Spending more to save money

Then there is http://woodgears.ca who sell plans to MAKE your own woodworking tools. We have gone this route. Some of the stuff is very functional as long as you are detail oriented and meticulous in the creation. In a production shop I would want all metal heavy duty tools, but in the interim for yourself or for the transition as you start your business, this may be the route to go. We have also purchased plans for several of the other items and they are great.

They are download-once-paid-for, print your own copies. The more you buy at once, the more of a discount you get. I don't get anything for promoting them!!! Just a satisfied customer of theirs.

Sunshine McCarthy wrote:If my husband spends $95 on sunglasses he is very careful with them and they last 3 to 5 years. If he buys $20 ones they last about a month until he looses them. if something is valuable you take care of it, whether the value is monetary or sentimental doesn't mater.  As much as I dislike placing great value on items, if you don't value and care for what you have it goes to waist.

I agree with this reasoning, but suggest people take it a step further. Myself I am not into sandals, but a simple google search shows they are not complex in nature. I agree there is care given to something that costs a lot of money, but propose even more care is given to something that is handmade. Not only would the costs be dramatically less, the comfort level would be high since it is custom made, enjoyment would be derived from the research and build itself, and should they wear, replacements or parts could be made that are better then your original version.

Honestly there is a fine line between making something yourself and being worth the time to make it, but it is also a Catch 22. Before I retired (at age 42 mind you), I HAD to buy stuff because I just did not have the time to build or fix stuff. Ultimately I went out on a limb, retired and realized my financial needs were drastically reduced, simply because I have time to fix and make stuff that I would have had to buy before. But stepping away from a full time job takes faith...trust me I know...I fretted about it for a long time, but now that I have made the step...nope I would never go back into the workforce.

I guess what I am saying is, while I agree with the mantra that quality is cheaper based over time as a rule, it is entirely possible to derive quality products by producing it yourself which is most likely less costly than buying something cheap. Don't have sheep or wool in which to make socks? Barter with someone who does with jars of home made spaghetti sauce taken from your garden. Or need a pair of shoes, most Permies don't mind being different so try your hand at crafting Klompen's which I have heard are really comfortable. This year I have really changed my spending habits simply because my family of 6 (4 daughters under the age of 12 and my wife) must, all because of cash flow.

Over the years I have had one mantra that has served me well; "Whatever I Can Do Myself, I Do." It has made me creative and well-rounded I think. The more I do, the more I realize what I can do. That is simply confidence and I wish I could instill it in more people. Fear is what stops people, not what they are able to accomplish.

Important EDIT I added at the top. Today CinDWood is having a sale, for example her 60" S loom for afghans is $55 instead of $76, for example. Go look today if you think you want one, or several!!!

I have damage in both hands from things over the years, and am fully ambidextrous, and actually changed handedness (the hand that works 'automatically' is the left, and I have to think about the right now for some tasks). I always had an issue with knitting though in my 20's wanted a fancy Aran fisherman's sweater and learned every stitch known to woman, with tension, then designed and knit the sweater. I have never worn it and it is worth probably $1000 now... but I got my dream sweater for $65 back in the 80's. These years the hands don't put up with the crochet hook and I haven't knit anything in decades.

That said,I invested in a bunch of hand looms. With pegs. Back about a decade ago. This was the best ever investment and I purchased everything up to a huge figure 8 afghan loom. Thumb loom on up, narrow spacing, and these allow me to produce items with speed and tension and relief for my hands. I make socks and hats regularly, from wool, unravels (unraveling a found item and reusing the yarn), and other things. The afghans take an hour to do four rows, five rows is an inch, and eats a LOT of yarn but they are SOOO warm.

I highly recommend http://www.cindwoodlooms.com/  and I see that she has upgraded things and her site is much nicer; but. The looms I bought back then are still going strong.

She is a nurse that had access to a cnc machine and would cut the looms part time... I think she's gone full time. The looms LAST and I get great looking stuff. On a hat, I can knit ribbing, double over, and get a professionally finished edge, then knit down as far as I need. I did one once with six strands of soft fuzzy and it turned into a helmet that has no wind chill issues and I was able to handle it just fine on the loom.

If you are daunted by knitting, look into this. In the 1950's my maternal grandfather spent two years in the hospital dying of cancer, and they made him a knitting board, nails around a slot in a piece of wood, to be able to wind yarn and make scarves. He made scarves for all his family (13 kids). The heirloom was found in an aunt's attic with half a green scarf still on it; and spawned a few of us making something similar and using it. The link is to a more modern, nicer, easier to use version.

I do strongly suggest though you buy the narrow spacing wherever possible. It will give you a tighter weave thus more warmth. Buy extra hooks! One more for every three looms you own. That way you will always have one. This is a six star of five star purchase if you want to make yourself warm.....

Yes it cost me to invest in these time and hand savers, but in the end I have beautiful tools that work. And this was a cheaper source than all hardwood (composite fakewood and plastic) but. In this case overlook the materials....

There is some great information in this thread, thank you all.  Some thoughts - angle grinders are used for drilling holes in mushroom logs because they go much faster than drills.  Get the adapter for the angle grinder and the dedicated bit for drilling the holes and get good bits and good adapters, but buy cheap angle grinders from Harbor Freight. Angle grinders burn out, cheap ones are Much less money.

Learn to re-handle tools yourself.  Hammers, axes, rakes, shovels, etc. Shape your own from greenwood, make them fit you.  Do them right and your home made handles will be much better than what you can buy.

Lots of things are not as hard to do as people think they are, trying some do it yourself is a really good idea.  Among other things, it helps you appreciate the real value in well made products when you go shopping  For another, it helps you figure out which things you can do for yourself, which you are better off buying and which you may be able to make for sale or barter on a productive basis.

Here's another one: WOMEN'S CLOTHES.  I hate it when my clothes wear out! The manufacturers seem to think that women must always look 20, even when there 54. We just lounge around and never DO anything.
I work with goats, so I need sturdy shoes and sandals because of weak ankles and a good tread because of terrain. I usually have to buy men's shoes, but it's hard to find men's sizes that fit. I depend on my footwear. I wish that I could find brands that work.
Hubby's seen me complain that a pair of shoes lasted only 2 MONTHS and is beginning to understand my problem.

Liz Hoxie wrote:Here's another one: WOMEN'S CLOTHES.  I hate it when my clothes wear out!

Buy guys'. Often they are the same thing but cheaper. I have a thick waist to rest of figure, always have, and guys' jeans fit a lot better...

Liz Hoxie wrote: The manufacturers seem to think that women must always look 20, even when there 54. We just lounge around and never DO anything.

I watched this happen at one of the big regional merchandise marts in the late 80's when the lead of the boomers hit 40 and the designers brought out fringed spandex miniskirts and wetsuit material dresses and nobody bought. The buyers for the big stores didn't, the consumer didn't and there was no spring trend that year and everyone wore what they had or what they felt like. I sew my own or recycle preowned with creative sewing and repair.

Liz Hoxie wrote:I work with goats, so I need sturdy shoes and sandals because of weak ankles and a good tread because of terrain. I usually have to buy men's shoes, but it's hard to find men's sizes that fit. I depend on my footwear. I wish that I could find brands that work.
Hubby's seen me complain that a pair of shoes lasted only 2 MONTHS and is beginning to understand my problem.

Go to a really good shoe store, and get fitted properly and find a brand of shoe that will generally fit, and stick to it you want men's. (wider widths in men's, vital for me). I invested in a pair of leather cowboy boots that looked a lot like men's workboots with catspaw soles and a finish that needed mink oil. Which made them water resistant and fixed scuffs in the finish. I resoled them twice and reheeled them about eight times. Worth the fortune I spent in 1981 ($175) and lasted for over 20 years.

Thanks Deb. I needed that info. I feel sorry for young women today that are expected to be an ornament.

Liz Hoxie wrote:Thanks Deb. I needed that info. I feel sorry for young women today that are expected to be an ornament.

You are most welcome. Good work shoes that fit often do cost but if you get true quality it will last. Catspaw is a brand name of a type of boot sole usually seen in workboots and cowboy boots. They do wear.

Not to be a fly in the ointment, but sometimes "the most expensive" is not the best buy, but I suspect people know that. I guess if there was anything on this site that would be an improvement, would be a review section where people like us could suggest products be bought (or avoided).

An example of this is the last pair of boots I bought. As a farmer/logger/landlord; I live out of my boots and so I bought the most expensive boots I have ever bought. They were close to $400 yet they have been the most uncomfortable boots I ever owned, and in less than a year they started wearing out the sole, not to mention being extremely cold in the winter despite being insulated. The mid-range boots I typically buy were warmer, wore like iron, and incredibly comfortable. Lesson learned.

As for stores Deb, I had to laugh. A store near me...a regional one with a few stores in New England, had clothes of a style that my wife loved, but then completely changed. We walked in, took one look around at their "new look", and waked out. I watched a few others do the same thing. They are still open so maybe it worked for them, but I am not sure how. As for me, I am just waiting for flannel to come back in style and then I will be hip again. (Okay so maybe I have never been hip).

Travis Johnson wrote:Not to be a fly in the ointment, but sometimes "the most expensive" is not the best buy, but I suspect people know that. I guess if there was anything on this site that would be an improvement, would be a review section where people like us could suggest products be bought (or avoided).

We're working on it, we're working on it...

When I was younger my mother worked as a waitress to keep food on the table. (young widow with three kids, no family) Our budget was very tight, but she'd save up to purchase SAS brand shoes for work. This was a significant chunk of our budget but she felt the long lasting quality and comfort that let her spend long hours on her feet made it worth it.

A couple of years ago, I hurt my knee and after more than a year of not completely healing and the associated pain caused by walking funny; I finally took her advice and shelled out the money for my own pair. After less than a week in these shoes my knee stopped bothering me.

I've been holding out on commenting on them until I had a chance to see how well they held up to 40 hour weeks on concrete. I was well over two hundred pounds when this started (lost 30 since my knee stopped bothering me) and there is still no visible wear on the tread. The top is a little scuffed from me kicking things, but otherwise it isn't showing wear either.

I think their boot selection looks rather frou frou, but if you don't need boots they do have a good selection of work shoes for women, especially if you want bizarre color combinations. Nurses and waitresses have been one of their main markets for decades. https://sasshoes.com/

edit: adding link

I do not advocate that the most expensive is the best to buy. The best made is the best to buy but sometimes that costs. When we purchase stuff I usually do a very exhaustive search to find what is going to work and weigh the price against what I get. I used to do high end costume jewelry and know all about price vs quality (the example was a sterling silver mounted toggle clasp chunky rose quartz and peridot necklace retailed by a very upscale store and not the blue box one, for $1,849.00 ... I ordered 3 import strands of each gem from my wholesaler, dug into my stock wire, hand sorted and hand chained the beads onto sterling wire and sold a close copy for $300 and made $200 profit-with paying myself $12 an hour. My matchup resulted in a better looking one than the original picture....They had price, I had quality)

@Casie Becker, when I waitressed in the first years of marriage, I bought Nursemates shoes and had them dyed to match the work uniform. The feet were used 14 hours a day to make ends meet, my lower end got better care than my hands and those feet rated their own pillow to sleep on. My feet were my livelihood, they got the full treatment.

My hubby has an issue with shoes, I will look into SAS for him. Thank you.

Great thread R. I'm picking up lots of useful information.

I am a fan of the SAS brand shoes too, Casie. My MIL always buys them as gifts for my DH. He wears them every M-F to work.

The MIL and her H also wear the same ones (called 'Bout Time). She has terrible issues with toes crossing under and over other toes. Her H has diabetes and that creates foot problems for him. These shoes have worked well in all cases here.

I have been lucky to have scored several pairs (different styles) for myself from the Goodwill. I wish I could find a pair in his size there. The next pair he gets will have to be bought by us , as his mom is no longer able to buy them - due to age. They are worth the extra money, so we'll have to save up and consider this an investment.

Deb, try Shoes 4 Crews for your husband. They are produced for restaurant workers and are VERY comfortable. They even stop you slipping on ice! The only problem is snow; if you get any in the tread, they might as well be slick soled and they track it in. Puddles form where they thaw. Great for in town, though.

Liz Hoxie wrote:Deb, try Shoes 4 Crews for your husband. They are produced for restaurant workers and are VERY comfortable. They even stop you slipping on ice! The only problem is snow; if you get any in the tread, they might as well be slick soled and they track it in. Puddles form where they thaw. Great for in town, though.

The company I work with actually has a contract where we can order from Shoes 4 Crews directly with a small discount. I averaged going through four pairs of their shoes every year (two pairs at a time to give the cushioning a chance to recover). I tried several different styles and they all had a short life. Most shoe companies that cater to the food industry or nursing have a non skid sole available. My SAS shoes do, and their tread has been much less prone to becoming clogged with debris. Add in the fact that my one pair is still like new after over a year and the long term cost is going to be significantly less for me. I do admit that if having more styles available for my work shoes were a driving factor, Shoes 4 Crews does have more styles available. I don't know where else you can find dress shoes with nonskid treads.

My spouse is a big man with big feet, his ankles bow in, and he has had walking issues his entire life. He is also hard on shoes. I would not put him into foodservice shoes, he will have the insides walked over in a week. I have been buying him a particular New Balance shoe with extra ortho inserts and the shoes are not holding up for the price. I will look at the SAS shoes... thank you.

Speaking of shoes, my husband usually has a horrible time finding shoes that are comfrotable for his wide, flat size 11 feet. We used to buy shoes at our local Work and More store, but they were costing over $100/pair, and were still wearing out in less than a year (he's a phlebotomist at the hospital, and so does a lot of walking).

Last year, we were at Lowes and saw that they had shoes for sale. He bought two different types, and still hasn't worn out the first pair.

These are the ones he got, and they only cost $30!
They aren't waterproof, but can be waterproofed, and look nice enough to wear to church with khakis. They are more comfortable than many of his $100+ shoes, have lasted longer, and are a whole lot cheaper!

The other pair he got are these. They're $10 more and seem to be waterproof. He's also really happy with the comfort of them, though he just now started wearing them so I can't speak to how long they last.

Edit: Thought I'd add, just now my husband was putting on the first pair of shoes I mentioned, and he said, "How are these only $30?! I've never had a pair of shoes this cheap last this long! Scratch that, I've never had a pair of shoes this comfortable in my life. There's no pain! I can wear them all day or just for a minute and it doesn't matter--they are always comfortable! I should buy like 30 pairs so I always have them even if they stop selling them!"

When I started this thread, I was thinking about money.  Spending more money up front to save money in the long term.  

Reading everyone's contributions, I realise that 'spending more' isn't about money.  Sometimes the best quality thing is quite affordable moneywise, but it takes other investments to be the best.  

Spending more can mean
- time to research which item to buy
- effort to learn about what you are buying
- understanding personal habits and finding a product that fits your personal style
- discovering if the item/company fits with your ethical standards
- learning how to use your item in a way that gives you the best performance
- caring for your item
- considering the afterlife of your item

Funny you should mention shoes.  My city shoes have about as much glue holding them together as is possible.   They are about 12 years old and let's face it.  I need new ones.  I've been looking for about 14 months now, and can't find ones that fit me and my style.

If I buy shoes that are hard to lace up, I won't wear them.  Waste of money.
If I buy shoes that don't fit my feet, I'll still wear them, but it will cause me pain and I don't like that.
If I buy shoes that aren't good quality, then I'll have to buy shoes again this decade - not something I want to go through again for at least 5 years.
When I do buy shoes, I usually buy leather.  My shoes have lasted this long (10 years before needing any glue or letting water in) because I learned how to care for leather.  They lasted the extra two years because I learned about repairing leather.  They were $90 shoes, after all, I'm not going to leave them to their fate.  
As for the current shoes, what will I do with them?  I'm thinking as a herb planter.  Maybe as shoes loose their usefulness as foot protection, they could be scattered in the herb garden as decoration?  Most of the shoe is natural leather, so they would just rot over time.  

These are some of the 'spending more' that come to mind when I think about which new shoes to get.  

If the shoes are leather they can be raided for craft, for repair of other items where you need a small piece of leather... I raid our thrift store for black suede in any form and recycle for beaded cabochon backing.

Quality also means looking at a second life for the item if it can't be maintained or after it breaks or fails and can't be repaired.

I agree with the original premise which is that sometimes if you look to the investment in the quality of whatever item, it only 'hurts' upfront and over the life of that item, more than repays the pocketbook by durability and usefulness.

In a related I now buy foodstuffs I need and can't grow direct bulk. Why pay $11.50-$13.00 a pound, or maybe $9.50 out of the bulk bin that everyone else can handle and mess with; or $7.30 a pound delivered to my door. The first few options I can go to the store, purchase in smaller quantities and bring it home... but also buy more often than the 50# batch delivered to my door. I have to deal with storage but that lasts three months and saves me that many trips to purchase. It costs to store it securely, yes, but I have long since recouped that by overall savings. (time, money to get to the store, the higher price to purchase smaller amounts).

My kitchen utensils and pots, pans, cookie sheets, etc, a lot are stainless steel. I invested in them over the years and some are over twenty years old and still going strong. Paying $200 for a sheet cake pan hurt, but 20 years later that sheet has cost me $10 a year so far, and should last another 20 years easy. $5 a year, it's very sturdy and durable, exactly what I invested in. A quality item that would last.

Just do your research, invest your $ carefully, take care of what you buy, and that is when you're getting your best returns.

Figured I'd post an update on my Darn Tough socks. I'm really hard on socks (for example, wool socks from Costco got holes in just a month or two). Last August, I ordered multiple pairs of Darn Tough socks from Amazon. Four or five socks got holes in them after a year of hard use (I ordered 6 pairs and pretty much only wore those socks all year), so about two weeks ago I mailed 3 pairs of socks to Darn Tough. It cost me $3 to mail them. Today I received in the mail three new pairs of socks! These socks usually cost $25/pair, and I got three new pairs for 3 dollars! I am very pleased!

Darn Tough does make quality socks, but in my opinion they can't hold a candle to Bombas socks.  So comfy and super durable.  Plus for every pair purchased, they donate a pair to a homeless shelter.  https://bombas.com

I've never heard of Bombas--thank you for mentioning them, Cris! I love how they donate to those in need, and how they appear to have a very good warranty on their socks. I am sad that they aren't wool, but they do look like some nice socks, especially for summer time.

Nicole Alderman wrote: I am sad that they aren't wool.

.

Nicole, you just didn't look far enough.  It's all I buy.
https://bombas.com/products/women-s-merino-wool-calf-three-pack?variant=marled-khaki

Cris Fellows wrote:Darn Tough does make quality socks, but in my opinion they can't hold a candle to Bombas socks.  So comfy and super durable.  Plus for every pair purchased, they donate a pair to a homeless shelter.  https://bombas.com

I haven't heard of those, but I learned about Darn Tough socks from this thread.  I'm not doubting you word, but I don't know how socks could possibly be better than Darn Tough.  I love them and have bought 10 or 12 pairs.  They are the most comfortable socks I have ever worn and look as good as the day I bought them.  Now I guess I have another brand to try

I've not heard of those either. I love companies that are willing to give lifetime guarantees. In a world of quick production at the expense of quality workmanship, those guarantees are harder to find. And, to donate a pair for each sold is awesome.

The socks I bought for my husband's active hunting excursions are the RedHead® wool socks from Bass Pro. They are $11.99/pair and also have a 100% lifetime guarantee. (81% wool, 17% stretch nylon, 2% spandex) They are now 2 years old (or is it 3? I'd have to find the receipt.) There's been no complaints from him. They are holding up very well. I see just a couple of briar snags on them. He usually wears out the heels in socks quickly, but these have no visible wear there.

In my own opinion, I don't find socks with arch supports to be very comfortable. It seems to be the design that many manufacturers are using though. They actually make my feet sore after several hours of wearing them.

Thanks for this thread! You all may be interested in these two websites:

Buy Me Once -- https://buymeonce.com/

Buy It Once Blog -- https://www.buy-it-once.com/wp/

I have found these helpful when I'm looking for products that will last a lifetime.

I repaired my pen.


Last time I took it to the shop it cost $50 to repair.  This time, it took less than $2.  If I had planned ahead and bulk bought my nibs (I just discovered  I could do this), it would have cost me 50cents to repair my pen.

Since socks and shoes seem to be a popular topic I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.
Many years ago I learned the value of a good sock and started investing in a 2-pack of Lorpen socks we sold at the store I worked in at the time. They were style T2W and were super comfortable. To be expected for a Merino Wool hiker weight sock. Being a part time retail sales employee attending college my budget was tight, but I bought a pack every payday until I had 2 weeks worth of sock. About a year after starting this I took a full time salaried position in the construction industry. The socks and boots would go on by 5 AM and didn't typically come off till after 8 at night. No joke, 8 years later I decided to replace them. Not because they had holes, but because after 8 years of washing and line drying the wool was gone. None of them had holes. All the wear and tear and they still had all the stretch and fit as the day I bought them. I'm about 5 years into the "new set" and they are going strong. No holes, worn daily.

Another sock that I have started into the rotation is the Red Wing Acrylic Wool Blend sock. They do come with a Lifetime Warranty on holes. You wear a hole in it and they will replace it. I've had my first pair for a little over a year and I'd say they are on par if not a little better than the Lorpen. They do run about $18 a pair, but for dry, comfortable feet it is worth it.

In the boot/shoe realm, I would recommend looking into Red Wing shoes. You have to go into a Red Wing Store for the best result, but they employees are expected to get any customer fitted not only the right size, but the right style and construction for the application. Red Wings come with a one year warranty on the boot.

A brand that I'm familiar with, but don't own yet is Filson. Their Guarantee page should help give you an idea on how well they make stuff. If they give this kind of guarantee, odds are it's meant to last. I've heard nothing but good from people who already have it. I gotta be honest, the Mackinaw Wool Vest calls to me in my dreams some nights. One of these days...

My big problem is pillows. It seems like I'm constantly buying new pillows. I have started buying king size pillows and then sewing them to standard size when they get older and lose their fluff. That has doubled their life. I found some pillows with a lifetime guarantee but they are dry clean only, and I'm sure if you machine wash them you void the guarantee. I don't dry clean anything, so that's not going to work.

The thread has gone a bit beyond the specific theme of spending more now to save later, but a few links were very useful, about goods with lifetime guaranty!

I have always tried to go the expensive but long term way when I can....The main issue I have had with this idea is about
- loosing
- get stolen
- time to mend and repair
This is actually the main limits I have found to the system, and it might be a reason for many people to not do any effort for getting good goods, and be happy to buy cheap ones.

Sometimes it is not about spending more, it has been said, the best word might be durability? I am looking for durability, for my purse but also for using less resources from the earth. One part is my responsability, but in this topic we focus on the responsibility of the manufacturer....

I got good ideas from this thread. But being me, I'll add a small caveat about tools to the concept - or rather 2nd a point one fellow mentioned above:

Cheap tools have a place because

1) there can be many of the same one in different places and, provided they do the job adequately once or twice, they have paid for themselves and probably included a profit in time saved. A big profit. Eg. I have about half dozen 6in1 screw drivers scattered  about the place and in my vehicles and 5 or 6 small channel lock pliers. A few were bought used but regardless, they are worth it to have at hand. Ditto tape measures.

2)  things get lost... One way or another. Quality must be protected if it's to provide full value and that can take significant effort to the point of becoming a real cost itself. Some times that isn't going to happen and figuring out where the Bermuda Triangles are in your life can save you a lot of pain and money - don't let good stuff linger in those places  -  that's the job of cheap stuff.


Cheers
Rufus

I call this strategy "stop  buying junk". I continually have to defend my choice to only buy quality from small businesses to friends who support Wal-mart and Dollar stores. They seem to think it is cheaper to buy junk and keep replacing it. I buy the best I can get ONCE and it lasts for years to decades.

The same friend that gave me grief for buying quality brooms and a mop at Ace Hardware instead of toys from the dollar store buys brand name clothing from Goodwill. So what's up with that?

Some things you should only buy quality: shoes, boots, tools, clothing. Buy used in good condition whenever possible. it is ridiculous to buy cheap boots that last 4 months when you could have paid half as much total to buy a pair of excellent boots that last 2+ years.

Sometimes cheap tools are ok if you don't use them very often. But if they break the first time you use them, you're going in the hole for no good reason.

raven ranson wrote:I hate shopping, I hate shopping more than I hate just about anything else in the whole world, except perhaps eggplant - that stuff is just not edible to me.  My parent's taught me not to use the word 'hate' as it's a super-strong and powerful emotion.  I HATE shopping!

Recently I read Paul's story about Fred and Gert.  Somewhere, someone mentioned that Girt (our permaculture protagonist) buys expensive things, and saves money.  This I think is a financial strategy that is sadly neglected.

I'm not rich.  My income is well below the poverty line for my country.  Even worldwide income, I don't think I make "middle class."  I know a bit about saving money.  Hating shopping is the first step.
So there you have it.  My style of frugality: Hate shopping, tranform consumption into production, spend more.  

It works for me, but I'm wierd.  It probably won't work for anyone else.  ...  then again, this whole 'buy for life' movement I keep seeing is very much my style.  

I am right there with you!!~!  I hate shopping and hate is word I too do not like to use!  I am frugal, make as much as I can homemade, forage, garden as I can without land of my own, shop thrift when needed look for quality, prefer to buy things that will last a lifetime.  I live in a 11ft by 11ft space.  My belonging fit in a tote, backpack, 1 med suitcase and a purse.  Not including my bird or yarn...

I prefer clothes that are earthtone/fall colors/neutrals as that way nearly everything matches for mix and match making my waredrobe look much bigger.  Not that I care but other people freak over wearing same clothes too often so if I can mix and match a bit it looks like a new outfit...I cheat.  They also stay cleaner longer and it's a bit like camo.  I eat very little at this point but healthy mostly veggies with meat as condiment rarely.  Starting to forage and grow things around my area nearby for myself and just in case.  Learning more about all-natural remedies.  Pine needle tea is one of my new favorites 3x's the Vit C than orange juice, no sugars, great for sore throat, decogestent, immune builder, overall great for winter and colds!!~!  And I have 3-5 pines less than 20ft away so it's FREE!!~!  Plan on starting garlic and shitake mushrooms as well as basic herbs/spices which will really save money in the long run if they grow...

I'm looking more and more into products with lifetime guarentee replacements as long as they are worth it after researching a bit as I can always get it replaced for nothing.

Learning to hand-sew clothing just in case I ever need that knowledge and I am sure it will build my appreciation level of what it takes to make them by hand.  This way I choose the fabric and high quality.  If it falls apart to fast I know I need to work on my skills and have only myself to blame!  I mend all my clothes so they last even longer.  Before all my stuff was stolen all my meager clothing was 7-10years old and still looked fairly new minus one cheap skirt that their was no saving material was flimsy and rotting away faster than I could mend.  I have one outfit still from that time period and only had to mend the skirt recently.  My current clothes just bought have held up for a year and still going...one skirt mended and one skirt and handful of socks need darned.  Darned socks are so much more comfortable as well - the padding usually ends up in all the right places!!~!  I do not wash clothes after each and every wear unless it truly needs it...clothes last much longer this way...spot wash if you can as well until they really need cleaning.  Saves on water, detergents, clothes, time, and toxicity (unless you use all-natural stuffs).

Anyway...I could go on.  I am trying to buy less and better quality for life as well.  I've been wanting a fountain pen for years but thought the ink would cost more...please send me a link for the pen if you see this I would love to save up for one as well!!~!

In my experience JB Weld is the best epoxy glue that is readily available in retail stores like building supplies, automotive, hardware stores, and big-box general stores. All across the map in N.America, from what I can tell.  Seems to me anybody who’s a DIYer or homesteader realizes there are a thousand different situations epoxy can be very helpful in.

It’s available in what the JB Weld company markets as a “Professional” size, with 5-ounce tubes instead of the 1-ounce tubes marketed to the general (city/suburban) ‘homeowner’.

I’ve seen the pro size sold retail for $20 locally, and the packaged double small-tube version for around $12.  For what you’re spending, you get five times the amount of glue for just 1.7 times the expenditure… and the math works out to better than a three-for-one deal on the amount of glue for your money.  I’m very glad I’ve bought it that way.

Rachel Dee wrote:
I also found lifetime guarantee socks. I must throw out 5-6 pairs of them a year because of holes. This company sells these at around $30 a pair. Anything happens to them, they stretch out too much, you get a replacement. Normally, we buy used military-surplus wool socks at $3-$5 a pair. I throw out $25-$30 worth of socks every year this way.

Thanks for posting this.  I think these are the socks a friend and I saw on vacation.  We were both intrigued at socks with a lifetime guarantee, but neither of us bought any.  I have regretted not getting them for several years.  These are going on my Christmas lists for everyone!

Bonnie

P.S. I'd also love to hear more about the shoes.

You are so right. I remember my mom saying: "In life, it is not the expensive item that lasts that will bankrupt you. It is the little things you could easily do without, like the ice cream cone every day, going out once [or more] every week".
And my dad said: "When you buy expensive things, make sure of the quality first. Think about it long an hard: You will enjoy it more and take better care of it if you had to sacrifice and wait a bit to indulge".
And that is the way I always bought my car: As soon as I bought one car, I started saving for the next. After a few years, I always had the money to buy it outright. In the year when I finally had enough money, I'd go and kick a few tires, settle on one and pay the whole amount right there and drive out, leaving the salesman a bit frustrated. [Did you notice they *love* to 'finance the purchase" for you? Ever wonder why?]
A colleague of mine, math teacher at that, told me: " Well, that's is silly: Buy when money is cheap, the interest low: you'll save money". I had to take the calculator to him and point out that while he was repaying the loan and could not afford other things, he also had to pay the interest. I had my money in my bank a lot longer, making babies for me.
When I bought my home before I was married, it was low interest, but it was a 30 year loan! I had a little money from the divorce and I put the whole thing down. It was almost half of the price tag. [small home, double lot in the city] Well, I scrounged a bit, didn't have fancy vacations and at the end of each month, whatever money I had left over was all going toward the principal. I paid it all off in about 4 and a half years. Then, I didn't have a mortgage to pay and all my leftover money could go to getting better tools, better vacations, more and better of everything.
There is a cultural aspect to this: In France, I've always seen my neighbors acting like squirrels: "Save for a rainy day". "Neither a borrower nor a lender be". I must have passed some of that to my kids because they too think before they buy, and they do not have any debt. Even during the '08 depression, when my older boy had to sell short, he soon found himself going into savings mode. He now has 2 homes and is in his late 40s. When I hear that most Americans could not afford a $400.00 emergency, I feel really bad for them: It must be terrifying to have your life hang by a thread like that...
There are 2 sources of wealth: The money you earn and the money you don't spend.