I have always tried to make things last as long as I can, while using them as they were meant to be. Sometimes I go a bit overboard, like with the birkenstocks I bought as a freshman in college which turned to dust from constant use over the course of 15 years... My truck has been faithful to me over the last 16 years and 190k miles. I almost like it when my family and friends bitch at me to buy a new vehicle, especially making the kind of money I do now. But I don't drive much these days, and am using the money not being spent on a nicer vehicle to pay off my house. To me, my tired old truck is a slice of freedom - runs great, costs little to register/insure, kinda ugly so nobody wants to steal it and I don't care if it gets scratched or dented in the parking lot. It's book value is about a week's pay for me.

I'm not quite as parsimonious when it comes to things. I like my new gadgets, and so forth (and that said, I still see them as 'things', far less valuable than the people in my life).

What I do, however, kind of accomplishes the same kind of thing: Any item I've replaced with something newer, I'll give to someone else who can use it (often to those who can't afford to buy one in the normal course of events).

I'm pretty lucky in that I can afford to (for the most part) get the new stuff that I like to play with (good job, good savings, no debt apart from house).

Mostly, I'll give the old stuff away, or sell it at a pretty low and reasonable cost, depending. If nothing else, it goes to one or another charity.

I think the underlying idea of the concept stated in the parent article (IMHO) isn't so much that any particular person has to use up the item in question, but more that the item itself is as of much use as possible, whether for just one person, or many.

I tend to see this as the best of both worlds. I get to keep playing with the new stuff I like, and the old stuff gets a new life with someone who might not otherwise be able to acquire it (or at least, not as easily).

Even with that said, there are some things that I use up, until the very last molecule vanishes in a puff of smoke.

I probably ought to add that this doesn't mean I willy - nilly go out and get all sorts of new stuff all of the time.

Just that I'll upgrade more or less regularly, and if what I'm upgrading from is still workable, it only makes sense that someone else should get some use out of it, if they want.

Someone once told me there was a simple saying that was used, I believe during the depression and WWII-

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

Whether or not they were correct, it's worked well for me.
I'm on the other end of 'Tim?'s charitable gifting or low retail. (Not specifically, of course.) I buy most of my gadgets used because I don't care about having the newest thing. I'll wear my husbands sweat socks rather than buy my own, because I wear socks maybe twice a week, and he has about 30 pairs. A few years ago, I bought a bunch of dresses and skirts that I really like, as opposed to things I just needed for work, and I haven't bought clothes since. My laptop was bought used for $100, three years ago. It still works fine.

I buy a lot of things second-hand.

Therefore, I can buy a lot nicer of things without the hefty price tag.

Then, I can use it until it's no longer useful.

Sort of related but I'm really cheap on skin care because well the stuff marked as more expensive is actually the same formula as the cheaper stuff. Like I just discovered that the Johnson & Johnson Head to Toe Baby Wash is the same formula as the Purpose Gentle Wash.

When it comes to clothes, you can tell the quality. I have an amazing $300 white suit my stepdad gave me. I get so many compliments when I wear it. I'm really big on quality clothing & shoe items. Though I recently got an amazing pair of leather flat boots for $25 at Ross that go above my knees. It all depends!

Many years ago I bought my best friend an absurdly expensive Coach credit card case. We must have been at the outlet stores and I was feeling generous. A couple of weeks ago he pulled it out of his pocket and told the story of it to his partner. I had forgotten it but his point was that it was still in great shape all these years later when even he thought it was too pricey back when.

Yeah. I like it when I wear things out. I can show you T shirts with repairs. A T shirt I like will be worn to transparent thinness if I can possibly do so.

My Scots mother taught me well.

That's the beauty of Levi 501's, the more you wear them, the better they feel. I own three pair. They go from kind of new, to well worn but still nice, to old beat-up really ratty (my favorite pair). Nothing is more comfortable than an old pair of 501's.

For a few years I wore Wal-mart's Faded Glory jeans. At the time I pretty much only wore them on Fridays and weekends to work around the yard. They held up fairly well.

My new job is casual dress, so I now wear them pretty much every day. Once that happened I switched out to Wranglers. They hold up a lot longer.

I find this true as well. I used to go through a cheap vacuum a year. My Dyson is on year 5 now. One exception is kids clothes. $5 or $25, my kids will stain that shirt in the same length of time, so it's wasted money to spend more.

It's slightly tangential, but I love old tools...and I love new tools that are good enough quality that they'll survive for generations.

Some of my favorite tools are a 80 year old Columbia brand vice that I snagged for $0 (covered in rust when I got it, refurbished by me), my father's father's carpenter's hammer ($0), my Powermatic lathe (bought new by me for around $3,000, and a pair of ripsaw and crosscut saws, $1 each.

I like free tools and I like very very pricey tools.

The thing that they have in common is that once in my shop they are maintained, kept rust free, and sharpened regularly.

I see now reason why all of my tools shouldn't still be in use in 200 years.

Agree with the thoughts about quality.

I'd rather get a good quality item second hand, than get a poor quality item new.

In a way, that's why what I upgrade from can still have a lot of use for someone else, I usually get the good stuff to start with.

And there are definitely things that I don't ever get rid of. I have a solid oak desk and chair I inherited from my great grandfather (about 100 years old now). Awesome construction and still in great shape (chair needs a pad though, solid oak seat isn't exactly the most comfortable thing on the planet).

I have found it difficult to know what will work well for me and that I will get good use out of it.

I don't know where people get all these good deals on used stuff. Maybe it is that you have to live in a rich area (I don't). Unless the stuff is really well used prices are not much lower than new, and if you can find them on sale they may even be cheaper new.

I don't know where people get all these good deals on used stuff. Maybe it is that you have to live in a rich area (I don't).

You might also have to like shopping. I don't so I often pay extra because the opportunity cost for bargain-hunting is too high.

I have one great, great buy: a friend wanted to go to a thrift store over lunch and while there I found a pair of Ferragamo pumps (clearly never worn--the bottoms weren't scuffed) for $45. I still wear them.