Do You Take Good Care of Your Stuff?
By Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
United States
December 30, 2009 10:31pm CST
I've always kind of thought there were two types of people when it came to this subject. Some people will trash their stuff and don't really care much about it, while others will treat their belongings with respect and it will last. But apparently, there are more types than that.
I'm the type of person who takes pretty good care of my possessions. None of my computers have even been all dinged and dented when I finally got rid of the case or the monitor. I've broken a few computer mouses, but that's about it. When I had dolls as a kid, they were always kept nice and neat unless I felt like chopping off their hair. I've had the same electronic dictionary since I was 10 years old, and only finally replaced it because I wanted the talking version which wasn't available yet back then. My books look pristine and unread (and honestly, I guess most of them are). Everything pretty much lasts so long that it becomes obsolete.
Apparently, my dad goes above and beyond that. Because tonight when I was telling him I thought my car battery was on the fritz, he asked me if the lights went out when I tried to start the car. I explained that I would not know, because the lights in my car don't work except for the one on the passenger's make up mirror. He tells me this is because I don't take care of stuff. But I really don't see how, I didn't smash the lights out. I never even use them. They just went bad apparently. I'll admit I don't wash my car (those are hours of my life I can't get back and I'm not going to waste them washing a car that just gets dirty again), but that doesn't affect the lights. For my dad, even slide projectors and other such outdated items still work and get fixed if they don't.
I have friends that will set drinks on a table without coasters, spill stuff on the carpets and never clean it out, and constantly treat their belonging fairly roughly so that everything breaks. Their cameras need scratch protectors on the screens and their phones break frequently. I even have one friend who crashes her car into practically everything with total disregard for it (or even things or other cars she hits). Now that is far too extreme for me, and I know I could never be like that.
So which side do you fall on? Why?
5 people like this
14 responses
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
2 Jan 10
Yes definitely, that is good frugal living. I'm always shocked that a lot of people who don't have money to replace things will still treat their things poorly though. And then they just complain when they can't replace it. I've never understood that.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
31 Dec 09
Dad is just being a guy. guys see their cars as treasured possession. It Has to be kept in tip top shape. That you don't is a sign of neglect. I am more like you than your friends. I try to keep my items in good working order.But when it is stops working I usually go out and get a new one.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
31 Dec 09
Yeah, there are only certain things I will waste time fixing. And those are expensive things that I figure I can fix. I don't patch my jeans and stuff like that, which my dad does.
I never get how washing and waxing the car is related to things breaking though. When a headlight burned out my dad tried to tell me that wouldn't have happened if only I washed the car. Umm, yeah. Or when I got a flat tire it was my fault because the wheels were so dirty (nothing to do with the nail stuck in it!).
1 person likes this
@firebirdlizant (514)
• United States
1 Jan 10
i take care of my stuff. i have stuff from when i was like 5 years old and still have it. i have old pics when i was younger till now. its funny i ask others what stuff they have when there younger and well they dont have much if anything. my mom was even surprised that i have pics of when my youngest brother was born. she is like where did you get that. guess she miss placed heres. even with my cds and dvds i keep them all in there case if i dont watch/listen to them.
i do wash my cars especially in the winter time or the salt will eat right through them.
its kind of something you have to do or rust happens.
thanks for this disscusion. have a safe and happy new year.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
2 Jan 10
Around here we don't have any salted roads since it doesn't snow. So my car just has dust on it mostly. Although currently it's clean looking due to the rain.
I still have a lot of stuff from when I was a kid. I finally had to donate a bunch of it though because I don't have room to store it all.
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
1 Jan 10
I try to take good care of my stuff but somehow it never seems to result in my things serving me long .I dont know why but my stuff always get described and sometimes in the most unusual way way.Take for instance my laptop I have now had it for one year and it look quite deplorable .The first thing that happened is that the black colour has gotten so pale and this was because I used it with sun streaming through my window.Next a sticker that I had on my machine got torn off and finally one of teh keys got dug out because I was trying to clean under it ...aaa such is my luck
@maezee (41988)
• United States
1 Jan 10
For me, it also depends on what it is we're talking about. My cell phone (although it has some minor scrapes) is in great condition. My car? Hmmm.. Probably not so much. My car is very lived-in. It's not as though there's a bunch of stuff in it, I could just really use to vaccuum it (which I somehow never have time to do! Ugh!) But the problem with car issues is that.. it's not always something we can help. Sure, if our engine bites the dust because we forget to check the oil and make sure we have enough of all of the fluids our car needs, yes, this would be something that would be our fault for not taking better care of our vehicle. But other things just.. bite the dust no matter what we do. Especially with older cars (like mine!). Sometimes things just don't work, and it's nobody's fault.
@lichee_china (506)
• China
1 Jan 10
If there's have to two type,I must be the one of trash my stuff with a little care about it.I am not a stuff care guy,but definately make much of them.Especily all stuff about football,computer.it's cool to have held local team's polo shirt for 12 years.
@Bethany1202 (3431)
• United States
18 Jun 11
I guess it all depends on the "stuff" or possessions in question. I like to take good care of my home and keep it looking nice.
We make sure to place potholders and protection on counter tops when placing hot items on them, keep them clean and wiped down, and are careful not to scratch them, for example. However, I don't have an expensive cell phone and have been known to drop it more frequently than most people. I really only use my phone to text and make a call very seldom as well as take pictures occasionally. I usually get a new free phone every two years when my upgrade is due, so I don't value it, I suppose, as much as I should and as much as I value other things I own.
On the same note, my work clothes must look professional and presentable, so I care for them much more than I take care of my "lounge" clothes like tee shirts and sweatpants I wear around the house in private.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 May 11
I take pretty good care of my stuff, and it totally annoys me when somebody else trashes it...
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
31 Dec 09
This is true! I too love to take care of my possessions and I treat them as though they are living human beings! My thinking is, if I give my possessions respect then they will respect me in return by giving me good service and keeping me happy. I think it's disrespectful of people to trash their possessions, they are free to do what they want obviously but I ask myself what's the point? It's nice to have nice things and when you are going through financial difficulty as I am then you want to look after your possessions so that you don't have to constantly replace them! Happy New year. Andrew
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
31 Dec 09
Sometimes I think of my possessions as living beings too! Especially when someone else breaks or damages them. I get very angry and my friends tell me they're just things. But still, it's good to respect things rather than trash them.
Hope you have a happy new year as well!
@acie_21 (5633)
• Philippines
3 Jan 10
hi there friend...
yeah!im very extra careful with my things..whether its cheap or expensive...
i think im the only one in the family who knows how do this thing...lol!
maybe because im the thrifty one!lol..
though i can afford things that i want.. i still make every little thing valuable..
and important to me...
cause every cent counts!
im good in taking care of my own things as well with my husbands..lol!
but sometimes i have the habit of forgetfulness...lol!
happy new year!
take care!
@bhav27 (442)
• India
1 Jan 10
when i was a child my mom used to scould me if i ever do some wrong to my stuff and always teach me to take care things because they are very important in life , one who take care of his stuffs is always a winner in the race of life and i never gave a damn to her advice but when i grew up then i realised that my mother was always right , the one who take care of his stuff is alays a winner and so from that day i take care of each and every stuff though valuable or not , if it is extra i prefer to give it to someone who is in need of it.
@washingtonmark (367)
• United States
31 Dec 09
I take good care of most of my things, though I do get frustrated when I loose or break something.
@px_yeap (269)
• Malaysia
1 Jan 10
well...i won't go so much into wrapping my computer up, but i'm really strict on how my stuff are handled. electronics appliances (coins and cell phone should be not mixed to prevent scratch, white electronic appliances will be put away from sun to try to slow down it oxidization that made it turns yellow, etc), my clothing (when and where to wear what so it won't get all ruined), my shoe (same thing, when and where to wear which in order to prevent and damage to my shoe)....i'm just trying to preserve them longer...! after all, the better conditions they are in, the more happier i'll wish to use them and hold on to them!
@TLilly12 (1229)
• United States
28 Mar 13
I take care of everything that I buy, because I want it to last longer, if you tare up something then you have, then you have to buy all over again,it won't last longer you will end up spending more money, for that same item again, when I brought my computer I make sure I take care of it, the only thing about my computer is that, the letters on the keyboard, are fading off so I had to take stickers, and tape them on my keyboard so I know, which letters I am typing on my keyboard.
