Cash for Clunkers... Our Way!

Image: Darren Robertson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I thought the evening wash was rinsing, and when I opened the laundry room door, a burnt smell emanated! So I dumped the wet laundry into the basket and lugged it down two flights to spin out in the washer in the basement.

Our washer on the second floor laundry room has been with us for several years, and I think we're the 2nd owners as it was given to my husband before we met. It's worked well, but he knew it'd give out sooner or later. So when acquaintances were upgrading appliances, we purchased their washer and dryer and just stuck it in the basement!

When items finally return to dust, many people tend to purchase new. Some part out of thriftiness, we like to buy second-hand. Obviously it's cheaper to buy an older model off Craigslist or at garage sales, but we've found that some older models hold up better than the newer ones. The dryer, my first purchase off Craigslist, which my husband and his brother traveled an hour to get, is still drying just fine; and we saved a couple hundred by replacing our tv with a similar build, instead of upgrading to a flat screen -- we're not the highest-tech family! Small sacrifices in the short run!