I'll just have water

[Mtsoxfan]

I grew up and learned how most things have value. My Pop would repair and use what others threw away. He was raised in the 30's, and money was very tight for his family.
I used tyo save everything, but over the last 10 years, after seeing what my Mother had to put up with, and when it was time to move them out of a house into an apartment. Pops had literal tons of stuff. If I haven't used something in 5 years, out it goes, with exceptions. It's amazing how much room you can gain over a few month period of clearing out, and how quickly it fills back up...

 

[YanmarFever]

All the maintenance on our vehicles and lawn mowing.

 

[bigtiller]

There was an old fella that lived across the road from the city dump back in the '60s. Quite often he could be seen walking around there with a long walking stick to help sort through the garbage to find the next treasure.

 

[MossRoad]

Most all of us have had financial rough times in the past. And probably do things by habit. So the question is;

What is a "poor people" habit you'll never stop doing, no mater how rich you get?

I just have water at a restaurant.
If I see a penny, I will pick it up off the ground.
And many more.

There's a big difference between being poor and doing things out of necessity VS being frugal and not wanting to waste things, VS being a downright skinflint.

My parents were in tough financial situations a few times, but we never had an empty pantry or no roof over our head. I've never been poor, so I don't know what that's like. My wife and I are very frugal, but if we want something other than water, we'll order a Coke or a beer or cocktail. I told her years ago that we're at a point in our life where it's OK to order the appetizer.

 

[MossRoad]

There was an old fella that lived across the road from the city dump back in the '60s. Quite often he could be seen walking around there with a long walking stick to help sort through the garbage to find the next treasure.

My dad used to burn all of our household trash once a week in a big culvert pipe stood upright with an air hole at the bottom. Anything that wouldn't burn, like metal and cans, he'd save in a couple trash cans and a few times a year we'd go to the dump. While there, he'd poke around appliances and machinery and rip out motors, pumps, weird things, and bring them home and make stuff. He was very proud of his drill-powered drain pump for unclogging the driveway drain. He'd give me the weird stuff to tear apart and see how it worked. Poor man's Erector Set, I guess. Anyhow, I have great memories of our expeditions.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I tend to shop around for best prices. Today I needed bearings for a AMCO disk that I am trying to restore. The local dealer had them for $240 each. I just ordered them online for $70 each.

I hate using plastic water bottles. I think it's such a waste of money. I did some figuring a few years ago, and the bottled water was 600x the cost of water out of the faucet. I know it's not always convenient to drink out of the faucet, like when out on a job. Now I buy the case of 40 bottles for about $5.50, so the cost has come down a good bit. But I still drink out of the faucet whenever possible.

 

[Runner]

Sometimes water out of the garden hose tastes the best...

 

[2manyrocks]

Wife will not drink tap water at home without running it through filter. Always thought parent’s well water tasted the best.

 

[Oaktree]

All the maintenance on our vehicles and lawn mowing.

I used to do all, or at least most vehicle repairs, but as I've gotten older it's more or less limited to oil changes, tire rotation, filters and brake jobs. Not as flexible as I once was, and laying under a vehicle getting rust in your face while you try to fix something gets old after a while. Plus modern vehicles need so much specialized tools/equipment it's not worth it (not to mention even repairs that should be simple are anything but).
I'll still do my own repairs on yard & garden power equipment.

I hate using plastic water bottles. I think it's such a waste of money. I did some figuring a few years ago, and the bottled water was 600x the cost of water out of the faucet. I know it's not always convenient to drink out of the faucet, like when out on a job. Now I buy the case of 40 bottles for about $5.50, so the cost has come down a good bit. But I still drink out of the faucet whenever possible.

I'll save a few bottles orange juice, etc. came in and reuse them as water bottles. Agree bottled water is a ripoff.

My dad used to burn all of our household trash once a week in a big culvert pipe stood upright with an air hole at the bottom. Anything that wouldn't burn, like metal and cans, he'd save in a couple trash cans and a few times a year we'd go to the dump. While there, he'd poke around appliances and machinery and rip out motors, pumps, weird things, and bring them home and make stuff. He was very proud of his drill-powered drain pump for unclogging the driveway drain. He'd give me the weird stuff to tear apart and see how it worked. Poor man's Erector Set, I guess. Anyhow, I have great memories of our expeditions.

Ahh, miss the days of the metal pile at the dump. Great place for dump pickin'. Our town replaced theirs with a dumpster about 10 years ago, it's set in such a way that you really can't climb into it. There still is the swap pile inside the building.

Cans, scrap metal, batteries get saved and brought to the scrap metal place when I get enough to make it worthwhile.

Wife will not drink tap water at home without running it through filter. Always thought parent’s well water tasted the best.

Yeah, that kinda depends on how good your water is. Last place I lived it was nasty. It got so I'd go to one of those roadside springs (where someone stuck a pipe in the side of a hill) for my drinking/cooking water.
Where we live now the well water is awesome.

 

[Alan W.]

Im all for saving so I can spend on something thats needed.
I have a friend that is just as tight with money as me. We are always trying to outdo each other to get a bargain.
My wife keeps asking me when Im going to get a newer truck. To which I reply why. It suits me just fine.
I will price check for the best deal always.
Between my son and myself we do all of the maintenance.