My 30+-year old washing machine finally gave up the ghost last Wednesday, and we went and bought a new one yesterday. It was delivered and installed this morning! I’m speechless that I got it so quickly – in our experience, it’s usually taken 1-2 weeks!

I’ve been expecting this for like the past decade – computers ares my only newish machine that I’ve replaced frequently, and that only because my programs either stop running in them or become painfully slow. But things like washing machine, kitchen table etc… if it works ok, I’m not going to buy a new one just for the hell of it. Even if money wasn’t an issue all the time, I wouldn’t – I was brought up to avoid unnecessary buying. I’m just surprised that it was the washing machine that went first – for some reason I kept expecting it to last forever, literally, and that the fridge would be the first to go. My Mom bought the washing machine in the latter half of 1980s when my Dad was still alive but very sick with cancer, and we knew he wasn’t going to get better and how long was the only question left. I’d say 30+ years of service is respectable time – they don’t make them like that anymore :/

My fridge, dish washer and stove are 22 years old this year – I bought them when I moved in to my own home where I still live, after we sold my childhood home. We’re planning on replacing the fridge later this year, probably sooner than later. It’s making such noise at times, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time it goes poof! We looked at the fridges while we were looking for the new washing machine because some people took so long with the only sale person, but couldn’t get one yet because we hadn’t planned for it. I need one that has both the fridge part and also the freezer part (preferably half-and-half like my old one, but most models seemed to have a slightly smaller freezer part now), and so I have to eat the things in my freezer first and then de-frost it the night before the new one is delivered. So, needs planning.

Most of my furniture and other household stuff is actually from my childhood home (dining utensils, kitchen table and chairs, my computer  desk which I have had since mid-80s and was my school desk originally and chair, my bed) – it’s because when I was 20 and moved back home from studying in my country’s capitol city to be a librarian, my Mom and her SO (they’re still together) moved in together that same summer after buying a home together, and I stayed and continued to live in my childhood home for another three years alone. Because my Mom and I owned our home and had everything that goes with owning one, and my SO owned his and had his stuff, when my Mom and the SO moved in together, the SO sold his apartment and they took basically all his furniture and other household stuff because it was natural and logical because that way neither them or me didn’t need to buy them and the stuff didn’t go to waste either.

I’ve replaced my couch a couple of times over the years because they wore out, and the TV back when I still wanted one, and bought one or two mugs, curtains, sheets and other incidentals but I haven’t had to buy all that at once like I’d have had to if I didn’t get my childhood home things  😀 Also baking things because I used to love baking when I was still healthy but still like to do it as much as I can. But other than that I still use the utensils I did when I was a kid. Partly because I’ve never had a steady income so why waste money on stuff I already have which is perfectly usable and that I’m fond of? And partly because I don’t care about that stuff and am just happy I don’t have to waste money on buying dining sets but instead can use it for necessary things like new clothes that I have to buy in any case, or put it towards a new laptop. But a little part of me is still kind of sad that my utensils, kitchen table etc. weren’t chosen by me so the colors and styles probably aren’t what I would have chosen. But my computer desk (originally school desk) I did choose, and I’ve always been happy with it, and would likely choose the same color and material as I did before were I to buy one now.

Mom doesn’t care either about fashion either or collectables etc, so all the things my childhood home had just your every day stuff that was pleasant, preferably well made and usable for a long time but not on the expensive spectrum because fashion or whatever, not anything collectable or valuable that I could sell and even fractionally finance buying new ones. So old things it is! And I have to say, I do like the design better in some of my old things than in friends’ newer things, such as forks and knives (the newer ones all seem very thick and clumsy), even if the color if my plates is very 1970s.