminate product. The hutch is an integral part of the desk (pegged to it) instead of an add-on. This looks very similar in shape & size: http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=313651

If you have the time and don't mind the driving around to look, though, Craigslist's "Furniture" category (only posts with pictures) is a much better bargain.

 

[Texas Proud]

I would eat a freshly hit dear.

Actually, my sister and BIL that live in Oregon do!!!

He worked for the county or state or something... but was on the road crew that got the calls when deer were hit... some had to be 'finished' as the car did not..

It was (and still might be) against the law to take what you hit... so the road crews would take them if they wanted or give to charity...

 

[Cut-Throat]

My wife and I were thinking of going to Italy for 2 weeks. We decided to go for a walk around the block instead. Saved $15,000!

 

[rw86347]

My wife and I were thinking of going to Italy for 2 weeks. We decided to go for a walk around the block instead. Saved $15,000!

Hmmm ... Two week of walking around the block. ... you mean the walls didn't come crashing down after 7 days.

 

[Nanita8140]

Pretty much all my furniture throughout my house came from garage sale/thrift store/thrown away. It is absolutely incredible some of the things people throw out. I truly enjoy doing this. The last Tuesday of every month is bulk trash day so on the night before I take out my car and go digging for gold......my husb knows that on those nights he can't do or go anywhere as it is my night out with my neighbor's trash cans....and he stays home watching the kids.

 

[DallasGuy]

My wife and I were thinking of going to Italy for 2 weeks. We decided to go for a walk around the block instead. Saved $15,000!

Good decision...after the 2nd or 3rd church, they all look the same anyway. I went to Italy last year and I don't care if I ever see another old church again in my life.

 

[P.S.]

I got a brand new Scandia Down comforter from the thrift store for $7.
My mom recently scored a set of EUC Hartmann luggage for $9. She also once found a restaurant quality professional all steel Vitamixer for $15.

but probably my best freebie was my non-need based college scholarship.

 

[Urchina]

but probably my best freebie was my non-need based college scholarship.

PS, so true! Ditto for me. I've had a couple of other deals come my way:

1. My parents bought me a 10-year-old Volvo sedan in 1992, as a gift. I drove that baby for 14 more years (they figured it would get me through school and into a first job, tops -- no way did they figure I'd get another 150,000 miles and 14 years out of it). Two years ago the state paid me $1000 to retire it. While it wasn't "free" to run, the initial cost was free.

2. Our local library sells donated books to earn money for more books. Last year I found a 1st edition John Steinbeck, in good condition, for 50 cents. Gave it to DH as a birthday gift. It's probably worth about $250.

3. Solid oak dining set from my grandma, and a 100% wool, 8x12 oriental rug. Use them daily and have for 10 years. Thanks, Grandma!

 

[mn54]

PS, so true! Ditto for me. I've had a couple of other deals come my way:

1. My parents bought me a 10-year-old Volvo sedan in 1992, as a gift. I drove that baby for 14 more years (they figured it would get me through school and into a first job, tops -- no way did they figure I'd get another 150,000 miles and 14 years out of it). Two years ago the state paid me $1000 to retire it. While it wasn't "free" to run, the initial cost was free.

Why would the state pay you to retire your car?

 

[Khan]

PS, so true! Ditto for me. I've had a couple of other deals come my way:

1. My parents bought me a 10-year-old Volvo sedan in 1992, as a gift. I drove that baby for 14 more years (they figured it would get me through school and into a first job, tops -- no way did they figure I'd get another 150,000 miles and 14 years out of it). Two years ago the state paid me $1000 to retire it. While it wasn't "free" to run, the initial cost was free.

Why would the state pay you to retire your car?

Probably pollution standards.