I'm a big proponent of Freecycle etc. When our microwave died suddenly I put out a request and got one right away. I cleaned it up and it looks as good as new. Working like a champ 8 years later.

I wanted a frig with the freezer on the bottom so I bought one a couple of years ago. We replaced our sofa and loveseat 5 years ago.

We bought a 42" tv but a few years later I wanted a bigger one so we got a 48". Have had it 5 years now. I sold the other one.

We use everything til it is at the end of it's useable life. TV in our family room is a 32" that my husband won at a work function, still works just fine and we don't care for oversized TV's in the house. We have been married 39 years and only had 4 family room seating sets, 1 antique dining room set and I did upgrade a couple years ago to a bigger table to seat all of family. Same kitchen set for 39 years. I hate wasting money trying to keep up with design trends, I just don't do it!

The only furniture set we bought was our bedroom set 25 years ago, and the 3-piece entertainment unit, designed for the old square tvs. So, the flat screen we have there now is a bit small. All the rest of the furniture we had before we got married, got from family, or was bought piecemeal.

We drive our cars into the ground. Our current car we bought as a lease-return so it was already 3 years old but had low-mileage and a great price. It’s now 14 years old and we are starting to think casually about what we will eventually replace it with.

Our technology, we replace when it is no longer updatable or usable. Although, DH is finding that his computer that was perfect when he traveled to clients, is less appropriate for working at home all the time. So, since DS and I need to replace our failing comouters, DH will get a new one, too. My tablet is doing fine, though; it replaced my hand-me-down one that was no longer updatable a couple of years ago.

I've been replacing some furniture this last year in my 700 sf apt. with items that are smaller and easier to move, as I am getting older and it is not so easy to move giant heavy furniture.

The large dining table was replaced with a small pine drop leaf that I chalk painted and appliqued. The recliners that replaced a large sofa rarely need to be moved as I can get around and under to vacuum. A huge coffee and side table were replaced with a lightweight set of wood nesting tables. The large china cabinet was replaced with a set of smaller storage pieces.

The resulting room is comfortable and easier to navigate.

I don't replace anything until I have to. I bought my first new couch 2 years ago, before that the one I had I bought used from a friend, My side wing chair was also given to me by the same friend. The only electronic item I have purchased was my laptop a little more than a year ago and only purchased because my other laptop stopped working and could not be repaired. haha my Apple iPod 4 Touch was the newest version when I bought it years ago, I still use it to take pictures or send texts and listen to podcasts but any new app that I want to download is not compatible with the version I have. I play Words with Friends on it using the old WWF classic version which I cannot update using this iPod. I don't have a cell phone. Once I start getting my Old Age Pension I might get a new kitchen table to replace the one that I have now that my Dad bought in the 1980's. I need a smaller table. I was thinking I might cut the legs down on the cherry wood kitchen table I have and use it as a big round coffee table in the living room.

My car is a 1997. 2nd owner, bought at 1 1/2 years old as the first owner had to have a new car again as this one was now dated. She was embarrased to drive a car she had over a year. (obviously we didn't stay bff) Dh's car is a 2003, he's first owner.

Our living room furniture we bought new in 2001, still have it.

Our mattresses are getting quite old now. Bought a mattress topper for one recently to further extend it's lifespan. Our bedroom furniture such as dressers/nightstands/desks are all 2nd hand, or stuff on the curb with a free sign on it. Our dining room table and chairs are semi-new to us, but dh found them while making a business call to a 2nd hand store and saw the set. He did backflips over this set and talked about it for two weeks before I said OK! Go get it. (he never gets excited about anything so I thought it must be something out of the ordinary) It's lovely and from the 1940s we believe, back when things were made sturdy. We feel honored to have it. It's small which is just what we needed. Dh took me to that store to inspect the dining set and I approved, but then saw a buffet. From 1860 that would have filled a void in our dining area, so we got that too--new to us, but one can sense the family histories that have happened around this buffet. It's quite magical in that way.

All the other varous items in our home are 2nd hand of some form. Either hand-me-downs, or found items or 2nd hand store gems.

We don't feel the need or desire to have a uniform and designer type of home. We like what makes us happy and is useful to us. Slightly ecclectic, but it certainly meshes together well. It's not for everyone, but that's ok.

Now, where we can not be good stewards of the earth, much to our chagrin is in the appliance dept. Ugh. We go through appliances like crazy and have the worst luck with them. So many, what used to be called durable goods are sitting in landfills because they are designed to breakdown after XX of uses. Repairing, in many cases costs more than replacement. It's my pet peeve and gets me upset. Not only for the enormous expense, but the waste. With one exception: I have a 2nd hand microwave that was given to me in the late 1980s by someone who was doing a gut remodel of her newly constructed condo (!!). I was a renter at the time so couldn't take any of the appliances, but she insisted I take the microwave. It has a manufacture stamp of 1985. A GE and it's great in every way. I just love that thing and will be sorely disappointed when it does need to be replaced, someday.

I rarely buy anything just to have the newest version. My washer is a top loader with a agitator. I get teased about it being old but it runs like a champ and turns out a very clean wash. Why would I change anything about that? Furniture gets replaced as needed. I can't say I have my eye out for all the latest trends. Our vehicles are only a couple years old. We do spend there and keep them tip-top. We are inclined to spend a good deal on boats and recreational equipment because that is how we enjoy life.

I use everything up until it is used up. I have 3 vehicles...a 2002 car, a 1997 pickup and a 2005 pickup. I lost most of my furniture in Hurricane Harvey flooding, and haven't replaced it. I have a few antique cupboards that will go in my house when I build. My cousin gave me a bed. I don't like it...and will put it on FB marketplace or something similar for real cheap. Nothing wrong with it...I just don't like the metal headboard. I bought a new mattress for it. It doesn't bother me at all to drive old vehicles. I have had lots of new ones. I used to get a brand new Olds cutlas every other year. I have had several new pickups. It is just not something that is important to me any more, and I can buy a lot of gasoline for the cost of a new vehicle.

Debby, you asked what to do with the old car (if one has one)...sell, dump, etc. My plan for my 1997 is one of two things: either donate to Make a Wish, who would then sell it to a pick-a-part junkyard when the time comes or donate to the local high school if they still have an auto mechanics program at that time. I can't sell my car because in my state it has to pass a smog test upon title transfer and while it techically would pass the emission portion, it has a hole in the exhaust that would cost more to repair than the car is worth, so I can't sell it as is. Who would want a 1997 you ask? Normally, nobody! :) In my area, my car would have a market because it's a snow beast and long timers here would like to have it, but alas...

My teen and 20 something DDs quiz me about every purchase (where is comes from, how it's made, etc.) and they refuse to buy just to have the latest gadget. I think (hope) the next generation of consumer will be more discerning.

Zalco, I don't know all the numbers, but I can't see how buying a new appliance every few years and dumping the old one, could be any better environmentally than keeping a less energy efficient older model that lasts 20 years. Ideally, they would not be allowed to dump older models at all. I think appliance companies should be charged a dumping fee if any of their models show up at a landfill. And, yes, I know they would pass it on to consumers, but I still think it would be a deterrent.

I drive a 1997 Silverado. Every day. I am often surprised by the compliments I get on it.

All my furniture is antiques from the 1800s bought in my weekly auction days so I have never replaced any. That furniture is so solid an elephant couldn't destroy it. The only "new" stuff is upholstered pieces and we rarely replace them since we got good quality pieces and they are all still in good shape. We have two large TVs and a small one (Zenith, do they even make TVs anymore?)in our built-in kitchen cabinet. It has to be over 20/25 years old and my kids say get a flat-screen but it works perfectly so when it doesn't we will. Our appliances are 20 years old since we did the kitchen renovation and fingers crossed they will last longer. My washer and dryer are old...maybe 20 years and when they fail we will buy new.

Almost everything in my house is from the Salvation Army, the dump or from my parents, grandparents, great grandparents. The only ”new” furniture is an Ektorp sofa from Ikea 20 years ago (for which I will get new cushions sometime) and some fabulous swivel rockers which I’ve had recovered since I bought them. All cars have been second hand, except my current one...and that was because I wanted to have a new car just once before I croaked. Electronics and appliances are a different story. I love the challenge of incorporating old items and love reusing/modifying items. I wonder if age has something to do with it.

I often think that manufacturers should be ”penalized” for producing garbage products. Years ago I lived in the Netherlands and the expectation was that a washer, for example, should last 15 years...and if it didn’t you were entitled to a prorated amount back. I thought it was a great idea.

For cars - I buy new when mine gets too old to fix economically and my husband owns an auto and truck repair shop. Lol. Last vehicle was a 2003 bought new. It had 250,000 miles on it and lots of rust when I replaced it. Thank you New England winters. I sold it and replaced it with new in 2019. DH drives a new company vehicle for the first time in 35 years. Prior to that he drove whatever used vheicle the shop ended up with.

Appliances get replaced only when they are no longer repairable i.e. parts become unavailable. DH does provides the labor. Washer and dryer are 10+ year old, extra large front loaders. I love them. Kitchen appliances are 2 years old as we renovated our kitchen and every appliance was 25+ years old and had died or was darn near dead prior to the remodel.

Furniture is a mixed bag of handme downs, roadside finds, barters and new as needed. We actually just purchased new living room furniture for the first time, a sectional and two chairs. The old set was structurally a mess after 25 years of children. I reupholstered it once but it lacked structural integrity and I lacked the energy to do that again. Our bedroom set came from a furniture wholesaler who owed DH money, so we took the bedroom set as payment.

I list a lot of items on our local community Free Curb Alert Facebook page. Anything I can't use, I try to pass on. If no one claims it then I will dispose of it.

I often think that manufacturers should be ”penalized” for producing garbage products.

It may be that part of the garbage product trend are the consumers themselves, most of whom will simply pick out the lowest price item and not necessarily consider quality. In order to stay in business some companies will respond by cutting prices, and somewhere along the line cutting quality in order to do that.

My mother and I both had GE refrigerators...hers harvest gold and mine avocado, back in the day when these colors were in. They both lasted 35 years. I bought a Kenmore washer when my son was born and sold it for $25 dollars when he was 27. We used to hold onto cars but now husband leases one of them so we have the latest technologies like our Subaru which pretty much drives itself. I think as we age, we need those features.

Honestly, only things "new:" in our house is my little tv in my sewing room. All others were bought used or had OVER 30 years or inherited.

My dining room table and chairs are about 11 years old now. I just redid the seats last week, but the legs have dog chew marks. I am hoping to replace it in a couple of years when I redo the kitchen, which is original to the house (1987). I still have the fridge that came with the house. The ice maker broke years ago and the outside looks horrible from all the stuck on stuff the previous owner had put on it. But it still works. I'll replace it when the kitchen is redone.

I had a washer that was about 30 years old before I finally bought another one. Almost the same with the old dryer. I think the dryer was a little newer before it had died.

My car is a 2008. I don't want to replace it until it dies completely. It has heated seats which I will have to have with my new car but I won't miss the foggy windshield and horrible climate control, or the hard to turn in a tight spot steering. Makes it hard to park in tiny parking lots and have to really swing wide to get into them, which isn't always possible. I bought it used but I think I'll buy a new car next time. It will probably be my last car.

My bed is pretty old, the headboard anyway. I bought it years ago at Big Lots, I think, when I was still married. Very cheap set that only the headboard survived my teenage daughter's use when she was in high school. The bottom of the drawers in the big dresser and nightstands were basically thick cardboard. I've thought about replacing the headboard but a lot of the new ones are excessively tall and massive. They look stupid to me. Maybe someday I will run across a pretty, basic one made of bamboo. Which is what my grow light shelf is made out of and also my new Ikea desk. Both are beautiful and simple. The dresser I used the last few years was one we bought for my son when he was a baby at a used furniture place in AZ. It was black when we bought it, I painted it off white and put circus stickers on it. It ended up being black years later and is now in my daughter's apartment. It is real wood. I have a new closet system so don't really need a dresser anymore. I did buy a small bamboo nightstand like thing with drawers to put the contents of my old desk in since my new Ikea desk only has three tiny drawers.

My last couch was bought on-line from Wayfair. Small, lightweight and fake leather. That was 4 or 5 years ago. The old couch was cheap and falling apart and very old. My daughter took my old dining room chairs from my last dining set and now they're back in my livingroom, waiting for her to sell them or give them away.

My tv is probably around 30 years old. It's just big enough to fit in my shrunk. I haven't used it in years as I spend most of my time in my bedroom, the kitchen or outside in the garden. When my daughter lived here last year she put her tv in front of it because she thought my tv was too small. I have a tiny livingroom so not sure how my tv was too small to watch but whatever.

I don't buy a lot of gadgets but a couple years ago I did buy an Instant Pot which I use all the time. I gave my old crock pot to Goodwill. Last year I bought a tiny bread maker which I also use alot. Then this past week I bought a three mini grill/waffle maker set, which I probably don't need but waffles sounded really good and I've never owned a waffle maker. We'll see how long they last since they were fairly inexpensive.

I do try and stay away from plastic stuff for the kitchen. I just bought a bunch of compostable household/kitchen bags and wrap. I also replaced my old, broken Tupperware flour scoop with a metal one. Replaced my old plastic reusable meal containers that were corroding with mostly glass ones. The lids still have some plastic in them.

Habits are sometimes a result of a person's means - many have enough resources to support more spending, some don't. Sometimes it's childhood experiences (in both directions, both expansive and frugal), or other decisions.

We keep cars 5-6 years, newer ones are safer, have more fun gadgets, are more fuel efficient. We have more cars than drivers in the house, we do like cars. We replace gizmos when a new one offers enhanced capabilities we want to have.

We rarely buy anything used - I can't remember the last time. We like things new. Everyone is different.

Interesting question. I know it's none of my business, but I do wonder about people who have to have the latest gadget every year, like Iphones. A much more reasonably priced phone still allows you to text and do what you need to do.

As for cars, we downsized to one car and used my car for trade-in toward a new Subaru about 5 years ago. New because they seem to retain their value and the same model "used" would have cost close to the same. We are going to drive it for at least another 5 years and then maybe upgrade to one with the newest features.

As for furniture, etc., it is only replaced when necessary and then via really good sales. I had a very well-off co-worker who replaced her furniture and dishes (the dishes had to match the new furniture) every year and either gave stuff away or sold it for ridiculously low prices. Not thrifty, but the recipients of her largesse were very happy.

Daisy, I wasn't suggesting new appliances every few years. I have seen many posts here refer to appliances that are from the 90s, which I think is too old vis-à-vis energy efficiency. It is far better to dump an appliance that is 20 plus years old than to continue to operate it. Consider how much safer and energy efficient a new car is compared with one from the 90s too. A great deal has changed in order to meet enhanced emissions and safety standards.

The only vehicle I ever bought brand new was a 2003 Toyota 4Runner Limited that I bought when my husband was in the nursing home. I figured it would last me forever; however, that was one of the years Toyota used inferior metal for the undercarriage, and when it was 10 years old it literally came very close to falling out. I took it to be inspected, and my mechanic wouldn't even allow anyone to drive it home. So much for brand new cars.

I presently drive a 10-year-old Subaru Outback in the cold months (it was three years old when I bought it) and my pride-and-joy 1992 Chevy Caprice in the warm months. I've been driving the latter for 25 years, and am more attached to it than any other car I've ever owned.

Furniture? My upholstered living room furniture was purchase new about 20 years ago, and so was my bed, a pine bead-board I ordered from Maine. Everything else was either bought secondhand (like my 96" desk) or antique. My dining table is an antique library table. Oh, wait--I do have two pieces of custom made furniture--a Dutch cupboard and an oak sideboard--that were purchased new, but they were made from reclaimed wood, and they look old. Nothing is in danger of being replaced.

I do have to replace my oil burner after 18 years. I'm told it has outlived its expected lifespan, and more importantly, the oil tanks in my basement are in danger of failing. That would not be good.

I have one smart TV, up in my bedroom. It was a Black Friday bargain, but as the saying goes, it's not a bargain if you don't need it, and I guess I didn't need it because I never watch it. I'm just not in the habit of watching TV in bed. (I read instead.) Downstairs, I have a 19" TV in the kitchen and a 46" model in the living room. Neither are "smart," and I've had them for a bunch of years. But I use Fire Sticks for streaming, and that works well. I don't watch a lot of TV, but I enjoy electronics and like to be able to use it when I want to.

We upgrade our computers from time to time, and I've been known to upgrade my camera equipment--though not as often as I used to. When we want to get rid of something, I sell on eBay and sell or give away for free on Facebook Marketplace. Using the no-contact honor system on Marketplace during the pandemic, we disposed of a lot of items that way.

Daisy,

Also, consider money spent on energy costs is usually correlated with carbon emissions.

And from the Energy Star website:

On average, home appliances – including clothes washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, air purifiers and humidifiers – will account for 20 percent of your home’s total electric bill. ENERGY STAR appliances, which are certified by the U.S. Department of Energy, can reduce that share. The average home appliance lasts for 10 to 20 years, and an ENERGY STAR-certified appliance will use anywhere from 10 to 50 percent less energy each year than a non-energy efficient equivalent.

https://www.energysage.com/energy-efficiency/costs-benefits/energy-star-rebates/

We tend to buy new and use things until they break down. We were using our old computers, updated them as we could until they were just too slow to enjoy using them. They were built around 2005, my husband built both of ours. We still use them both for stuff like writing word documents and such. They also have most of our files and photos on them. We just use our new laptops for internet now. Don't care about smartphones. I have two old trucks that I will drive until the wheels fall off. We also have one new car that we use for going distances. I am not opposed to hand me downs and curbside freebies, thrift store bargains, garage sale finds and flea market deals!!!!!

I tried to post a response here, but Houzz decided to throw it away.

^^^^^^^^^^ 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Having lived in furnished apartments for too many years with all of the hand downs and used furniture buys I shudder reading some of the comments as it seems like some only have the pieces because they were free or cheap. I will buy unusual things if I see them at a used furniture place but they have to be something unusual. As far as cars when younger I saw too many people spending more on keeping a car running than it would have cost to purchase a brand new one. Most of our cars lasted ten years or more but when they started having problems it was time for them to go. Only one used Saturn when I drowned the one I had the rest of the cars I have had were all new.

Like my parents did, DH and I strive to buy quality items that last a good long time. We seldom replace household furnishings. When we downsized homes, we considered buying a new bed but never found one we liked that much better than the old one. We've looked for two new comfy chairs for the living room, to replace the couch (sold as we downsized). DH likes an IKEA model, but I'm sitting in a Scandinavian style chair my folks bought before I was born because I haven't found anything I like better. I'm sure there are fabulous beds, chairs, tables, anything out there if you're willing and able to pay tippy-top dollar, but I'm not.

Cars are DH's thing. He's done well for us over the years, selecting models that are fun, safe, and hold their value well. The last car he bought was used; we kept it four years and sold it last month for within a thousand dollars of what he paid. So essentially we paid $250/year for a nice convertible.

I agree with the energy star advice in theory, but I think (again, this is really just my own ideas based on anecdotal evidence) that while it was once valid, it isn't any longer. Appliances from the 90s aren't the ones breaking down and being thrown away/replaced these days. Just from my (constant) reading on forums like Kitchens, it seems that most new appliances are made to be disposable and last only a few years, then off to the dump.

We are appliance snobs and tend to buy old school European models that are still being built to last, but cost more. We do the same with our cars. However, it seems most of the appliances being consumed these days are of the disposable/cheaper variety. It just doesn't seem sustainable to me.

I just had to spend $395 on compression stockings and an aid to help put them on. I would have rather put that money towards a Canadian made recliner haha and elevate my legs instead. Chair would last years, stockings need to replaced in 6 months.

Oh, daisy, I totally agree with everything you said. That is a quansdry, dump the ancient still running appliance and buy a new, energy efficient one that is disposable. I too prefer European appliances.

We LOVE buying NEW everything! We're debt free. I do pick up 2nd hand deals, but not for everything. The reason for buying a NEW truck....you get to break it in properly. Know it's service record. Not a scratch or dent on it! We buy ALL the fancy accessory packages, get the color we want. Our last truck we sold to a kid that really needed transportation to get to work....as he'd totalled his last vehicle. His dad chipped in and paid for half. We sold it on CL in less than 4 hours!

My New dining room set needed the table repaired, the shippers dropped it, literally. ☺ I saved it from a landfill. The old set, I donated to Goodwill. My NEW TV cost less to buy new than repair the old one. It is pre-loaded with ALL the streaming sites. We took the old one to a recycle center. I wear out my work-out clothes. I just made a trip to Kohl's, shopped their sale rack with a store coupon, nothing was over $5 & cool name brands!

My newly purchased home was unfinished, like new.....it's super insulated, 14" walls! Super energy efficient! The windows are Low E, double paned, all 42 of them. No lot is smaller than 2.5 acres....well spaced. It's in a better area of town, with beautiful walking trails. My old house was sold to a couple that had a special needs child, with the nearby school providing a program for special needs children.

I like older furniture when it comes to wood pieces. They are made better and are solid wood. All my dressers, tables and some other things are very old but were from family. One thing I wouldn't buy used is upholstered furniture. A couple years ago I gave my daughter the matching couch and loveseat from my living room because I thought it was too big for the room. I bought a new couch but don't like it. It isn't comfortable. I have decided to shop for and purchase a different new one. I will give away the other one.

We still have the BR set we were given when we married, over 50 years ago. When we built this house, we gave away most of the more contemporary furniture we'd had for 10 - 15 years and bought new in a more traditional style for LR, Library, DR, Kitchen. (A neighbor's church was having their annual rumage sale.) That was 20 years ago. We've had one small sofa refurbished. The kitchen table needs replacing; my mistake, not realizing the (Pennsylvania House) top was laminate, not finished wood. We still have our old outdoor furniture on the screened porch. Most of our furniture is Century upholstery and Baker casegoods. We have wood flooring and wool Oriental rugs (not antique, just contemporary).

I laugh to see new furiture *leased*, especially as it's so cheap to begin with that it will be trash in a year or two, not the six years on the payment plan.

We have two old, but 'smart' TVs; 40-something-inch in Libraryand 20" at kitchen table. Cable. Cell phones are hand-me-downs from DS. GE and Kitchen Aid appliances are 15 - 20 years old. I've only had to replace the Dishdrawers, but fear the day the fridge dies. Just got our washer repaired, thanks to a tip from bpath here on the KT.

I was a car fan in my youth, starting with my 1962 Austin Healey convertible. DH and I spent way too much money on automobiles -- but not *recently*. We even sold our 'second' car' when it started gathering dust in the garage. We now share one 2005 Jaguar X-Type w/sports package...and 45K miles. At least we eventually learned to buy 'last year's' Jag; this one came with a 6-year warranty. (Jaguar buyers tend to 'need' a new car every six months; let them absorb that instant depreciation.)

My fridge and stove are both "energy star" but are 20 years old so probably not as energy star as the new stuff. But I would rather keep them until they die (please don't die today) rather than get rid of them to buy new. While I could sell them for a few dollars to someone else, I don't see the point. They still work just fine for me. Same goes for the deep freeze. I don't think energy star was a thing when it was made. LOL I could give it away to someone else, but why? it still works. And the more we buy, the more the manufacturers make. It's a vicious circle I tell ya! ;)

When shopping for a dishwasher and 'fridge a few years ago we were told it's the energy efficiency technology that makes current appliances have the half life older appliances had. I wonder what makes the bigger footprint, using a 'fridge for 40+ years or filling landfills with super efficient one every 10? This is a very curious discussion for this site. Pretty sure HGTV and the current hobbies of gutting perfectly serviceable kitchens/bathrooms so they are 'updated' is one way we filled our landfills.