Putting necessary expenditures off too long

[gacpa]

Not to hijack The Haitian's thread about gas, but to share a related topic:

My fathers pickup truck is about six years old now and has never had a new battery.   Mom so far has kept the truck since Dad passed this summer but thinks she can avoid putting a new battery in by going out and starting it up every morning.  Next time I am in MO I will sneak it out for a new battery.  I just hope she doesn't take the truck anywhere until I get home.  Someday, she will decide she is putting too much money into keeping the truck and she will sell it. 

She has a bad habit of not spending money to maintain property, thinking she is saving money.  This is only going to get worse as time goes on.

Have any of you ever done things like this or know someone who does?  I understand it on occasion, but it is a lifelong habit with her and it gets frustrating.  She has done this with TV's, ovens, garage doors, washers and dryers, flooring, I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  Things break and wear out, and she will do without until she is ready to get something fixed or replaced. 

Our next big thing is to get her a new HVAC unit.  The current one is over twenty years old.   Dad told me to watch out for her, she would just go get the cheapest unit she could after the current one bit the dust.  I know he was right.  I wonder how long she will try to do without heat and air before she gets a new unit.

[Deleted]

I don't know.  I suppose I'm kind of like that.  If things break and I'm getting along fine, I don't just rush out to replace.  My over the stove microwave broke 8 months ago.  I had a couple spare smaller counter ones from the garage and camper and put one of them in the kitchen to hold me over.  Then I found a replacement over the stove one on Craigslist, in like new condition and bought it, but it's been in the laundry room for 5 months or more waiting for someone to install it.   Ex said he'd do it, but he's been pretty busy with stuff at his place, so I haven't been pushing it.  Maybe this winter. 

[busymom]

That's what duct tape is for.

Seriously, both of my parents were children of the Great Depression.  They wouldn't skip major repairs, like a furnace, air conditioner, roof, etc., but WOULD postpone (sometimes for years) minor repairs.  They refused to put large items on a credit card unless they absolutely had to.  They much preferred paying cash for anything they needed.  I will say Dad was a good scavenger.  He'd probably be considered a "dumpster diver" today. 

[Tiny]

My Dad (and Mom) were like that... why fix something right the first time - you can always fix it again next month/next time you need to use it/next year. This philosophy was applied to just about everything - the furnace, the car, anything that broke around the house. ::sigh:: My older siblings seem to struggle with this philosophy, I wasn't exposed so much to it - so I'm all for deciding what things should be fixed correctly the first time to avoid future inconvenience and which things can be fixed with duct tape.

Both of my parents lived thru the Depression and WWII, they mostly got the "do whatever it takes, no matter what the expense, to keep some broken down old thing going'  mindset. Something broken and barely working that you paid $50.00 to keep going was BETTER than replacing the broken and barely working thing for ANY price - even if it cost less than $50.00.

[Plain Old Petunia]

My mom is cheap, but she will get things repaired.

She put off replacing her kitchen carpet with tile for more than 20 years, because it was going to cost $100 to scrape the concrete slab to make the surface smooth. She just didn't want to cough that up. So she lived with carpet in her kitchen, which she HATED.

[Deleted]

My TV has a duct tape fix.  There's this little switch in the back that needs to be held back with tape or else the TV will just randomly turn off.  It's in a real hot area, so the tape only lasts so long.  Sometimes I can get a month or two out of one fix, sometimes just a couple weeks.  But, I've been doing it for about a year now.  I'm guessing I will until it totally dies.

[Lizard Queen]

I don't replace stuff either until it dies.  (Except a timing belt.). I've never replaced a car battery by a specific date.  I wait until it starts failing.  The vast majority of the time, that happens at home on a cold morning, and I'll get a jump.  Then, I'll know its really on its way out.  It was only a couple years old the last time I changed it, but I kept getting dead batteries all the time so I went ahead and got a new one. I wouldn't replace an HVAC on a set schedule either.  I don't know anyone who does that.  I understand your concern, though, being so alone and all.

[gacpa]

Yes, my parents were born during the depression and grew up during WWII.  My mother especially was very poor in her childhood.  I do think growing up in this era contributed greatly to the mindset they have.

If something breaks and she can figure out a way to get by without it, it is all good with her.  She went without a double oven in the kitchen for years when one of the ovens broke.  She just used the single oven.  If it meant cooking one or two dishes at a time for holidays and we all had to wait to eat, well that was fine.  One of the last things Dad bought before he got sick was a new double oven so we could eat dinner while it was still warm when we visited.

I guess I had better learn not to let this bother me.

Good words to live by, yes?

[Deleted]

Well, most people just have a single oven and get along fine. 

[gacpa]

My mom is cheap, but she will get things repaired.


She put off replacing her kitchen carpet with tile for more than 20 years, because it was going to cost $100 to scrape the concrete slab to make the surface smooth. She just didn't want to cough that up. So she lived with carpet in her kitchen, which she HATED.

This sounds exactly like my mother!  I have the same situation with her about getting new carpet in the family room.  The carpet in there is  over 20 years old and dirty and needs replacing.  But she says she can't find any new carpet she likes and they want too much for it anyway, so there we are with the old carpet.

My sis and I did buy her a new vacuum cleaner just for the sake of getting it done.  She needed a new one.

[gacpa]

I got tired of my AC unit breaking down every summer.  This year, during the winter, I had a new one installed.  I have had enough of NO AC in Georgia in the summer.  Not gonna happen again.

[yogiii]

Oct 29, 2014 12:11:40 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Well, most people just have a single oven and get along fine. 

I thought double ovens were for rich people.  I didn't know cheapies like me could have them too!

[ArchietheDragon]

Oct 29, 2014 12:20:51 GMT -5 yogiii said:

Oct 29, 2014 12:11:40 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Well, most people just have a single oven and get along fine. 

I thought double ovens were for rich people.  I didn't know cheapies like me could have them too!

The Brady's had one.  They were super cool. 

[alabamagal]

If the truck starts there is no need for a new battery.  It is when it doesn't start that you have a problem.  But I don't think starting it every day will do any good.

For most stuff we just use it until it dies.  I once had a cheap washing machine, and the valve that switches between hot water and cold water broke so that only hot water worked.  Ordered parts online for $30 to fix it.  But while waiting for parts actually had to fill the machine with cold water to use it (only for 1 weekend)

My truck has 170k miles on it and I want to keep it until 200k, which could be another 5 years.  The outside key pad does not work.  The driver side windshield washer fluid does not work.  One of the back doors only opens from the outside.  All of those are conveniences and I am not getting them fixed.

We recently replaced the burner in my wall oven ($25 part).  The oven is probably 20 years old.  No need for new oven.

[Deleted]

Now that I think of it, my Honda Odyssey still had it's factory battery when I replaced it a couple years ago.  It must have been at least 7 years old at the time.  It was starting to get where if the kids left a little dome light on over their seat it would go dead overnight and a couple times I was just sitting listening to the radio while DS was at scouts and it wouldn't start after that.  That's when I decided it was time to replace, but up until then it started fine even in the dead of winter. 

[HoneyBBQ]

Appliances and electronics are one thing; your health and wellness is another!

Some people think they will save money by waiting on health care and/or dental care for minor problems.

Bad idea in most cases.

[gacpa]

Mom will do without on the health and wellness front too, don't you know it.  That attitude carries right on over to body.

I have to be careful not to nag her too hard, so she will pay attention to me when something really needs to be dealt with healthwise.

[gooddecisions]

Count me among the folks who don't rush out to replace something that is still working. But when it does break- I will do my research to replace it with a quality product and not just the cheapest thing available. Unless the temperatures were extreme, I would be just fine without heat and air. Our 17 year old HVAC broke again and it was going to be $2000 to repair. We went ahead and shelled out the 15K for a new one, but it broke down 4 times and we went without for about a month.

Heck, I lost my cell phone 6 months ago and have yet to buy a new one. No biggie. Not everyone freaks out if something breaks or gets lost. As I get older, the less I care and the more stuff I realize I can do without.

[souldoubt]

My grandmother was from a different generation and to be blunt she wasn't frugal she was cheap in the weirdest ways.  The house her and my grandfather had owned for 25+ years had termite eggs/droppings/whatever in the garage and after sweeping them up a week later there were more.  We saw a few termites inside the house, we told her about it and tried to get her to get the place tented at the very least because they hadn't had it done in over a decade but she didn't listen.  Eventually part of the roof started to leak so roofers came out and before they could even patch holes they had to put up extra beams for support because the termites had destroyed the previous ones.  When grandma passed the house was to be sold per the trust and the proceeds split between the children.  They wanted to sell the place as is but the roof and wood damage was so bad that the selling agent told them they needed to get the roof replaced or it wouldn't pass inspection.  Mind you this wasn't a real old house (grandparents bought it new) and it was an above median price home that was once valued at over 1M before the bubble popped.  Instead of spending maybe a few thousand over the years to get the place tented and keep termites out it cost over 10 times to fix the damage.  

[Bonny]

I'm a little like that too. I think it's because of the crazy situation I grew up with.

It drives DH crazy.

I'm much better about getting things serviced (like my car) but I don't run out and get the car repaired for scrapes and bruises.

I think part of my M.O. is to test to see if I really "need" whatever broke or wore out. A lot of times I don't!

[Ryan]

I try to be proactive about taking care of things that can potentially cause me some headaches if they break unexpectedly.  A couple years ago I put in a new HVAC unit, this year I put in a new water heater and sump pump/backup, etc.  I have never had a dead car battery because I replace them as they get older.  Being proactive saves you some money in the long-run so at least you can shop around and take your time with the decision.

[Icelandic Woman]

My Mom is the poster woman for frugal.
If she can't fix it herself she will do without. Like the new microwave she put in the new house she built in 2005. It stopped working a couple of years ago, I think she said it was the heating element, she tried to fix it but couldn't so she has been without one since then.
BTW she gave me her old microwave which was about 9 or 10 years old at the time and it still works. Okay well just recently it scared the crap out of me when I opened the door and it started up on its own. I keep it unplugged now when I am not using so it doesn't just decide to start up on it's own when I am not home and burn my house down. I plan to get a new one during the holiday sales. Well I told my Mom about it she said it's probably just a wire that you can replace yourself. Sorry Mom I am not going to fiddle around with wires in a 20 yr old microwave, just not worth it. It has lasted this long and time to let it go in peace.
Oh and when I say she built her house I meant literally for the most part. Outside of the major parts like foundation, structure and roof she did everything herself. She just couldn't bring herself to pay someone to do it. The positive side for her being that frugal though is that she was able to retire in her late 40's.
I did inherit some of her frugalness but not that much.

[NoNamePerson]

Never crossed my mind to replace a car battery because it was X # years old. I would have to go get the paperwork (dig it out) to even see when it went into my car.  Battery dies, I call AAA. I guess I've never had any tell tell signs of battery going dead. I just go to car and that sucker is dead as a door nail with no warning - shame shame on it  

I do not put off buying tires though. Or if any sign that brakes are not doing their job. I am on the way to mechanic post haste.

[tskeeter]

Oct 29, 2014 12:13:58 GMT -5 gacpa said:

My mom is cheap, but she will get things repaired.


She put off replacing her kitchen carpet with tile for more than 20 years, because it was going to cost $100 to scrape the concrete slab to make the surface smooth. She just didn't want to cough that up. So she lived with carpet in her kitchen, which she HATED.

This sounds exactly like my mother!  I have the same situation with her about getting new carpet in the family room.  The carpet in there is  over 20 years old and dirty and needs replacing.  But she says she can't find any new carpet she likes and they want too much for it anyway, so there we are with the old carpet.

My sis and I did buy her a new vacuum cleaner just for the sake of getting it done.  She needed a new one.

I think with some older folks, the challenges of finding replacements and making selection decisions is sometimes more than they want to deal with.  So they just live with what they've got.  Seems to have happened with my Dad.  The roof was leaking.  When it leaked, he would apply another layer of roofing tar, rather than patching it correctly.  In a few months, it would be leaking again.  Unfortunately, every time the leak reappeared, it did more damage to the house.  Dad was making noise about never fixing the roof right, because he'd never live to see a return on the investment.  Talked with my sister, who watched the house in the winter when Dad was in AZ (and dealt with leaks).  Asked if she could find two or three reliable roofing companies for Dad to select from to replace the roof.  Dad picked the one he liked best.  The roof got replaced and has been leak free for several years.  And replacing the roof cost significantly less than Dad was guessing.  Really all Dad needed was for someone to help him with selecting a reliable contractor (he was scared by the stories of contractors ripping off seniors).     

[alabamagal]

I pay for towing service with USAA through car insurance.  It is $2 per car per 6 months.  I have 5 cars on it and we average about 1 tow per 6 months.  When car battery dies (seems to happen mostly at the house) call towing to take it to local service and get new battery.

Back in the "old days" (I am 51) you could tell when a battery was nearly dead the starter would get slower and slower.  With newer batteries there is no warning.  If you were really diligent, you could have it checked and replaced when nearly dead, but we just use it till it dies.

[Deleted]

Oct 29, 2014 14:53:42 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

I pay for towing service with USAA through car insurance.  It is $2 per car per 6 months.  I have 5 cars on it and we average about 1 tow per 6 months.  When car battery dies (seems to happen mostly at the house) call towing to take it to local service and get new battery.

Back in the "old days" (I am 51) you could tell when a battery was nearly dead the starter would get slower and slower.  With newer batteries there is no warning.  If you were really diligent, you could have it checked and replaced when nearly dead, but we just use it till it dies.

For like $50 you can get one of those starter packs to keep in your car.  They're more handy then jumper cables because you don't have to ask somebody else if they'll jump you.    No reason to tow a car with a dead battery.

At home I have a big charger on wheels that could start a semi, but I always seem to be away from home when I get a dead battery, so the starter pack is nice.  I keep it plugged into the outlet in the back of my van, but it's supposed to stay charged for months.

[tskeeter]

Oct 29, 2014 13:53:38 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Why replace a battery that still starts?  It's not actually broken, it's just old.  Pre-emptively replacing car parts that still work has got to be the best racket that auto shops and car parts stores ever came up with.

Until you pay $60 to get a car with a dead battery jump started, or towed home.  And still have to pay the $85 for a new battery. 

Sometimes a little pre-emptive maintenance is appropriate to reduce the inconvience.  After all, isn't that why you change the oil? And the transmission fluid?  And the coolant?  And the brake pads?  And replace tires before you're on the side of the road with yet another flat?  If the car still runs and stops, isn't all the maintenance pre-emptive?

Is pre-emtive maintenance over sold by the auto repair industry?  Yes.  I think it is.  I also think it is true that you spend less on repairs if you run everything until it breaks or quits working.  But, if you factor in things like the cost of your AAA membership, or towing charges, or roadside assistance, or the cost of the tickets to the ball game you weren't able to get to because the car broke down on the way to the game, you are probably as well off to do some judicious pre-emptive maintenance.  And then you just don't have to deal with the inconvenience of being stranded with a broken down car.

Now, In GACPA's case, I probably wouldn't worry about the battery in the truck.  It doesn't sound like anybody is relying on the truck for transportation.  So a dead battery wouldn't be much of an inconvenience.  And, the battery going dead isn't going to damage the truck, like deferred maintenance can do in other situations.  And a dead battery might be the shove that Mom needs to part with the unused vehicle.

[tskeeter]

Oct 29, 2014 14:09:33 GMT -5 Ryan said:

I try to be proactive about taking care of things that can potentially cause me some headaches if they break unexpectedly.  A couple years ago I put in a new HVAC unit, this year I put in a new water heater and sump pump/backup, etc.  I have never had a dead car battery because I replace them as they get older.  Being proactive saves you some money in the long-run so at least you can shop around and take your time with the decision.

Good point about being proactive saving money.  Buy a new battery off the tow truck for $150, plus the towing charge, or buy a battery from Costco for $85.  What's the better deal?  $210 worth of battery and towing charges when you are tyring to get somewhere?  Or $85 for a battery when it is convenient for you to replace it?

[Deleted]

Again, why are people towing cars with a dead battery?  That makes no sense to me.

[Chocolate Lover]

Oct 29, 2014 15:18:26 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Again, why are people towing cars with a dead battery?  That makes no sense to me.

Me either! I've never not been able to find someone to jump it off and drive it to the nearest auto parts store.