What things actually PAY for themselves?

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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

[BCHGRL]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

imasaver: why do you distill your water?

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

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.

[Thrifty Ray]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

Reviving an old thread here but I thought about this the other day....

CLOTHESPINS!!!!
They are so cheap, yet save so much money!! They pay for themselves many times over!

[boomeyers]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

*Kids garage sale clothes - if they ruin them, you don't really cry, if they do'nt - you resell them later!
*Ditto on the handme down, garage sale, trash pick furniture. If they kids ruin it, ........
*Costco AmEx - rebate bought us a freezer full of meat!

[cschin4]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

My guitar! I took up playing the guitar a year ago. It is fun and instead of shopping or going out to spend money, I am happy just strumming away and learning new songs.

[StressLess]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

Those compact fluorescent light bulbs, plus over the long term, our newer refrigerator. I believe the fridge is saving us at least $10 a month on the electric bill, so after the first few years it will have paid for itself.

The internet, definitely.

Newspaper subscriptions, because of the coupons.

The gas to shop at several grocery stores a week; for us, cherry picking the bargains is still worthwhile even at current gas prices.

Home blood pressure monitor. If I feel a bit weird, and wonder if it's because my bp is unusually high or low, I can check it at home and save a trip to the doctor.

Our cars, because they enable us to work.

[lillyb]

Re: What things actually PAY for themselves?

About a year and half ago my coffee maker broke. Since this is before my days of wanting to save money I purchased a Home Cafe for about $60. But now I realized it's paid for itself and then some. I make a cup at a time. It takes about a minute for it to brew and then it's turned off. So there's no warmer plate using electricity like a regular coffee pot. Also, I'm able to make two cups from one tea bag, that's savings there. Plus, when I do make a cup of coffee I make my own little pods (I found I didn't care for the taste of the store bought coffee pods). I just use a cheapo coffee filter, a bit of coffee and roll it up. Less grounds used than I would have used in a coffee pot. One can of coffee will last me a good six months. No longer am I wasting electricity keeping a carafe warm and no longer wasting grounds when I just drink one cup of coffee.