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When I get something new, I don't even feel comfortable using it -- I'd rather wear the old thing out first.
A couple weeks ago, I scored a nice, fairly new teflon frying pan and sauce pan from a vacated apartment. I haven't used either of them yet. I got a travel bag when I opened a new bank account, but on a trip last year, I took an old one. I have a pair of shoes so badly worn, I didn't trust them on a long trip. So I bought a new pair and broke them in, and now I want to wear the old ones out at home, instead of the new ones to be saved for travel.
It depends on what it is. I was raised to save, save, save. After having some things happen in my life and realizing that you may never get to enjoy what you've been saving for, I'm a bit more lax about it now. I try not to be wasteful, but there is no reason to save everything.
I do have certain shoes for at home and others for going out in public. I'm conservative or classic in certain clothes, but often clothes have a fashion time limit. It's better to wear it now when it is still in fashion. My castoffs can be donated, used for rags or for crafting. I bought some cast iron pans when I was single and then was given some nice cook wear when I married and then got some more pretty decent stuff from a giveaway. The cast iron is now for camping or if we had an emergency, I still use my wedding stuff and I have kids going away to college starting in two years who can use some of the other stuff. There is a hierarchy. If I were buying all of this, I would not have bought it since I didn't need it.
When I get something new, I don't even feel comfortable using it -- I'd rather wear the old thing out first.
A couple weeks ago, I scored a nice, fairly new teflon frying pan and sauce pan from a vacated apartment. I haven't used either of them yet. I got a travel bag when I opened a new bank account, but on a trip last year, I took an old one. I have a pair of shoes so badly worn, I didn't trust them on a long trip. So I bought a new pair and broke them in, and now I want to wear the old ones out at home, instead of the new ones to be saved for travel.
Anybody else feel this way about new things?
I like my old things, and choose the new ones carefully. If it doesn't work, fit, wear, I don't want it. There's no reason to have 'stuff' that you can't or don't use or enjoy.
my mom was like this. she would buy new nice things but never used them and just saved them for a rainy day. now those things are all rusted, out of fashion, etc. i learned from her and do the opposite. i am frugal but when i buy or get something new i use it right away and enjoy it.
I have two pair of Patagonia hemp shoes that they do no make anymore. The first pair is old, stained and full of holes and i wear then almost daily. The second pair is in the box with the paper still wrapped around them. I'm saving them for when I totally demolish the first pair.
I patch hand-me-down jeans because I don't like stiff denim.
I make things out of old things.. I have even dumpster dived a few times.
I've done some lovely recycled furniture that people have actually offered me money for. People throw things out and I can sell them again. LOL
Don't get me wrong, I do have a lot of stuff. Partial finished projects and supplies and sentimental items but I'm organized and I rehome or repurpose so much stuff that create very little waste.
I'm a film photographer, and much prefer a scuffed up old beater camera to a shiny mint one. Photographers can be incredibly anal, unlike painters, and many are addicted to simply buying gear. They seem to seldom even use it. Not me. It's just a tool. Having an old beater is great because you don't have to worry about getting it scuffed up and losing resale value. They come pre-scuffed.
The only thing we bought new in many years was our bikes, because if you get a cheap big box bike all you get is trouble. Better to buy a $300 or $400 bike at a bike shop than some Piece O Junk from Walmart for $100. When I lived in S.F., the bike theft rate was so high that people would buy a $1000+ bike and immediately spray everything flat black (even the tires) to make it look old and less worthy of stealing.
My mother saved items that are made to throw away, styrofoam containers and other plastic containers. She stored so many of that type, there was nothing to do but discard the lot when she was gone. She would also buy junk at garage sales. Items no one would want. I mean junk. When I mentioned how much junk she had in the basement, friends of mine asked if they could look at it because they were certain it would be full of treasures. They didn't get the opportunity. When I said junk, I meant junk and didn't need it evaluated.
Once I have something new, either by buying it or receiving it free I will surely want to use it over another item that's worn out. Mainly because that is the purpose. If the old item has life left and can be used I'll keep using it. In the example of getting a free bag from opening a bank account and not needing it(since you had one already) I would either give it away or save it until needed (we actually opened an additional account once just because the gift was something we needed).
Sometimes I do not want new items vs older just because I'll be very anxious not to scratch/dent/drop new item haha. However, once I do have a new item, I'll use it right away and get the use out of it.
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