There are certain tools that I believe are essential for saving money and getting longer life out of your possessions, especially in your home. The following is a list of my tools of the frugal trade, simple tools or ingredients that I use time and again for saving money.
The truth is, in our modern world, we’ve lost sight of part of the old adage,
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
It’s the “make it do” part that is an anathema to us. In our age of planned obsolescence and products engineered to fail, we’ve lost the repair skills that seemed like second nature to our parents and grandparents. It’s only natural that we buy new instead of repair, because:
- We often have no idea how to repair things, and
- It’s cheaper to buy a new version of something rather than replace it.
That’s true of a lot of things. For example, when I broke our blender a couple of months ago (long story), I didn’t destroy the motor, just the jar (the top part where you put your liquids). But to replace that part cost about $50! Mr. ThreeYear opted to get a brand new, on sale Ninja blender with two single serve cups for just $70. While it was $20 more expensive, it’s a way more powerful blender. We plan to sell the motor on eBay and recoup some of that cost, as well. Continue reading “Tools of the Frugal Trade”
