Taking Better Care of Your Things to Save Money

[gogirlanime]

How many times have we decided to go cheap with something expensive and then it breaks or wears down?

Taking care of the things you own to the fullest is going to help save you a lot of money it saves you money due to not having to replace things either ever or not as often.

This came to my mind when I was working the other day. I am a coffee shop barista, I have worked there for a year now. I was amazed to see how well everything was taken care of there and how over this past year everything is still in the same shape it was when I first got there. This is because we clean, protect, and use everything 100% properly. So this same concept has rubbed off onto me now.

1. Buy protective casings for your items if possible
2. Buy the correct cleaner for the item
3. Learn how to clean it correctly
4. Take care of it, use it properly and with care "baby" it if you will

Example #1

I smoke cigars and they require a lot of care, taking care of them ensures that they will last a long time, not go bad, and maintain their flavor.

1. I keep each cigar in it's original plastic wrapping until I want to smoke it and store it in a Spanish cedar humidor
2. I use purified water and wood cleaner to clean it and keep it nice
3. I learned how to use water correctly to clean the inside of the humidor
4. I make sure to pay attention to the humidity everyday inside the humidor to make sure it is at the right level for my cigars so they don't go bad

If I neglected this I would lose about a grand in cigars due to them going bad.

Example #2

Your phone. Sometimes we feel like it is not a good investment to spend $30 or $40 on a nice case for one, instead we tell ourselves "I'll be careful" until that one day comes where you drop it in the toilet or something similar

1. Buy a nice case for your phone, if you shop around you can find a $40 for $20 and it could protect you from destroying an expensive phone
2. There are special cloths and special cleaner for electronics, using regular soap and water risks getting into the phone and destroying it. What happens if you spill something on your phone and it leaks in and then you use water, you are just making it worse having the proper cleaning supplies on hand will help
3. Learn on Youtube or somewhere else the way your phone model works and how if you spill something on a certain spot how to save your phone
4. Keep your phone in a good spot at all times (pretty obvious though)

Now you are thinking: you mentioned "buy" the proper cleaner and protection equipment. Yes, you are going to be spending some money however using improper cleaner will wear down an item and not having protective cases on things you risk destroying something much more expensive.

[Gailete]

I think you have mentioned something very important about taking care of what you have. How many times do you go driving down the road and see worn out furniture by the side of the road waiting for the garbage. I realize that some furniture does eventually wear out, but it seems like some properities are constantly getting rid of the same junk. Either they buy bad or don't take care of their stuff. How many screen doors have holes in the screens because instead of using the handle people are kicking the door and children are pushing against the screen instead of being taught how to open it. I have been able to keep the same stuff for years because I am careful with it even if it wasn't an expensive or well made to start with. It is all a sense of attitude and remembering how long you worked to have what you have and I want to take care of it.

BTW--my own attitude about cigars is that they are smelly and I've never been around anyone that smoked them, so it was interesting to hear what you have to do to take care of them and get the most out of them. New trivia to me!

[newguy]

I agree with the posts above. I buy and use casing for my cellphone. I store my laptop in a secure laptop bag and I even have a small purse for my external hard drive. I take care of my stuff and electronics lasts so long for me.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I have a bagless vaccuum cleaner. I clean its filters and canisters as frequently as I can make myself do it. I'm hoping that will help the appliance have a long life.

[snafu]

I've noticed that many people seem not to consider fixing an item when it gets broken, damaged or non functioning. Getting parts can be difficult but often that option isn't explored, in this disposable culture. There are several excellent books like 'Reader's Digest Fix-it' to show easy steps and those books are available at most used book stores. It's very satisfying to fix something and have it returned to use and the new skill set learned is often useble in other circumstances. Now DH takes photos of items as he disassembles which is very helpful when you put items back together.

Our criteria is if we can get parts for less than replacement cost, it's worth the effort to repair but I try to avoid made-in-China stuff.

[gogirlanime]

I've noticed that many people seem not to consider fixing an item when it gets broken, damaged or non functioning. Getting parts can be difficult but often that option isn't explored, in this disposable culture. There are several excellent books like 'Reader's Digest Fix-it' to show easy steps and those books are available at most used book stores. It's very satisfying to fix something and have it returned to use and the new skill set learned is often useble in other circumstances. Now DH takes photos of items as he disassembles which is very helpful when you put items back together.

Our criteria is if we can get parts for less than replacement cost, it's worth the effort to repair but I try to avoid made-in-China stuff.

It depends on the item, my ipod broke in 3 ways, screen went off, headphone jack was broken and buttons were broken, to fix them all it would cost $280 on a originally $300 at that point I sold it on Ebay for parts and went and bought a Kindle Fire instead. I had it for 4 years and took the best care of it that I could but I used it A LOT and pretty much everywhere I went (gym, bus, school, work) it was bound to break. I feel I took care of it and got my money's worth

But if only the screen were broken I would have paid to fix it.

This is so true, figure out how much it would cost to fix it or fix it yourself if you can. Youtube is a wonderful place that will show you how to do many things!

[AccountantSalary]

I'm with you on this. But I like to spend extra on good-quality, dependable products, if it means lasting a long time. I still have my 99 Honda Civic, which I bought new primarily because of its dependability. I can't tell you how many friends of mine bought flashier or cheaper cars that were undependable, 3-4 times in the time I've owned my Civic.

[gogirlanime]

I'm with you on this. But I like to spend extra on good-quality, dependable products, if it means lasting a long time. I still have my 99 Honda Civic, which I bought new primarily because of its dependability. I can't tell you how many friends of mine bought flashier or cheaper cars that were undependable, 3-4 times in the time I've owned my Civic.

Oh of course I am not saying go low-quality, I am saying take care of everything, quality or not with the most care possible. There are things you can go cheap on and things you can't. Usually the more expensive and item is the higher quality I go so that it lasts longer. But if I want baking soda I'm not going to spend $3 on Arm and Hammer when I can get it for $0.69 at my Dollar Tree

[wilddeuce]

Absolutely, take care of your stuff and you get higher resale value if you decide to trade/resale in your items.

Here are some examples :
I sold an Optimus V (Virgin Mobile) on Ebay for $75 while the average going rate was about $55 last year. I had a picture that showed no scratches after 15 months of usage. I had a screen protector, case protector. It was in practical mint condition. On top of that, I have all the original manuals and boxes.

I sold two laptops to those cash for your laptop place in the past 2 years. A Dell 9400 was in almost pristine condition. I clean it weekly, blow out the dust , clean the screen. I fetched over $250. Another Acer laptop that my parents didn't bother taking care of, it was estimated at $60, but the buyer said too many scoffs, some bad pixels (parents fault for slamming it once). Ended up getting $19. I took the deal since I wasn't expecting much.

Also had a Dell netbook, which I got refurbished for $185. Sold it one year later for $160. One of the big reasons I sold it high is I made it dual boot with MacOSX. Again, I took good care of it.

[VanReb]

The better care you take of your things, the longer they last. My sister uses an iPhone and drops it like it's hot. She has been through 1 phone/year for the past 7 years. I have used the same phone for the past 4 years. There's a very clear difference.

[rob62521]

I think taking care if your clothes goes along with this. I have some clothes I have had for years and I try to take care if them.

We replaced our kitchen cabinets a few years ago and every year we wash them down and treat them with orange oil. They still look nice.

Proper maintenance on your vehicle certainly helps keep is going.

And, of course, eating right and exercising helps keep a body healthy.

[gipi]

Buying good quality may cost more in the beginning, but it saves money in the long run. eBay and craigslist have both been a great way to find good quality items for as cheap as buying the cheap stuff new. Then taking good care of it and not abusing it makes it last even longer.

[jonidb]

I kick myself every time I buy a new grill and too cheap to buy the cover.

[~bs]

I generally do not go cheap in the first place. I find that buying mid-upper range items means the item will last longer, and you'll enjoy using it longer than having to buy 2-3 crappy new items, which may constantly wear out and break. Also, if you pay more upfront, you'll treat it like you paid more up front.

Resale value typically doesn't matter much to me. I use things until they break.

[MaraJadeC]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I do take really good care of my stuff. And if it gets broken, I find ways to fix it. I only buy a replacement when my things is already really really old and can no longer be used.