Makin' due not buyin' new, and starting out right

Just because I am frugal doesn't mean I don't like to look nice or have nice things. Of course I do! Every so often I try to do some upkeep on me and my stuff so I feel good about myself and my lifestyle. This list isn't all-inclusive, it is just stuff I have done recently or plan to do soon.

1. Polish my shoes. My favorite shoes are a nice pair of Danskos that cost over $100 but have classic style, a little bit of a heel, and have lasted for years. The occasional polish keeps them looking near new. Many times people throw things away that are serviceable but look shabby.

2. Clean out my car. My car is only a couple of years old but if I take care of it'll look new for longer. Even my old 1983 Corolla looked spiffy when it was all clean and polished. I kept it longer than I otherwise might have because it still looked nice.

3. Home spa. Do maintenance on you! I feel better about myself when I feel like I look good, and when I feel good I make better decisions. It is a pleasure to pay someone to do facial, hair and nails but it is expensive! In between major hair service I can keep my color fresh on my own (I use the same products because I have access to the wholesale professional supply stores).

4. Polish metal. The sink fixtures, towel racks and chrome stove top all look their best with the occasional polish. Every once in a while I like to bring out the Brasso.

5. Clean the windows. The world looks a bit dingy when viewed through a year's worth (or longer) of dust and water spots on the windows.

6. Launder carefully. I line dry my more fragile items so they last longer. Eventually I plan to get a clothesline in the back yard so I can line dry most of my stuff then just fluff in the dryer. Also, when I put sheets and towels away I put the freshly washed items on the bottom of the stack so that everything gets rotated. This keeps any one towel or sheet getting faded and worn while the rest of the set looks new (especially important for dark colors). When they are all worn out I'll buy all new together.

7. Start with quality. We've made hundreds of smoothies over the years. In the beginning I bought a cheap blender. Then I bought a slightly better blender but it still couldn't crush ice like the restaurant blenders. We didn't like our homemade smoothies as much as the store bought ones because they weren't as smooth, and we were spending a bunch of money buying multiple inexpensive blenders and store smoothies. Finally we decided to buy the expensive restaurant quality blender and we now make smoothies we like as well as or better than the store and the blender is going strong after nine years. The cheap blenders lasted less than one. I also replaced my cheap sander with a nice sander. If you start with quality in the beginning you can save in the long run over multiple replacements for cheap items. I may never need to buy another blender or sander as long as I live.