Yard work, Spring!

[One Half Full]

Last year my lawn mower bit the dust at the end of the year. I ended up having to pay someone to mow-- strange, having no money to get a lawn mower. I just got paid, and was at a hardware store picking up some boards and chicken-wire to make a compost bin (another money saving thing) when I saw there was a sale on lawn-mowers. i got one that could mulch and also had a bag (for the compost bin). It was $150.00. There were a few cheaper lawn mowers, but this had some good features the less expensive ones did not have.

Time is also an issue. Since they will be taking my car away, I will not be able to drag around big lawn-mowers.

I own a house with a yard where I can be fined 100$ for grass that is too long, and weeds, so lawn work is not a luxury. Getting someone to mow would cost maybe $400-500 per year. I figure that the $150.00 is justified.

So why do I feel guilty. Because it is a new toy? Don't you just love new lawn tools?

[sharksfan]

Yard work is something I'm not going to miss. I hate working in the humidity that summer time brings.

[justplaintired]

Last year my lawn mower bit the dust at the end of the year. I ended up having to pay someone to mow-- strange, having no money to get a lawn mower. I just got paid, and was at a hardware store picking up some boards and chicken-wire to make a compost bin (another money saving thing) when I saw there was a sale on lawn-mowers. i got one that could mulch and also had a bag (for the compost bin). It was $150.00. There were a few cheaper lawn mowers, but this had some good features the less expensive ones did not have.

Time is also an issue. Since they will be taking my car away, I will not be able to drag around big lawn-mowers.

I own a house with a yard where I can be fined 100$ for grass that is too long, and weeds, so lawn work is not a luxury. Getting someone to mow would cost maybe $400-500 per year. I figure that the $150.00 is justified.

So why do I feel guilty. Because it is a new toy? Don't you just love new lawn tools?

I know what you mean about feeling guilty, but don't. You have to mow your grass. So I think you did the right thing and you shopped economically. Isn't that what we are all suppose to learn, only buy what we need? You needed a lawn mower, you didn't buy a flat screen tv or a brand new car or some fancy appliance, you bought a inexpensive mower, that you needed. I have been facing the same issues now that we quit using cc. I question every single purchase. Even down to toilet paper. I compare prices on everything. Buy meat that is marked down cause it expires that day, bread the same way, it's weird being on a budget, but honestly I think I kinda like it. I feel much better about myself now.

So personally I think you needed a lawn mower to maintain your property and that to me is a perfectly fair way to spend your money. Besides think of all the money you saved by not paying someone else to do it. So in the long run, you actually saved yourself alot of money. So good choice! Be proud of yourself, you didn't blow money, you saved money!

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

I don't have a yard, but I have a studio apartment and just don't know what to do with all "the junk," I've accumulated over the years. Especially clothes, it's like I can't let go!

Catchmeifyoucan

[One Half Full]

A few years ago, I bought a really cheap used lawn mower that had been re-conditioned. It broke down in less than a full mowing period. I got another one, and it died the next year, then I bought a new one, and it went for 2 years. So far, I have 3 dead lawnmowers sitting in my yard with no idea what to do with them. I told myself never to get a "re-conditioned" lawn mower again. The old "new one" I am going to put in my basement and work on trying to get new parts.

I can relate to your problem of getting rid of junk. I think especially in hard economic times (economically, personally) we become hoarders. The shrinks are trying to say this is a mental disease, but I think it is just "human nature."

I just got rid of about 1/2 of all my furniture, books, personal belongings. The house is so much more liveable. I still have another load to go from the basement.

I basically just went through the place and decided how much "junk" I could have. Like the living room should only have 2 chairs, a rug, the credenza, and so on.
There is only enough space for certain items. I also knew why I had so much furniture and junk. I first moved in with random stuff and over the years found stuff more in keeping with the style that I really liked. So the answer was obvious, keep only the stuff that is in that "aesthetic" style. So all the random stuff went away, and the MCM stuff stayed. The only exception were two tables which were fairly nice, and went with the MCM reasonabley well. When it came to books, old clothes and so on, I got tough with myself. It was still, "I can only keep this much stuff." Basically, enough to fit in my chest of drawers and enough to fit in my closet. Any overage had to be gotten rid of. So I went through and said, like pick the best 10 t shirts, or pick the 5 best pairs of jeans. I mean, how much clothing should a person have anyway? I am glad that I don't have a job where you are expected to wear the most recent fashion, or something new every day. I'm simply not very interested in clothing. It sounds frumpy, but I'd rather wear fleece sweat pants every day.

I went through the books and brick a brack, and kitchen items in the same way, telling myself I had to cut them down by about half. I got rid of a set of pots and pans, (I had a growing set of a type I liked better), and a lot of my "fiction" books, but not my reference books, and stuff that I did not have on my walls, and was just taking up space. believe me, some of this was hard.

I guess I realised that I would not be interested in selling stuff on e-bay or at a garage sale, like I had thought before. I just wanted it out of there. I wanted more space more than I wanted the junk. I think now it is fairly easy to do. If you are single or living alone, you only need one can-opener. You only need one big pot, or one set of pot-holders. For each table or desk, you only need one Lamp, and one nick-nack set up, so you just create the one you like best, and give the rest of the stuff alone. I guess this is the way that they do it on those decorating shows. The tables have one or a few little tableaus like a set of pottery, or a lamp and a book or something. Everything else is *gone*

Clothes, really for me are the easiest to get rid of. I tend to wear them till they fall apart anyway. I just have a small amount of really good clothes. The same rule I made up for myself goes-- that I only need a certain amount. That was the amount that would fit into the furniture I decided to keep. No more. When I get any new clothes (like new underwear) I have to go through the old underwear and get rid of anything that is old, messed up, torn etc). I limit the number of things I am allowed to have, then buy the best I can get-- something that will last a long time, and is classically cut so it wont go out of style soon. I also never get anything that is cheaply made, or does not fit right.

As far as re-buying things in the kitchen or other places. I now tell myself to get the better thing because it usually will nave a nicer re-sale value. Even kitchen gadgets. Of course I need to stay on a budget too, but I find it better to have one nice expensive pot than a bunch of cheap pots (the nice expensive pot might have been second hand). It keeps the amount of things down.

I guess "false economy" is when you think you are saving money by buying cheap things. Like the lawn-mowers, you actually spend more money if you buy things that break or fall apart and need to be replaced. I think a 7K couch is extravagant, but also a 700 dollar couch is too cheap to be well made.

[Bandit]

I own a house with a yard where I can be fined 100$ for grass that is too long, and weeds, so lawn work is not a luxury. Getting someone to mow would cost maybe $400-500 per year. I figure that the $150.00 is justified.

So why do I feel guilty. Because it is a new toy? Don't you just love new lawn tools?

That is a good price for a mower that does what it does. Your 150.00 should go for at least three years maybe four depending on how much grass. Then your gas but you can't really include your time as that is just the maintenance of having a yard.

I bought the cheapest mower from WalMart & it ran for four years mowing over an acre of grass. It konked out last fall & I would not get it fixed & may get another one just like it. I think it was about 120.00 for a 22 inch but no mulch & no bag, so you did well with your price.

I would never feel guilty over stuff like that & yes it is a new toy to enjoy keeping your lawn & yard nice. Nothing wrong with that.
Weed wackers are another one that I like to use. Chain saws, rototiller, I do not own but use the ones my cousin owns.

I loathe raking leaves because that seems to be the most back breaking of all yard work if you have a lot of trees. As much as I despise shoveling snow, I would rather shovel for 6 months than rake leaves for six month.

The leaf blowers are nice too after mowing to keep the walking path tidy but they cannot keep up with everything all over the yard when fall comes.

[Bandit]

A few years ago, I bought a really cheap used lawn mower that had been re-conditioned. It broke down in less than a full mowing period. I got another one, and it died the next year, then I bought a new one, and it went for 2 years. So far, I have 3 dead lawnmowers sitting in my yard with no idea what to do with them. I told myself never to get a "re-conditioned" lawn mower again. The old "new one" I am going to put in my basement and work on trying to get new parts.

When that mower I told you about finally broke down after 4 years. It went straight to the curb. Maybe you keep them because you feel ripped off for them not lasting very long? I dont know. I felt I more than got my moneys worth out of it so it was easy to junk it and I knew it would cost more to fix it than to buy a new one. I put it to the curb & someone picked it up in less than an hour. iT was in real bad shape too. REAL bad.

They only offer one year warranty so I suppose if it only goes for a year that is all can be expected but if you get more than a year than you did well.