A pioneer motto

This morning as I was sitting down darning my daughter's tights and mittens, the pioneer motto came to my mind. I love this saying and think it's great for us frugally minded group of people.

Fix it up, wear it out,
Make it do or do without.

I think too often we are a society of throw aways. Products don't last like they use to. My parents still have a glass tumbler that I used when I was a child. It is used all the time and doesn't even have a crack in it, yet the glasses that I just purchased in January are almost gone.

Isn't it ironic that as we go about trying to save the planet from global warming and talk of recycling and what not, that we have products that aren't built to be fixed up anymore? I have a wonderful hand mixer that my husband and I bought when we were married years and years ago. This summer the cord died on me and I must admit that I was rather distraught about it.

It just needed a new cord but not one shop in town would fix it. One guy even told me that it was to just be thrown out as that is how things are made. This was after it had worked for 13 years. I couldn't buy another one as the company stopped making them, I couldn't replace the part, and I was darned if I was going to to throw it out. I couldn't find another mixer out there that was the same quality.

Along comes my father-in-law and he was able to get the cord off and find someone to put cut it and put it back on. It cost NOTHING!

This Christmas, as we go to buy presents and whatnot, lets look around at what we can make, repurpose, or fix up. Let's be careful about what we buy that it will last and not be a throw away toy. Let's make it count.

Remember:
Fix it up, wear it out,
Make it do or do without.

Enjoy your day!



2 comments:

Hans Connor said...

Awesome blog!

Its so true! My mother, who is the very embodiment of frugality, often says she was an environmentalist before it became popular. Nothing is easier on the planet than reducing reusing and recycling and it is easy on the pocket book too!

I am looking forward to more tips from the Maritme Penny Pincher....

Liz said...

Thanks,

My apologies for not getting back. I did read the comment, I just need to remember to respond.

I hope you keep coming back.

Liz