That taught me a lesson: There's no sense in replacing things I own that still work. How much we've saved by keeping old itemsEven in pre-inflation days, replacing something I already owned with a newer model added up. The same goes for my old mixing bowls, cookie sheets, and dining room set. But as I grew older, I realized what an important lesson my parents taught me. But every time I'm tempted to replace something I already own for a slightly "better" model, I remind myself of my parents' old blue trash can and put away my debit card.

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