Before you trash it, wear it out [View all]

I’ll hold onto socks until the toes have gaping holes in them. I will wear t-shirts until they’re beaten into oblivion. I’ll use razor blades until I’m scared I’m going to badly cut my neck or cheeks with them (and with a razor blade sharpener, that takes a good long time). I’ll use a toothbrush until it’s bordering on scary.

For me, it’s not really a matter of saving money, though that’s certainly a bonus. It’s more of a matter of not throwing things away until I actually need to do so. A pair of socks worn another time is a pair of socks not yet tossed into a landfill somewhere, after all.

I often turn this into a personal challenge. How many uses can I get out of this razor blade? Can I get another wear out of these socks before Sarah has a fit?

When you start carrying that philosophy to more and more of the things you own, you begin to change your approach toward your possessions.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Simple-Dollar/2013/0116/Before-you-trash-it-wear-it-out?nav=89-csm_category-storyList