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I got into my car the other day and noticed that apparently I’ve somehow worn a hole in the material on the side of the driver’s seat. It’s a small hole though, so maybe I can fix it or patch it. (And of course I could always buy a seat cover if it starts to bother me.)

That discovery reminded me of a quote from John Scalzi’s Unasked for Advice to New Writers About Money. He said, “But most of the time, I buy well, and buy to last — and then use it until it begs me to let it die. And then I use it for a year after that!”

That’s exactly how I approach most of the things I own. When I buy things, I try to make sure that they are high quality and that they are things I’ll enjoy for many, many years. I just hate throwing things out until I’ve gotten very good use from them. They really have to have been used up, and then used some more, before I’ll even think about considering getting rid of them.

In fact, my desk chair is a chair from the 40’s that my grandpa used for decades when he figured taxes. And I’ve had it for a good ten years myself. At some point my grandpa (probably in the late 70’s or early 80’s) replaced the old casters with a newer set. One of those keeps falling off when I scoot the chair around, so I should probably do something about it, but I just keep sticking it back in.

My son is constantly asking me why I don’t get a new chair. I keep telling him that I like this one. And I do. It has character, and it goes nicely with my (even older) ship captain’s desk. I do feel badly though, because it squeaks sometimes, which makes my husband wince. I keep trying to find the cause of the squeak, but it’s hiding.

Making things beg you to let them die can be a good money-saving strategy, as long as safety isn’t compromised. It’s also a nice way to build a houseful of eclectic things.

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