Practical People can have fun too!

[emma's friend]

Okay, I admit that I am probably one of the most practical people on the planet. I rarely splurge on anything frivolous. Today I had to purchase something that I'm really very excited about - a new lawn mower.

Isn't it pretty?


My dad gave us our old mower 15 years ago! I've had it longer than I've had my son. I really hated to send it into retirement but another piece broke today that would require either welding or a new $40.00 part. There's another part that's fixing to break, too. It all came down to that age old question, "How long to you pour good money into an old, beat-up, broken-down machine?"

Are there any other practical people out there who want to share some stories that most other people would scratch their heads at? Yes, it is possible to get excited about lawn mowers, vaccuum cleaners, etc.
Tell us your story!

 

[KittenKrazy]

Hey hon......with me, it's sewing machines! I'm currently sewing on a 1950's era Kenmore.......works great, easy to use! Mom gave me her new Singer Esante a few years ago.....and I rarely ever use it....too easy to tear up and much more expensive to fix, lol!

 

[beckiboo]

I consider myself pretty practical...but I'm sitting here scratching my head

over a thread called "Practical People can have fun too!" about buying a lawnmower.

Maybe I'm not practical.

Maybe I'm wildly exciting?!?

 

[talon]

I too am the same way - I used to be even more so, but as I am getting older I am getting less practical.

My next practical thing will be a mailbox - either next summer or when the current one falls down - whichever comes first.

 

[scamperfarms]

yup....my dyson was the best thing ever. and it still is. i still get excited about it, lol

Finally broke down and got it because we were useing the cheap ones that wouldnt even last a month....why bother keep spending money on somethig you know is gonna break?

 

[catsknowme]

What a gorgeous mower! I like to be practical about most anything. My furniture is all cast-offs, repaired & repainted. My hen coops are made with discarded wire & lumber from the county dump, plus pine poles of firewood that I gathered in the forest. I like to conserve resources. I finally sold off my '89 Toyota pick-up earlier this year; it had over 315,000 miles on it, all original, the tranny finally went & my hubby refused to pay for repairs. I did splurge big-time on a Bosch front-loader washer this week ( I rented a truck to go to an out-of-town funeral & on the way home, bought the washer) because the Energy-star rating is 112% (I like to save electricity, too). And in the winter, I cook on my woodburner stove - heat the house & save on propane at the same time. I was raised to be practical - picnics in the forest were preceded by collecting a load of firewood or decorative pumice rocks; there was no wasting of utilities or gasoline at my parents' place. As for pets, only working pets were allowed for years (cats, dogs, hens); how wonderful for us kids when the doctor recommended horses as a therapy for my dad's mending broken back - my mom let us get 2! By the way, Cindy, I'll have to look into the older sewing machines - these new ones don't work out to well for me!

 

[KittenKrazy]

Originally Posted by catsknowme

By the way, Cindy, I'll have to look into the older sewing machines - these new ones don't work out to well for me!

I got the one that I'm using right now, cabinet and all for $20 a couple of years ago at the yearly yard sale that our local Catholic church has......probably had'n't seen 20 good hours of sewing at the time either!

 

[fwan]

the last thing i bought was a vaccum cleaner The dirty Devil one. i love it, i was so excited today when i vaccumed the whole appartment and oooo ahhed at all the dirt i chucked in the bin ITS SOO GREAT NOT HAVING A VACCUM BAG!

Now since im moving into my MILS appartment as she is moving 2 floors up, she isnt leaving anything for us, so im so excited about decorating and buying the stuff we couldnt for this appartment!

today i just wrote the list for the bathroom, so i will get it with in the next 2 months or so.
We need to get a new kitchen, entertainment place thing, and a new waldrobe with bed. now we figure it will be about...2,000 euros so we are going to try and save for it.. and i hope with our company that we open now we will have the money to splurge in november

PLus, buying new towels, curtains, bed sheets ooo ahh i love it!

 

[lionessrampant]

I LOVE buying new towels and things! I also need to start shopping for a new flute, which will be the most wildly fun practical purchase I could ever hope to make. Too bad I'm going to have to take out a separate loan just for the darn thing....jeesh

 

[emma's friend]

Originally Posted by ScamperFarms

yup....my dyson was the best thing ever. and it still is. i still get excited about it, lol

I feel that way about my canister Kenmore vac.

Originally Posted by catsknowme

What a gorgeous mower! I like to be practical about most anything. My furniture is all cast-offs, repaired & repainted. My hen coops are made with discarded wire & lumber from the county dump, plus pine poles of firewood that I gathered in the forest. I like to conserve resources. I finally sold off my '89 Toyota pick-up earlier this year; it had over 315,000 miles on it, all original, the tranny finally went & my hubby refused to pay for repairs. I did splurge big-time on a Bosch front-loader washer this week ( I rented a truck to go to an out-of-town funeral & on the way home, bought the washer) because the Energy-star rating is 112% (I like to save electricity, too). And in the winter, I cook on my woodburner stove - heat the house & save on propane at the same time. I was raised to be practical - picnics in the forest were preceded by collecting a load of firewood or decorative pumice rocks; there was no wasting of utilities or gasoline at my parents' place. As for pets, only working pets were allowed for years (cats, dogs, hens); how wonderful for us kids when the doctor recommended horses as a therapy for my dad's mending broken back - my mom let us get 2! By the way, Cindy, I'll have to look into the older sewing machines - these new ones don't work out to well for me!

Thanks! You'd be right at home at our house. Almost all of our furniture was given to second hand by relatives. You'd love our new arm chair we found at the Goodwill for $20.00. We found a slipcover for $15.00 and have a "brand new" chair! The cats destroyed our old one while we were on vacation by marking it past the point of no return!

Our washing machine died last year after 11 years hard labor. We splurged, too, and got a super energy-efficient front loader.

Did you have goats at your house when you were a child?

 

[emma's friend]

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

I also need to start shopping for a new flute, which will be the most wildly fun practical purchase I could ever hope to make. Too bad I'm going to have to take out a separate loan just for the darn thing....jeesh

Good thing you don't play the tuba, huh?

I can joke about it because that's what my son plays in the band. We currently rent one from the school.

 

[emma's friend]

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

I consider myself pretty practical...but I'm sitting here scratching my head

over a thread called "Practical People can have fun too!" about buying a lawnmower.

Maybe I'm not practical.

Maybe I'm wildly exciting?!?

There are different levels of practicality, I suppose. I just got excited because the old one was such a PAIN to start and it was falling apart.

 

[catsknowme]

No, no goats - our friends kept a cow & we got the extra milk, and I learned to make butter with the cream, using a canning jar! I just LOVE hearing about all the recycled treasures that people get at Goodwill, yardsales, etc. For me, it's like hearing about when someone rescues a cat from the shelter or off the streets, as opposed to buying an expensive pedigreed cat from a cattery!!

 

[emma's friend]

Originally Posted by catsknowme

I just LOVE hearing about all the recycled treasures that people get at Goodwill, yardsales, etc. For me, it's like hearing about when someone rescues a cat from the shelter or off the streets, as opposed to buying an expensive pedigreed cat from a cattery!!

I work with a guy who is ADDICTED to the Goodwill. He goes there every single day! He usually comes back with sweet electronics.

I've started buying "church clothes" for my son on Ebay. He may need a blazer once or twice a year and I can usually find a nice one in his current size for under $20.00.

 

[me-n-my guys]

Originally Posted by KittenKrazy

I got the one that I'm using right now, cabinet and all for $20 a couple of years ago at the yearly yard sale that our local Catholic church has......probably had'n't seen 20 good hours of sewing at the time either!

Me too-I've got an old secondhand Kenmore that's this awful green color. it's so simple, it doesn't even have a light. I'm terrible at sewing, & it hasn't gotten much use. But it helps out every now & then so I keep it.

 

[ricalynn]

Ah, Goodwill! I miss my Goodwill in TN - lots of folks w/disposable income=lots of treasures for those of us with none!! If not for them, I wouldn't have my $30 CleverCat top entry litterbox that I pd $6 for!! And I'd have a LOT more litter to vacuum up

And I LOVE my buddy Scott for getting me a FABulous deal on my Dyson (which I have yet to receive - have to drive a bit to pick it up, but hey, it's mine!) I'm really looking forward to NOT having to lug my Bissell (which I also love) up and down the stairs all the time.

 

[beckiboo]

Originally Posted by Emma's Friend

There are different levels of practicality, I suppose. I just got excited because the old one was such a PAIN to start and it was falling apart.

I'm pretty bad at replacing things that need it, too. So I do understand.

 

[wellingtoncats]

Awesome stories. Nice lawnmower, Aims!