What things actually PAY for themselves?

[abowers]

Well, the yarn I've bought and made bags from, which I've then sold, has more than paid for itself. Selling the bags pays off for the cost of the yarn itself, allows me to knit which I love doing, and makes my hobby affordable.

My gym "membership" has totally paid off. At the end of January I paid $25 to use the University gym through the end of June. In the past 3 weeks I've gone 9 or 10 times, and I'm able to wear my belt on the next tightest hole already! I've lost 3-4 lbs, and I'm already feeling healthier.

Sadly we are in an apartment and don't own the washer/dryer. If we did that would pay for itself in no time! ($.50/wash, $.25/20 minutes of drying adds up quickly!)

[Ima saver]

My scale has paid for itself. It is just like a dr. scale and is accurate within 1/4 of a pound. I believe that weighing myself everyday and trying to keep my weight down, has made this a valuable tool. I have had it for over 25 years.

[Bluezy]

My one-and-only baby boy CJ has literally been an asset, monitarily as well as emotionally. The child tax credits added a great boost to our tax refund. Generous gifts to us throughout the past two years have helped us get on our feet.

Other than CJ, my Costco executive membership has paid for itself four fold by having the cheapest prices for perscriptions as well as the cash bonus and quarterly discounts in brokerage fees from Sharebuilder.

[On Track]

My little furry friends with their unconditional love.

[acezz4e_tish]

My pc pays for itself over and over again, i mean look at this site. i have recieved so many things from being online. so my free membership here has paid for other things time and time again as well.

[Thrifty Ray]

Our wood splitter and chainsaws ~ we purchase our wood by the log truck and the process and sale ~ we get our own wood (which is our only heat source) for 'free" this way.

Our labs ~ we breed and they have repaid us with unconditional love and a small income twice a year.

My knitting needles and yarn- endless enjoyment and I make all my friends a new scarf at christmas instead of buying 'stuff'....I craft sale to offset the cost of the yarn. This hobby has kept me out of the stores for a couple of years now, as I would rather knit than 'shop'.

The Tightwad Gazette books....'nough said.

[Ima saver]

My money magazine subscription. It taught me a lot about investing and helped me to get started.

[mom-from-missouri]

My fruit trees.

[CJsoccerchic]

Oooo... I've always wanted fruit trees!!

[mom-from-missouri]

I have some nut trees too

[acezz4e_tish]

i have 2 apple trees, but they arent producing good fruit, wonder why?

[BCHGRL]

My Honda Accord. I was young and dumb when I bought it so I paid ticket price, but six years, an engine replacement thanks to a bad oil change, 2 hurricanes, and 115,000 miles later, it is still reliable (knock on wood).

Another thing is that it keeps me humble. I bought it when my salary was 1/6th of what I make now. It has been there for me for better and for worse.

[Snoopy2645]

my internet so many freebies & learning to refund & now it how I get my jobs, & my dryer bought used 10yrs ago for about $50 my house I believe it has went up in value & keeps me & my family warm & out of the cold weather & snow I think over a foot right now thats the one time I really love it when it keeps me out of that snow.

[markio26]

i resell everything that has a good usable value in my summer garage sales... i donate alot of household and clothing items to my local goodwill store... i always think of others and give them gifts throughout the year... nice gifts i obtain from sears, target and such with steep discounts and coupons... i save alot of money by stockpiling and cooking at home, entertaining at home, etc...my 2 computers are my lifeline... i pay bills online, move money around to different banks, manage my investments online... talk to family online, watch clips, download music, etc. it just goes on and on...

[ScottO]

Many things that conserve energy will recoup your investment:

- My programmable thermastat.
- A new hot water heater that is more effecient.
- Extra insulation in the attic.

Plus, many of these items qualify as a tax credit making them practically free!

My cell phone also easily pays for itself. Not only do I save lots of time (which is money) but I don't have to use pay phones like in the dark ages. Plus I can pull up my city's traffic maps on the screen and see traffic jams in advance and avoid them, this saves me several hours each week. I can plug my laptop into it and use it as an internet connection while away or on the road. I just stayed at a hotel that wanted $20 a night to let my laptop use their internnet connection. I used my cellphone's data connection for free!

[debtfreeme]

imasaver: why do you distill your water?

[shelbylovesmelby]

Our house has almost paid for itself also. It's gone up 50% of what we paid for it 4 yrs ago.

My dh bought a moped last summer. My dh drives it in the summer to work (or whenever it's atleast 60 degrees out). One tank of gas (wich is ONE GALLON) lasts him 8 days of driving to work. So instead of paying $40/wk for gas he pays for ONE GALLON. SO during the next few summers it'll of paid for itself.

[goodhome]

Hmm. What things do I own have actually paid for themselves...This is not an easy question! Someone earlier said the library. I have to agree with that. Also, my bus/train card. We sold our car more than a year ago (we live in a big city that has GREAT public transportation), and by using the bus and the train I figure we've saved thousands in just one year.

[debtfreeme]

Shelby: how safe is the scooter? I am thinking of getting one to commute to work on those days when i cannot ride with my car pooler and the weather is nice. Is it hard to learn to ride? How much was his and what kind did he get? How to research the best kind?

[ScottO]

Originally Posted by debtfreeme

Shelby: how safe is the scooter? I am thinking of getting one to commute to work on those days when i cannot ride with my car pooler and the weather is nice. Is it hard to learn to ride? How much was his and what kind did he get? How to research the best kind?

Scooters are VERY unsafe. More people (on a percentage basis) are injured on mopeds and scooters than motorcycles. Part of the reason is that the scooter does not have the power to get you out of the way of a car; and the car will always win in a crash.

Look at it this way... how many of you have been in a wreck, even a very minor wreck in a car? Almost everyone. Now imagine that same wreck if you were on a scooter; you would be toast.

I've been a motorcycle owner/rider for 25 years and in that time I've been hit 3 times. I've had broken bones, a crushed foot, gravel embedded into my skin that had to be raked out with a wire brush at the hospital. Trust me, you will not save money.

Even though I've been hit 3 times I've avoided over 100 other crashes simply because I've had the power to get out of the way of drunk drivers and other idiots that would have ran me off the road if I had been on a scooter.

I would suggest anyone wanting a scooter to seriously consider a real motorcycle instead AND a good riding course. Over 90% of all fatal wrecks are by new riders. I'm sure that stat also holds true for new scooter riders.

A good course will teach you tricks that you would never think of on your own but can save your life. For instance, when going through an intersection always go through slightly braked and with the clutch slightly depressed. Why? Because you have stored power and when somone turns in front of you runs the stop sign, you will have immediate power to get out of his way. That trick has saved me countless times.

As for saving money, I've spent more on medical bills, helments, kevlar jackets, and gloves than I've saved in gas.