Mrs. 1500 back again today. Last week I asked you what the difference between frugal and cheap. Before I get to your answers, Mr. 1500 wants to get a word in:
The Battle of the Crocs is ongoing. So is the battle of the toilet paper. Allow me to explain.
If I have to blow my nose, I’m not above ripping off a couple squares from the TP roll to do the job. If I have a cold or allergies, I just grab a roll for my desk.
This drives Mrs. 1500 crazy. She is a modern day Howard Hughes:
Kleenex everywhere!
I just don’t care. It’s all the same to me.
What I really wanted to say though is this: crusty Crocs and wayward toilet paper are what we fight about. We don’t fight about our finances or money ever. If these are the worst of our issues, I’m happy.
(Mrs. 1500’s rebuttal, to Mr. 1500’s absolutely ridiculous argument: Toilet paper is thin, and designed to fall apart when it comes in contact with liquid. Tissues are made to stand up to liquid. What are you blowing out of your nose?
I will concede that this is all we fight about, and it is pretty silly in the face of all the problems in the world…)
So last week, I asked you the difference between frugal and cheap. I got a lot of really great answers.
Reader Thomas said
“Being cheap from my definition means that you go to a point in saving where you:
– ruin your health (like only eating pasta and ketchup),
– ruin your relationships,
– you hurt other people or society since you live off them (like putting your garbage in their bins or just throw it in the wood) or
– do not give any tips or make no donations anymore.”
This is interesting, because many of you mentioned the no charitable donations thing, which made me take another look at our giving, which is less that it should be. So a new goal this year is to increase my charitable giving.
Maggie from Northern Expenditure has a sister-in-law who used to change the dim lightbulbs she regularly used with brighter bulbs when people came over. That’s too much work for me.
Nate from InvestmentZen calls his 5-year-old office chair ‘borderline’ because the faux leather has peeled off completely in the seat area, plus the cat peed on it 3 years ago. I probably would have replaced it about 3 years ago, but he says he can’t smell anything. My sister-in-law’s dog peed on our bath mat a few weeks ago when it stayed over, so I guess if you can’t smell it, it isn’t such a big deal…
Amber Tree Leaves agrees with me that the shoes cross the line of frugal and move into cheap. Thanks, Amber Tree Leaves!
Mrs. Nickels from My Shiny Nickels has a different-but-same problem. Mr. Nickels has shirts with holes, multiple holes, but they are shirts he loves. Looks like Mr. Nickels shirts are going to get “lost in the laundry.”
But Mortimer from MortimersMoneyMachines.com had an answer that took the cake.
“I still have a pair of soccer shorts I got in middle school that I use for pulling weeds in the yard. They still work. Who cares if the elastic is so worn that they have a tendency to look a bit like plumber’s wear?”
Now, Mortimer didn’t share with me how far back middle school was. For me, it was more than 10 years ago. A LOT more than 10 years ago.
I was answering comments and read this one out loud to Mr. 1500. I said, “I’m going to make that next week’s question – what’s the oldest thing you own?”
Mr. 1500 said, “That’s a good question – I have underwear from high school.”
I replied, “No you don’t.” (He USED to have underwear from high school. They ‘disappeared’ a while ago.)
Mr. 1500 note: What? I mean, those old yellow ones had a couple extra holes, but that was great for ventilation.
I have a dress that I am determined to fit back into, that is at least 15 years old. My Teva sandals are holding themselves together in enough places that I can still wear them, about 17 years later. I just tossed my first-generation Shimano bicycle sandals at the end of last summer because they were about to fall apart, and of course they would only do that mid-ride. I still have my original bicycle shoes, and I bought them during a bike trip in 1999.
That may be my oldest stuff.
What about you? What’s the oldest thing you own, and how long have you had it?
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I have a high school baseball shirt that I believe is from 2003 that I still wear for mowing the lawn or working outside. My wife hates it and it has “accidentally” ended up in the clothes to get rid of pile numerous times. It still serves its purpose and will be around another 13 years if I have my way…which I won’t, because deep down I know who ultimately wins these decisions. ?
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Thias, Mr. 1500 has some things that also ‘mistakenly’ made it into the trash – the thrift stores wouldn’t want them…
I don’t think I have anything in my closet more than eight years old. If I like something, I tend to wear it out. If it was a buying mistake, it gets donated. (It should be useful for someone!) I do have some dressy clothes which are still useful but don’t get worn enough to wear out. (Like my job interview outfit, which I hope I won’t have to use any time soon!)
Mrs. 1500, ditch the dress. Most people I know find their bodies have changed since they were in the 20s, especially if they’ve had kids. That dress might fit eventually, but chances are it will no longer fit as it should. I’m roughly the same weight as when I was in high school, but I’ve definitely adopted some curves…
Beth, I know you’re right about the dress, and I did get rid of one that I will never fit back into. Baby steps…
Mine would be a skirt that I bought for 8th grade promotion ceremony (1997) with my babysitting money. It’s a nice khaki skirt from The Limited (does that store still exist?) and I’ve taken really good care of it so I still wear it to work once or twice a month. Admittedly, it does fit a little different than it used to (did not have grown-up hips in 8th grade!).
Mr PoP has me beat in garment age, though. He has several wool sweaters he inherited from his grandfather that are probably older than we are, and he’s been wearing them at least since high school.
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Also, re kleenex, you’re both right. We use TP for “everyday” blowing the nose, but buy Kleenex when we’re sick and have a serious volume of nose blowing to deal with. Since that’s pretty infrequent, we splurge on buying the softest strongest Kleenex around. (Last time they were infused with Vicks and aloe and it was heavenly!).
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That is awesome about Mr. PoP’s sweaters. What a cool think to inherit!
Oh how I wish I hadn’t washed the wool sweater my mother hand-knitted for my dad while they were dating…
Those sweaters sound cool.
We have the same thing. I have a sweater that use to be my dad’s when he was a teen.
Just did the math… What?! It’s probably 33 yrs old. My dad was thin but I’m sure it has shrunk in the wash… Because my brother wore it in middle school too.
It’s in great shape other then the shrinking because it doesn’t get a lot of use because well its a sweater and I live in California. 🙂
But its in my winter capsule so its getting more use now.
Also no Kleenex here.
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Haha, I’m the same as Mortimer…I’m still rocking middle-school soccer wear (even though I’m now 33 years old). I wear my old jersey (which is just a t-shirt) around the house and it must have been huge on me back in the day because it fits perfectly now!
You may know this already, actually, because I vaguely remember my wife and Mrs. 1500 complaining about these things last time we were together?
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“You may know this already, actually, because I vaguely remember my wife and Mrs. 1500 complaining about these things last time we were together?”
Whoah, I think that we need to keep our wives away from each other. I like my old ragged clothes and crappy shoes. If they have a chance to talk, they may conspire against us…
I have Mrs. FI’s email…
For the record, my super durable soccer shorts, that I am wearing as I type this, were purchased used in 1996. 20 years of life and still hoping for 5 more! I am also pleased to find a kindred spirit in the Mad Fientist, two years my senior.
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Haha, I have a two or three button down shirts from the mid 90s…..but, what really drives my wife nuts is that I have 4 Hawaiian print shirts from about the same vintage. What can I say, I have always lived in Florida?! Besides, she wasn’t so embarrassed when she needed to borrow one for a beach luau themed birthday in November. Score!
Have a great week 1500s
-Bryan
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I lived through the 90’s. I can only imagine what those button down shirts look like…
Regarding the toilet paper – I do the same thing. We are a ‘NO Kleenex’ household!
Unfortunately I don’t think I have any clothes that are older than 15 years old. I’m just too hard on things for them to last much longer than 15 years.
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Right on Mr. Tako, TP nose blowers unite! ***fist bump***
While I’m sure Mr. Tako is a nice person who means well, he is just plain wrong. Kleenex.
Oldest thing I own? Or oldest garment? Those would be two VERY different answers!
I’m afraid to ask. Cars don’t count, has to be garments…
1500’s,
I blow my nose with TP too. Sometimes pieces end up on my shirt.
The oldest garments I own are two band t-shirts from 1994. One is Toad the Wet Sprocket and the other is Green Day. I bought these two sizes too big (because we did that in the 90’s), so they don’t fit and I haven’t worn them since 1996. They’re rare so I won’t toss them. The problem is I can’t motivate to sell them on eBay. So they just sit in a pile called “to sell on eBay” and take up space.
-RBD
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Oh man I need to still see if I have my Green Day shirt, although the ill fitting thoughts might make me skip this exercise.
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I guess I forgot about my Radiohead concert tee from the Pablo Honey tour. The purple one with the baby with the freaky eyes on it. I wear it to paint and work on the house… early 90’s.
I have 14-year-old, frugal-law-mowing shorts–def the oldest garment I own!
I have some old high school jerseys that are over 25 years old. A little snug these days. I do have some shirts and sweatshirts that have to be 10+ years old.
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Nothing from high school still fits, a little snug or otherwise.
Probably some of my clothes date back to middle school, which is fine by me as I wear them around the house only. They still have their shape and have almost no holes in them so they are safe and sound for now and hopefully have ten more ears in them.
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Almost no holes. I think I might have an item or two with almost no holes.
I use toilet paper if i just have a sneeze, but if I’m actually sick I’ll go for tissue/kleenex otherwise I’ll rub my nose painfully raw. There are really soft aloe vera toilet papers though, believe it or not lol.
I’m 28, I have a fox racing T-shirt from when I used to ride dirt bikes I’ve had since middle school but I haven’t worn it in years. I also have a green and gold silk robe I bought in China when I was 18, I root for the Packers in unusual style, with a cigar and single malt scotch in hand. A couple months ago I actually made myself get rid of most old stuff I don’t ware anymore and there’s more at my parents house.
Dude, that robe sounds awesome. I can totally picture it in my head. Very unorthodox, but very cool.
When you have a cold and need to blow all day for a few days straight, a handkerchief will keep your nose from being rubbed raw. The only downside is you have to carry your snot with you. Eww.
I have a shirt from middle school I still have. Technically it is my wife’s shirt. It is a blue polo shirt that has her name and her title “Student Council President”. I were it all throughout senior year of high school and college. I haven’t worn it it in a few months, but this last time, I think it has “shrunk.” The fabric is getting a little thin but no holes yet. I also have a few pairs of chuck taylors from high school and about half of my jeans are from high school (although to be fair most have them have become “working on the house jeans” (but they still fit!)).
To give you a point of reference. I graduated from high school in 2006. That shirt is from the 7th grade (2000), so only 16 years old.
Yeah, I’m a little older than you are. But I love that you still have your wife’s running for class president t-shirt.
OK – I may get the win on this one due merely to my advanced years! For years and years and years, I saved my clubbin’ clothes from the 80’s in tubs in the basement. You know – velvet jumpsuits cut down to the navel, bell bottoms, tiger print silk shirts – all of those things which would never be worn in the light of day. Don’t ask me why I kept them. I had no illusion that I was ever going to put them on this corpus again. BUT – my 18 year old daughter is rocking them out of the park now 🙂 Whatever she didn’t want went off to the Salvation Army last year. 🙂
I went to high school in the 80’s, but I don’t have anything left from then. Nice that your daughter can wear them.
I still own a ton of things from ten years ago +! (We’ll skip over the Prom dresses I can’t seem to get rid of…) My Converse from 15 years ago are still going strong. And I still wear a 1970s running shirt from when my parents ran the Starlight race in Portland. It’s one of my favorites!
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OK so my first prom was in 1988. Think peach, and miles of it. Just got rid of that in the last five years. Worn once, of course. SMH.
I have a sweater from high school in the 1980s that I can (now) put back into my regular clothing rotation. I just lost a ton of weight over the last year, and there are lots of things I can wear again. A dress from high school is next up (in about 30 more pounds), but it actually is a whole lot older, as it is one I bought from a vintage store… circa 1940s (it’s silky rayon fabric and gorgeous – of course I hung onto it!!). Lots of retro 60s-80s stuff too. Gotta love vintage classics!
Hmm, I wonder what that 80’s sweater looks like? Bold geometric print? Raglan sleeves? There were some timeless pieces in the 80’s, too.
It is a medium jade green with a black pattern of swirls and swans (very Art Nouveau), and the overall fit is a relaxed/slouch sweater (in fit/style like this one http://tinyurl.com/jksobkr – hope that link works) and I wore it like a mini dress but with stirrup pants. I wear it with regular old jeans now, but I’ve had a few people actually ask me where I got it. I tell them “from the distant past” usually. 😀
Im a huge t shirt person. I have multiple t shirts that are well over 10 years old and i dont even wear them. I need to get rid of them once and for all.
Maybe ill wait for spring cleaning!
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T-shirts are awesome. I have at least 75 in varying states of decay.
Some are only worn for extremely messy tile setting where half of the thinset winds up all over the front of me.
Other t-shirts are perfect for a night out on the town with the Mrs. Yes, I’m classy like that.
He picks them up for free whenever we go to conferences. Remember that last conference? He brought home something like 13 t-shirts. Although at that conference, they had really nice quality t-shirts…
Looking through my closet, you might think I’ve never given away a single article of clothing in my life! Most of my non-work clothes are at least 5 years old. I have and still use a workout shirt purchased in 1999. During football season, I’ll also occasionally throw on my old Jerry Rice jersey, which was probably purchased in the mid-nineties. The oldest thing in my closet, though, is my grandfather’s gray wool suit, which probably dates back to the sixties. I had it tailored a few years ago and wear it once in a while; it’s a fun way to remember him in a practical way.
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I have several clothing items from high school. I’m 25. Still fit into clothes that I bought when I was 15. So about 10 years old. Workout gear doesn’t change much.
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Hmmm…. we are a “Kleenex” family, but without the expensive taste. The TP simply does not hold up well enough, plus we occasionally use the Kleenex also for the little one (accidents and such).
As for old garments, Mr. CF still have several shirts from his high school years. These must be about 20 years old by now! Still have not disappeared in the laundry, but they may as they are worn down.
I have a pair of jeans from college (26 years ago) that I keep because a) I am proud to still fit in them, and b) they have tears in the knees from when I dropped to the ground to put out a co-worker who was on fire. True story!
Wow, I didn’t know jeans could last that long. The crap you buy now lasts about a year or two at most.
Nice work on keeping your shape!
I have pairs of underwear……from high school. I’m 28. They’ve held up REALLY well. Why throw them out if they still fit?
Absolutely! Keep them forever! They are also a testament to you keeping your shape!
Wear them like a badge of honor! Well, a secret badge unless you want to be on the news.
Great question, I think my oldest clothing item is my t-shirt from basketball which I think is from Junior year of high school. Who doesn’t want to wear a purple shirt that says D-House on the front and has been converted to a cutoff.
I got a leather jacket from my dad a few years ago. The jacket was given to him by my grandpa when parents got married. That was like 35 or so years ago. The jacket is still in pretty good condition. Will I be able to pass it down to Baby T1.0? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
That’s a pretty great story. Keep it forever!
I own a dress I bought before my junior year of high school back in 1994, so it’s about 22 years old. It was a hippie-revival style, and I’m saving it for my daughters for when it eventually comes back in style.
My husband still has his lifeguard T-shirts he wore in high school back in 1986.
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I don’t have anything super, super old, but I do have a tank top I wear that really needs to be retired. My husband makes fun of me almost on a daily basis for it. It’s pretty much hanging on for it’s dear life haha.
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Ha ha, I would take your husband’s taunts as a challenge! Somehow, make it last for another decade!
I have a couple of old Ice Hockey Jerseys from 1991 that I now use as a gym t-shirts. I must have been TINY.
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I still have a pair of Levis with a 36″ waist from the early 1970s.
Hope springs eternal.
They are probably worth a fortune on eBay….
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I expect to see you in them in Ecuador.
I don’t think I have any old garments, since I always de-clutter periodically. I do have a pair of heels that are 10+ years old. It’s great quality, beautiful and comfortable. I try my best to preserve these!
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The oldest item of clothing that I regularly wear are a pair of Nike workout shorts I – or more likely my mom – bought 15 years (50% of my life!) ago. I have worn them at least weekly through all those years, and they have NO detectable wear except that the tag is no longer readable. I love them so much I wrote a blog post about them years ago http://evolvingpf.com/2013/08/my-best-clothing-purchase-ever/. I wish I had bought 7 pairs of them so I would never have to buy workout shorts again!
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Those shorts are awesome! 500 washes? Wow!
It seems like everything I buy is crap and lasts for one year. I’m thinking I should get decent shorts from a place like REI instead of the $12 ones at Costco. Who cares if they cost 4x more if they are going to last 10x as long.
I have many garments that are older than many of the commenters. My oldest is from when I was a junior in high school in 1969. I have two sweaters from then, one Icelandic pattern that my Mother knit for me and one that was a cashmere sweater that my sister bought for me. I am writing this in a sweater my Mother knit in 1990 or so, wearing jeans that are at least 5 years old and a shirt that is three years old. I have in my closet dresses that are 20 years old, jackets that are 25 years old, shoes that are 22 years old, all of which I wear. You can fill in the years with clothes I have bought. If you have nice things, and buy one or two things a year, and don’t gain weight, clothes can last a long time. They don’t need to get grungy and embarrassing. Nor do they need to be silly and dated. When those things happen, get rid of them. But the idea that 10 years is a long time to own or wear something is a sign of our throw away society.
“But the idea that 10 years is a long time to own or wear something is a sign of our throw away society.”
Agreed! The issue I have is that most of my stuff doesn’t last 10 years. I think this is a separate problem altogether.
25 years is just great! Congratulations on that awesomeness.
My high school t-shirt from 1983 is still rock’n…..though it will never fit me again. Last time I flew through Portland, I had my teenage son wear it and got a picture of him in front of my old h.s. Go Benson Tech!!!
Using tp to blow ones nose has a long tradition in Alaska, but like many of the other commenters, we buy the good tissue with infused lotion when we are sick.
“Using tp to blow ones nose has a long tradition in Alaska…”
Hilarious! Are you calling me a redneck? 🙂 Or, maybe I’m inferring that Alaskans are rednecks! Sorry Alaskans! 🙂
Ha! Kleenex is just an ingenious marketing ploy: the end of civilization happened when ad execs convinced us that TP and kleenex are fundamentally different substances!!
Of course, I do buy my kleenex in bulk at Costco, but that’s because TP is so valuable that the knock off is good enough for, you know, off-label use. They don’t call TP “mountain money” for nothing…
I have a friend who used to take rolls of TP, remove the center roll, and put it in kleenex boxes stationed around her house. She’s awesomely awesome in many ways 🙂
A neon green sweatshirt from the 80s that my mom gave me for Xmas when I was 19…she died just a few months later. It still fits, it is not outrageously out of style, and I think fondly of my mom whenever I see it. And oh, my mom was super frugal– learning
frugality by observation was the best gift she ever gave me.
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Don’t worry, it will be back in style any day now.
“It still fits, it is not outrageously out of style, and I think fondly of my mom whenever I see it. And oh, my mom was super frugal– learning
frugality by observation was the best gift she ever gave me.”
This is beautiful! Keep that sweatshirt forever.
I have a pair of khaki capris I purchased my freshman year of high school (about14 years ago). They are still in pretty good shape and I still wear them when I golf. However I will probably only wear them for another year or two. I also have a red plaid tweed suit jacket and suit skirt my mom purchased in the 70s. I don’t know how often she wore it but it’s in such good shape I still wear it on occasion!
Let’s see, the oldest item that I purchased and still could wear would be a pair of shoes I bought for marching band in 1991. I have a couple of other items of clothing of early 90’s vintage, but they’re kept for sentimental reasons.
The oldest item of wearable clothing would be my dad’s sweater. I have no idea how old it is, but I have a photo of my mom, pregnant with me, in this sweater in 1972. Dad died in 1987, and it comes out when I especially miss him. I know it’s probably all in my head, but I swear it still has that slightly sweet but masculine odor that he had before he got so sick.
Handkerchief beats kleenex and TP. The cotton is softer on your nose than wood fibers, it’s reusable so you buy and throw away less stuff, works fine even if it gets wet (eg, in the rain). It also won’t explode into shreds if you blow on it too hard, leaving all that lovely snot on your hand. And for gentlemen who may shave irregularly, your scratchy stubbly beard will not tear it to tiny little shreds that stick on your lip.
If you’ve got a really awful, snotty head cold you might need to change out more frequently or temporarily switch to Kleenex. But for general use, the handerchief is just plain better.
Today, I’m wearing a t-shirt I got in Hong Kong in 2005. It’s getting tatter around the collar and it’s probably going into the rag pile this year. I got 4 of these shirts and I’ve been wearing them pretty often. I guess things were better made then. New t-shirts only last 3-4 years now.
I have about 13 years old trendy (at the time) shoes that I still occasionally wear on some casual Friday. You have no idea how many compliments I get on the shoes. Fashion is cyclical.
I have a t-shirt from High School during a soccer camp that is from 2003 or 2004. I actually have several versions of it, one from each year. Basically they gave everyone a large so I never really wore it being fairly skinny back then, I only wore it for soccer or playing sports. They never really got too worn – so now I just wear them to the gym.
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I have two coats that from my Great Grandmother. She bought both of them in the 1940’s. I love both of them and wear them all the time. I also still wear my husbands sweatpants from college. It is close to 20 years since we graduated from college.
Oh and Kleenex all the way!!
I have a sweater I bought in 1985 from Carroll Reed. I love it and it still looks good! Regarding the “crocs,” buy yourself a pair of new, real crocs! They will last you your whole life.
I have a sweatshirt that my parents got for me on a trip to Washington D.C. back in 1991. I was in the sixth grade. I’m now 35 and still wear the sweatshirt (only around the house). It has some small holes and thumb holes that have appeared over time, but I still see myself wearing it for the next 10 years.
Hmmm…oldest garment? I have some faves from the late 2000s – probably the earliest 2007. Things go out of style and I try to move them out. I have some suits that are timeless and some styles as well that I hold on to. But the old stuff has got to go!
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Oldest? Let’s see, I’ve got three that have been with me for over thirty of my almost-fifty years on this planet. They all have great memories attached.
The ever-faithful Birkenstock shoes I bought for choral concerts in college, which cork I’ve nearly treaded into crumbs from hard use since. The tuxedo I bought for orchestra concerts in high school, which I can barely no longer fit into around the cummerbund. The letterman jacket I received in college, from captaining my fencing squad.
The shoes have lasted this long from careful care and repair, the other items from infrequent wearings. All my other clothes decay within a decade, sometimes well within, from the slings-and-arrows of daily life and weekly washings. My wife and daughter have more clothes, which last much longer because each piece doesn’t see use as frequently.
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Today was very hot here in Queensland. I wore one of my favourite hot weather shirts. You can sweat and not look like you are wearing a rumpled old bag. I’ve hung it inside out from it’s first wash and that’s gone a long way to it’s longevity. I was thinking all these things as I was wearing it only hours ago! I tried to remember when I bought it but the year escapes me. It was about 20 years ago in the early to mid 90’S. I wear it most years. I was slim and had a different style for a few years so it had a rest in those times.
I too have toilet rolls in every room. 4 squares folded in half, used diagonally is perfect for nose blowing and go down the loo with the #2’s. ??
I definitely have things from college so that’s at least 15 years old but I probably don’t wear them much if ever. Speaking of which, I should declutter and get rid of them or donate. I do have a winter coat which I have had for at least 13 years and I wear it all the time during the winter. It’s a Northface..a gift from my sister…and it’s still in great condition. Not sure I will retire it anytime soon.
I still wear some shirts from middle school, they are a little small on me so i just cut the sleeves and collar a bit. They are great for working out, and quite comfortable. I think ive hit a point where I do not need to buy anymore clothes, ive stopped growing and everything i have is in relatively good condition. The only thing i could imagine my self buying again is shoes because they wear out more often than clothes!
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Most people I know find their bodies have changed since they were in the 20s, especially if they’ve had kids. That dress might fit eventually, but chances are it will no longer fit as it should
The oldest garments I still own are t-shirts and a pair of Doc Martens. Ramones 1979 or 1980,Rolling Stones Sun Devil Stadium 1981 tour, The US Festival and Doc Martens 1983.I can still wear all of them even at age 53 since I’m the same size now as I was back then 🙂
Dare to live young !
Ramones and Rolling Stones! I think your shirts will outlive the members of those bands!