Generation difference

[PeteBell68]

My grinder stopped working, i diagnosed the problem went to the hardware store and bought a new plug and 6 feet of electric cord. Under ten dollars.
The next generation throws it into the garbage, just buys a new one.
My fathers generation goes under the work bench pulls out a box full of electric cords and plugs from old discarded appliances and fixes the grinder, cost? Nothing.
I was talking to a buddy about this today and its true, that generation a product of the depression wasted nothing and they knew how to save and make do.

My dad could and did fix almost everything when he finally moved from his house he had everything from old doorknobs to screws,nuts,bolts , car radio's and a big paper bag of electrical plugs ,cord ends etc .
I have some of that stuff and it honestly comes in handy sometimes

 

[steve from staten island]

My dad could and did fix almost everything when he finally moved from his house he had everything from old doorknobs to screws,nuts,bolts , car radio's and a big paper bag of electrical plugs ,cord ends etc .
I have some of that stuff and it honestly comes in handy sometimes

It does come in handy and like i said it was that generation. After pop passed we had to sell the house and move mom. I took these two plastic drawers organizers he had and left them at my daughters house. All filled with little screws nuts and bolts and what have you. Still to this day i find it so handy

 

[PeteBell68]

I tossed most of my dad's old stuff kept a bit but there was honestly so much we filled the largest garbage container to the top doors ,windows , wood paneling , so much stuff it was crazy. I'd have kept a bit more but space wouldn't allow it .
When my wife's dad passed he had quite a bit of stuff as well took some and there have been times I go get screws or other stuff that I have saves time and money ..

 

[BDF6]

Last time I went to the dump someone threw this out in front of me.
So I salvaged it.

 

[PeteBell68]

Last time I went to the dump someone threw this out in front of me.
So I salvaged it.
View attachment 562977

That's really cool I would have dug that out of the trash too.

 

[idrivemopar]

I always try to fix stuff before it goes to recycle or the dump if necessary. My latest is my old 42 inch plasma screen TV. It needs new surface mount diodes on one of the circuit boards, but that stuff is so tiny I don't know if I have the skills to fix it and get all the ribbon cables to the screen back on correctly. But I may order the repair kit for $20 bucks and see what happens.

 

[pwDave]

I truly feel sorry for my youngest son, when I die I am going to leave him the contents of my shop/garage, he will have at least three to four weeks of sorting to do. my dad left me his tools and coin collection, all hid in the shop, can you say treasure hunt? plus all of my stuff, It's going to be rough for him for a while. Dave.

 

[Glenwood]

My dad is the same. He grew up poor and sees value in everything, but hoards way too much stuff. I'm not looking forward to the big clean out in the years to come.
I'm not much different but tend to hoard less and try to purge every so often. Hard to part with things that you just know you will need some day. Usually right after you toss it out.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I got more nut, bolts, and screws than a hardware store.

Me too. Everyone comes to my house before going to the hardware store or Home depot. All labeled & organized by size in hanging louvered bins. I like the bins because I can remove them & take the sizes I need to the vehicles I am working on outside of the garage when needed. The second picture is all of my AN fittings & hoses too.

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Last time I went to the dump someone threw this out in front of me.
So I salvaged it.
View attachment 562977

Looks like a '58 Oldsmobile. Very cool, and nice find.

 

[WileE]

And I still go out and buy new ones when needed. Make no sense to sort for hours for a 50 cent item.

And I'm the opposite. I'll scrounge every bin, drawer and corner until I find what I need. Cause, Dammit, I KNOW I GOT THAT SOMEWHERE !!

 

[Jcharger]

Whats wrong with going to starbucks, buying a coffee and buying a replacement grinder?

 

[mopar 3 B]

Whats wrong with going to starbucks, buying a coffee and buying a replacement grinder?

After buying coffee at starbucks where is the money coming from to buy a replacement grinder?

 

[BDF6]

Looks like a '58 Oldsmobile. Very cool, and nice find.

Has Oldsmobile on hood

 

[Kern Dog]

I am all about saving something that can be fixed....and I'm not the product of depression era parents OR a cheap ***. I see value in repairing things instead of dumping them. In construction, sometimes we make or modify tools as they are needed. I'm sure auto mechanics do too: Bent wrenches, twisted screwdrivers, stuff welded together, etc.
I remember an old Carpenters joke: "I've had this hammer for 20 years. I've replaced the handle 4 times and the head 3 times. It has been a good hammer."

 

[mopar 3 B]

As father inlaw would put it. Its not the junk you put it together with but what it looks like when done.

 

[Mike67]

My grinder stopped working, i diagnosed the problem went to the hardware store and bought a new plug and 6 feet of electric cord. Under ten dollars.
The next generation throws it into the garbage, just buys a new one.
My fathers generation goes under the work bench pulls out a box full of electric cords and plugs from old discarded appliances and fixes the grinder, cost? Nothing.
I was talking to a buddy about this today and its true, that generation a product of the depression wasted nothing and they knew how to save and make do.

Same can be said of the foods we used to eat, nothing was wasted...its pretty sad and makes me long for days past. My grandmother used to make dishes that I loved but I guarantee most would turn their noses up at now...

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Buying extended warranty is no bargain. Bought a new stove sales woman trying to sell me extended warranty for $130, stove was $500. If you drop something and break the smooth top it will cost $800 to fix. I say I'll just buy a new stove, queue the poke in ribs from the wife for being a smart ***.

Have never bought an extended warranty for a car, washer, dryer, or equipment of any kind. I see it as Health Insurance for such items. A scam if you will.
When I'm in the process of purchasing something and Extended Warranty is suggested I almost get up and walk out. But instead I generally ask them if the quality of their product is so poor that I need the additional warranty?

 

[Gone]

One of my farmer uncles could take an engine or transmission apart and put it back together blindfolded. He could also fabricate or repair any of the equipment he needed for his farm. He never threw anything away. Before he died, he was farming almost 1,000 acres with equipment that he bought second-handed or made himself. I don"t think that he never bought a new piece of farm equipment in his life.

My other farmer uncle (he's 85) still lays off his crop rows with the one-row Farmall 130 that his Dad bought in 1957. He says it does a better job than the newer tractors! It's also on this same little tractor that I learned how to drive.

 

[Budnicks]

I am all about saving something that can be fixed....and I'm not the product of depression era parents OR a cheap ***. I see value in repairing things instead of dumping them. In construction, sometimes we make or modify tools as they are needed. I'm sure auto mechanics do too: Bent wrenches, twisted screwdrivers, stuff welded together, etc.
I remember an old Carpenters joke: "I've had this hammer for 20 years. I've replaced the handle 4 times and the head 3 times. It has been a good hammer."

Exactly !!