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View Full Version : Why do I do this? Cheap? Stupid?



dennis thompson
11-13-2013, 2:22 PM
Every couple of years my wife wants different blinds so I just finished hanging a few. Not too complicated but the screws that come with them are absolute junk, they strip no matter what you do , I try a few & then go get some square drive screws & it goes fine (as fine as hanging blinds can be:)). But then ,what do I do ? gather up all the screws that came with the blinds (they give you plenty) and I save them! Now the question is: am I just cheap or am I cheap & stupid?:confused:

Andrew Fleck
11-13-2013, 2:28 PM
It's hard to throw something away that could be useful. I used to save those screws and anchors, but now I just toss all excess hardware that comes with things or it sits for years in a dark corner of my toolbox.

David Weaver
11-13-2013, 2:28 PM
Dennis, I just put 16 blinds in this house earlier this year. I have the screws, too. I hope my wife doesn't want any more blinds, because I don't want to figure out where to put the cheap screws.

Someday, I'm going to make a small jewelry box that is literally covered with several hundred screws and put it on display as an example of how out of touch with reality I am.

I am getting better at throwing away things like offcuts that I will never ever use, but I still have those screws, and even after reading this, I'm sure I won't throw them away.

Rod Sheridan
11-13-2013, 3:05 PM
Every couple of years my wife wants different blinds so I just finished hanging a few. Not too complicated but the screws that come with them are absolute junk, they strip no matter what you do , I try a few & then go get some square drive screws & it goes fine (as fine as hanging blinds can be:)). But then ,what do I do ? gather up all the screws that came with the blinds (they give you plenty) and I save them! Now the question is: am I just cheap or am I cheap & stupid?:confused:

Don't know/Yes..............LOL

Well it is stupid to store something you're going to throw out..............That doesn't mean that I haven't done it, just that I recognise it as stupid..........Regards, Rod.

curtis rosche
11-13-2013, 3:26 PM
Its way easier to get rid of it if you just throw it out without opening them. Once its opened then all hope is lost. I used to do that, my step dad used to do that. Ive been cleaning out the shop for the past few months,,, yes months.

Myk Rian
11-13-2013, 6:39 PM
Don't you know what coffee cans are for? Why, all those screws and anchors, of course.

Rick Potter
11-13-2013, 7:19 PM
Working on rentals, I replace mini blinds on a regular basis. Always use real screws. Please give me your address, so I can gift you with a lifetime supply of unusable fasteners :D .

Another option for your collecting habit is the screws that come with Chinese cabinet hinges. Let me know if you want to branch out.


Rick Potter

Edit: In reality I do throw this stuff away, but I put it in a 3# coffee can till its full, then tape it up and put it in the trash. I have had a few flat tires caused by loose screws in the trash can that never made it into the trash truck.

WOW, just noticed...2000 postings.

Brian Elfert
11-13-2013, 7:22 PM
I collect screws like that and take them with me on my annual scrap yard run. I don't really make any money on them, but at least I keep them out of the landfill. I do sometimes throw them in the trash, but our trash gets sorted and burned so I assume they have a magnet that pulls out any steel.

My dad has a few cans full of misc nuts, bolts, and screws. He never uses them and I'll probably end up recycling them when he moves or dies. I bought a bunch of divided drawers and made up a nut, bolt, screw collection so I don't have to run to the hardware store so much. The only misc stuff I keep is special fasteners used on my converted bus.

David Hawkins
11-13-2013, 8:05 PM
hmmm Packrats and Woodworking....

My Grandfather introduced me to what he called the "Hell Box".

It was an old cigar box and all the odds and ends went into it. He always claimed he didn't know what the hell was in it but if you needed it it was probably there!

Shawn Pixley
11-13-2013, 9:46 PM
I try to toss them as soon as possible. I feel guilty for a bit. Then I forget about it.

Bill Edwards(2)
11-14-2013, 8:28 AM
"Paper Window Blinds"

Variety of colors, cut to size, stick 'em up. She gets tired of them, she'll start replacing them herself. Save you time to do important stuff in your shop.

Just a thought.:D

Rich Engelhardt
11-14-2013, 8:33 AM
But then ,what do I do ? gather up all the screws that came with the blinds (they give you plenty) and I save them! Now the question is: am I just cheap or am I cheap & stupidLOL!!!

You do that too huh?

I'm just now winding down getting a rental ready to rent. I made a promise to myself that this time around, I was going to make it a point to toss every single nut, bolt and screw that I removed - instead of sticking them in jars as guys have been known to do since jars were invented,

(I believe the Discovery Channel had a special episode where they discovered some unopened amphorae jars from ancient times they thought would be filled with wine or olive oil. All of them were filled with stripped out slotted screws, rusty nuts and bolts and cheap fasteners still wrapped in little plastic bags.)

Anyhow I tossed em all alright....and - - as luck would have it, yep, I needed one of the little rascals and had to run home and scrounge all around for one of those odd sized screws you always seem to need.

glenn bradley
11-14-2013, 8:43 AM
gather up all the screws that came with the blinds (they give you plenty) and I save them

You're doing fine. Just replace "and I save them" with "and toss them in the trash" and everything will be alright.

Joe Tilson
11-14-2013, 9:20 AM
We've even got pieces of glass we found in our yard over the years. Our grands go treasure hunting with us, just to pick it up. Some time in the past, somebody used bottles for target practice and the glass got scattered over ours and our neighbors property. We are going to do away with it some day, but for now it's six quart jars of treasure.

Dave Sheldrake
11-14-2013, 9:52 AM
The inverse square law of requirements

You keep something for years, throw it out because it's never going to get used and you want the space.

You end up buying the same item the day after disposing of it as you suddenly find you need it.

6 days, 6 months, 6 years , 60 years makes no difference :)

cheers

Dave

Garth Sheane
11-14-2013, 2:50 PM
Oh boy. Glad to know I'm not the only one. But I do have some discretion when it comes to screws. I NEVER save the slot heads ... I hate those finger shredders! My favorite screws are still the Robertson square drives (a Canadian invention, so I'm told). Years ago I used to tear apart old office equipment for bearings, shafts, gear reduction motors, lenses, you name it. I dabble in lapidary sometimes as a change to wood working and I've used a lot of this stuff to make my equipment. Trouble is, I've got drawers of bits and pieces that I'm probably going to have throw out some day.

Anyway, it was fun to read the thread to know that we are kind of all alike.

Don Morris
11-14-2013, 5:14 PM
Remember the "30 day In-box exercise"? If it remained in the "In-box" for 30 days without being needed or used, it got tossed. Well, my save old screws, nuts and bolts exercise is about a "3 year In-coffee can exercise". After about 3 years of not using them, I can't stand it anymore and they GO! When your father went through the depression, you learn never to throw anything out right away.

David G Baker
11-15-2013, 11:59 PM
I have installed many of the mini blinds and have never had a problem with the screws. I always pre-drill the holes for the screws and I may use a little larger drill than is called for in the installation directions.