GRM and my life

i cant tell wether or not GRM has positively or negatively affected my life. i got to thinking today while mowing my lawn with my $46 riding mower about how ive been redoing other peoples used up junk and using it myself. ive got $12 in my push mower, 80 in my backpack leaf and weedeater, 600 in my truck, i bought my house on forclosure, and im using reclaimed wood to build my shed. i have become obsessed with cheap ever since i started reading GRM. my wife hates it. im kinda proud.

upon reflection, i think GRM has not only positively affected my life, but improved it immensley. thank you grm.

now if i can only find the GRM way of getting a 4 post lift....

Michael

my brain thinks the same way. I recycled two Datsun's recently.

I pick all wooden stuff from my neighbors and use it for fireplace kindling wood. I also picked 3 huge oak flat shelves from a 75 year desk in the garbage and almost threw them out, until the wife stopped me and reminded me I like to reuse stuff.

Now I am looking at a third beater 240Z. Parts car or will this be the one.......................

I have lived my entire life that way. My parents are depression era farm kids who reuse every thing. If you have been around anyone like that you will know what I mean. I just never connected it with GRM.

Your approach sounds about right. Once you get past the "keeping up with the Joneses" obsession, life becomes much simpler!

yep...just bought a "new" snowmobile.

89 Ski-doo Formula MX LT. 2up sled. needs 1 piston, otherwise great. got it for next to nothing. who needs to spends thousands on toys?

I refuse to see GRM as inspiring me to be cheap.

I think the people involved with the magazine and the people on this board are a little skewed towards the eco friendly.

I was not as enviromentally friendly before I started with the Challenges but I have recovered some sensibilites since ;)

Being Dutch, I'm naturally a complete cheapass. I've also been a scavenger, deal-hound and DIYer my whole life. My garbage-fu is legendary around my home town. Nothing's changed that.

However, reading the magazine and this board has really disabused me of all notions of "brand loyalty" when it comes to cars. Now I look at those people who get into the Ford vs Chevy (or Honda vs Toyota, VW vs "Jap Crap", BMW vs anything, etc.) hate-fests and roll my eyes. I'm an egalitarian nut now.

J

Jay wrote: However, reading the magazine and this board has really disabused me of all notions of "brand loyalty" when it comes to cars. Now I look at those people who get into the Ford vs Chevy (or Honda vs Toyota, VW vs "Jap Crap", BMW vs anything, etc.) hate-fests and roll my eyes. I'm an egalitarian nut now. J

Agree, I use to be a "VW/Porsche or nothing.."

now I am a "what have ya got? how cheap?" guy.

I am now branching into "Locust build" "home build" teritory. Thinking old front drive Suzuki swift 1.3 motor in a mid engine car made from box tube steel.......

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-yacht-dweller_23jun23,0,5222594.story

This was in The Chicago Tribune today and it makes you wonder how cheaply you can live.......

I've always been a DIYer and scavenger. When I was a little kid I had to learn to make fun things and fix what toys I had. I'd seek out any knowledge on how things worked and DIY repair. Then my family moved to a little island where things were either unavailable or unholy expensive so things really got tough. Down here, if you're not uber-rich (or willing to live on the brink of bankruptcy) you have to scavenge, repair, improvise and fabricate, or you'll have to settle for hanging out with people (The movie "Haven" can give you a fairly accurate glimpse into the general crappyness of an island society) and getting E36 M3-faced drunk for entertainment.

I was cheap before GRM made it cool!

From what I can tell, the folks on here had the philosophy BEFORE the magazine, but were naturally and immediately drawn to it like moths to a flame. Kinda like published validation.

I feel kinda sorry for people who always pay full retail for new stuff, only to succumb to buyer's remorse, and then sell the item for a fraction of the value.

Of course, I don't feel bad enough for them to keep me from buying the cast-off item from them for a song.... I may have GRM principles, but I'm not stupid!

Since reading GRM, I have started to buy clothes (other than underwear haha) at thrift stores, I recycle everything, I try to fix everything myself before taking it somewhere, I brew my own beer, and only go to the movies when I have a coupon for free tickets. It takes over your life.

Oh, and I'll never EVER buy a new car for the rest of my life hahaha.

of course, i do have one problem though,everyone hates me for my ides of biulding a cheap car for power when we bench race for cool cars though...i awlways think challange style for cars..sigh....

the other thing is that i have to buy a new car very year i can not help it though...i really need to sell something so i can come up with the money to find a 95 legecy again.... what? spend more then $2000 grans on a car? are you nuts?

GameboyRMH where where you before the island?

i've always been a bit on the price concious side of things... my dad was enlisted military with 3 kids...

I rember as a kid mom and dad "dumpster diving" well dumpster skimming maybe... on the base in germany there where some amazing things to be had... dad found a webber grill once... hardware was still in baggies... apparently it wasn't that uncommon... newer enlisted wages sucked pretty bad... and moving weigh allowances where dismal... if you went over your weight when you moved you paid a TON of $$$... so what people couldn't sell they set out front at the dump...

my kids bikes are both side of the road finds... i had a number of mowers from the side of the road, snagged a washer once just for the sheet metal on it (few odds and ends i used on the mr2 project)

fun fun fun :) mark

http://archive.grassrootsmotorsports.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=27144

donalson wrote: GameboyRMH where where you before the island?

Canada.

Military dumpster diving must have been awesome, I'm sure they threw out a lot of perfectly good stuff!

Top 3 dumpster diving locations:

1. Universities
2. Factories
3. Military

My brother and I used to dumperst dive at the Aurora car factory in Garden City, (Long Island) NY, back in the 60's, when we were kids. We would ride our bikes over there. Our track setup was so long, we had to provide power at two locations on the track loop, so the cars would slow down due to the resistance in the track.

I still dumpster dive occassionally,

Jack