Some people may have noticed I recycle, reuse and repurpose old junk . I repair what I can and even rebuild what appears to be to far gone. I invest a lot of time and effort into changing what I have into a new functional item.
Many may think doing this is environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible. It may be but it isn't why I do it. Some may think it leaves a smaller carbon foot print. Ok on this I don't know where to begin . My actions are not based on a belief in saving the planet (mother nature will shake her ass and we all will die one day). It is based on accomplishing what I need to do within a budget I can afford. My son's place is going to be 1500$ and it works out to 1.20 invested per square foot . Its a 1200 sq. Foot house and with land its 3200$ and will have a 10 year plus new life. My daughter property cost 4600 and is going to cost 2500 to 3000 in rehab on 700 foot home or 4 $ a foot for a total of 7,500. Her place is going to be good for 15 to 20 years of new life.
This wasn't done to save the structures from the dump It was because build cost range from 35 to ???? infinite on new. Even my vending trailer is going to come in at 1/10th new cost. We managed to acquire the properties at low cost and do low cost renovation's to make them work. This is what , Frugal means. Sparing or economical ,simple and plain and costing little
Now while all of my project have been environmentally friendly that was not the intent. I do think we are to quick to teardown old sound structures to build new lower quality one's in their place and most houses and businesses are built to only last the term of their mortgage.
Our great grand parents lived a frugal lifestyle because it was all they knew. We have as a society forgotten what a frugal lifestyle makes possible .
Good for you Gary, you're one of the last ones doing stuff for yourself.
ReplyDeleteI think it's far to easy to buy new things because today most any fool can get a loan where 40 years ago they would never come close to qualifying for one. The other thing is today's young people are over educated and simply lazy. Many have never used a lawn mower or even seen a hammer let alone know how to use one.
Thanks Mike.
ReplyDeletePeople as a whole have been taught NEW IS BETTER it benefits others at our expense. By doing or rebuilding I save and I am getting to teach my son some skills. Remember Emmett's fix it shop on Mayberry RFD we need those back.
carbon footprint--you cross the yard, stepping inadvertently into the ashes where the kids had a wiener roast-toasted marshmallow feast and then walk across the newly mopped kitchen floor leaving carbon footprints.
ReplyDeleteyou know what great hypocrites the government are.
telling us to make our carbon footprints smaller, usually by reducing or losing something we need--like heat in the winter.
meanwhile, after passing apple orchards going to wrack and ruin on the way to church camp, i look in the camp's cooler to find---apple juice from china!
God knows what is in it but it has crossed the pacific ocean and the north american continent to end up in the wilds of pennsylvania.
so whose carbon footprint is biggest?
it is the carbon footprint of the hypocrites.
long may they burn!
Laws are for little/common people silly.
Delete