we try and maintain existing belongings as long as it is safe. hell if a toaster is not working right, I would rather get a new one than risk a fire. so yes we try and maintain what we already have as long as we can keep it and be safe.

im a shocker with that i rekon

im poor i couldnt do it if i wanted!!

yes!! have a couch or clothes u dont want? DONT TAKE IT TO THE DUMP! have a yard sale! u make money AND help the environment! one mans trash is another mans treasure!

I suppose that this makes sense.

Another item that is worth doing, regardless of whether your concern is the environment or your wallet.

My coffee pot is a GE percolator from the 1960's, possibly the 50's, that we inherited from my wife's grandmother, and it has never once been serviced and makes a great cup of coffee.  Before that we used to go through an electric Mr. Coffee machine every few years.  Who is committing the crime against the environment, the person who tosses the machine out everytime the element burns out (which costs more to repair than the cost of a new machine), or the company that makes the piece of crap that that only lasts 36 months?

Sure.  Where possible.  But most electronic or electrical stuff is far, far, far cheaper to replace than repair.

Things usually last as long as you need them to if you take good care of them. However there comes a point where it's cheaper to replace something than to keep fixing it.

Certainly things last longer and perform better when taken care of.It is amazing to see the things some families throw away that could be fixed easily or given to someone else.The time when we could afford to be so wasteful has passed.

Usually not thought of as a "environmental" issue, but it can be. Stuff like replacing filters on air conditioners (improving performance so you won't need to push the thermostat lower), tuning up your car for better performance (thus less gasoline usage), checking seals on doors and windows, checking for leaks in pipes, stuff like that, eventually adds up.