Thanks so much Karen. I guess I have been accused of calling a spade a spade. Aren't you tired of the lack of quality of today's goods that we pay our hard earned money for? I have t-shirts that I bought at Walmart about 10 years ago that (although they look tacky and faded) are still holding up wash after wash. I can't bear to part with them because although they were inexpensive they were reasonable quality and lasted and lasted. Now you wash a t- shirt a few times and it comes out looking like a rag. Anyway, I'm glad you liked this. I'll see if I can find some more inspiration. I do like to write. Have a super evening. Hugs Joey

Oh goodness Miss Joey, Do I ever agree with you more .... As the old saying goes,                                                                                              You hit the nail right on the head.  It's quite refreshing to read of such honesty & bluntness !!     So many people these days stay so quiet,  never reveal their feelings let a lone their thoughts, " quilty " including me,  Really didn't think anyone cared .....    Thank you again for such interesting input *           Sincerely, Karen

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know I certainly did and it was wonderful to read everyone's stories and opinions. I find it beneficial to vent every now and then and what better way than to put it in writing and share it with everyone. I wish this site was more like it used to be with lots of interaction but I'm afraid quite a few of the members have opted for Facebook. Now there's a whole other subject I could blog on!! That would make for some interesting debating.

I'm coming back to simply say this was a wonderfully thought-preovking Blog. I loved it and all the Comments, as well. We need more Blogging like this and like we used to have. Praise to all!

How sad that they're overcharging people who are of low income and think that they're getting a deal by shopping at Goodwill.  Criminal. Thanks for sharing.

You know, nowadays $56 for a pair of jeans is considered a "steal". Ridiculous, I know. I bought a pair of those with the bling on the back pockets for $19.99 at Ross. They were originally marked at......are you ready for this?......$119. I had been looking for bling jeans for a while and was certainly not paying the kind of money they were asking for them, so I was happy with the $20 pair I found. The problem with those higher prices is, that people actually, even in this economy, pay them!!! Thank goodness being retired also means I have to spend less money on clothes. Thanks for sharing your story.

Totally agree. If it isn't broken don't fix it or replace it for that matter. Thanks for sharing.

Sure hope for you that your new washer dryer works out for you. I know my mom had one that lasted for about 30 years before it couldn't be repaired anymore. How's that for quality? The only reason it couldn't be repaired was because there weren't any parts for that old model. I always hate having to buy a new appliance, especially when they're so eager to sell you that "extended warranty". It's always on the tip of my tongue to ask whether that's their way of telling me they have no faith in the product they're selling. I sure hope it works out for you. I still put my faith in Sears as they've always stood by their products, but they sure don't make them the way they used to.

My reply related to  yours which I do agree with. very much.. is the fact that in the future we will be not ordering or buying anything from anyone.  The future will be that we will be able to produce what we need or what is worn out or broken, right in our own homes.  Out of what ever materials we choose for its manufacture. 

This will end the age of cheap products, or it will allow for throw away items.

I know what you mean about trying to make ends meet on a fixed income. That's why I have such a hard time dealing with this quality issue. If you just have to buy something, especially when it comes to larger, more expensive items, you would expect and demand that you get your hard earned moneys worth. Instead you get something that has a year's warranty and they try and upsell you on the extended warranty because they know, for a fact, that you're going to need repairs. You're pretty much between a rock and a hard place when you're a woman on your own. Before I was married I was forced to buy that extended warranty. I had no one else who could fix stuff for me and that one visit from a repair person can pretty much pay for that warranty. It did, however, make me angry to be forced into something like that.

In reply to oppsgal. I'm not sure I understand your comment with regard to my blog. What does a 3D printer have to do with the fact that the whole world is producing junk and selling it at the highest dollar? Sounds to me like you're promoting 3D printers and this had nothing to do with the blog subject. I am certainly not against progress, although from my perspective, new and improved is not always "new and improved" or better than old. Don't get me wrong, I understand mass production and technology. Neither of those have been an improvement, in my opinion. Paying top dollar for junk was pretty much the subject of this blog and the fact that most of us older people, who have seen better, don't like parting with our hard earned cash to pay for badly manufactured items.

Couldn't agree with you more on those jean sizes/quality and the fact that they're no longer made the way they used to be. They are now made of cheap material and thread. The more you wash them the more they stretch and, you're right, they used to shrink. We used to buy them a size bigger for that very purpose. There was nothing better than a well worn, well washed pair of jeans. They got more comfy, softer and better fitting the longer you had them, so you wore them till they fell apart (in most cases it was difficult to get them to fall apart). Now you have to pay handfuls of money for that same look (the holes, the worn look etc) and they just don't fit the same. Which brings me to another point on this. Jeans are no longer the sizes as we remember them. I was always about 100 to 105 lbs. I used to wear a size 6. Granted I've put on some of that not so lovely middle aged spread but sizes of jeans have changed to the point of ridiculous. One brand I will take a size 10, another size 8, yet another size 12. With all these different sizes you get the problem that the hips are way too tight, the waist band gaps and you pay a fortune for them. I've looked at pictures of myself in a bikini (back in the good old days when I was in my late 30's). I was slim, but I had curves, hips and a waist. Have you looked at the standard that is set for young girls these days? They look like skeletons with skin draped over them. No hips, no waist. I honestly believe that the jean sizes are based on those types of figures.

The boxes of cookies etc - in fact sizes of everything have changed. If you buy peanut butter, the jar might look the same but notice the dimple at the bottom of the jar - keeps getting bigger. I saw a study that someone had done on this and the way the public is being fooled. Wish I could remember where I found it because it was a real eye opener.

Thanks for your input. I guess we could all go on and on. I just wish there was a way we could change it but I haven't come up with any brainwaves on that yet.

You are not the only one for sure.Has anyone noticed jeans are now the same way? I have noticed that the older my jeans get, the bigger they get. I have not lost any weight. Used to they would shrink when washed and dried. Not sure what causes that but has to be the cheap thread they are made with. And this is jumping off the subject sort of, but has anyone ordered girlscout cookies and noticed how much the box has shrank? They now look like sample packages, about the size of a paperback book. 

Get used to it. ..  we are living in a society of disposible products.  Up and coming technology will soon make 3-d printers asscessable to the masses. Three-dimensional printing makes it as cheap to create single items as it is to produce thousands and thus undermines economies of scale. It may have as profound an impact on the world as the coming of the factory did....Just as nobody could have predicted the impact of the steam engine in 1750—or the printing press in 1450, or the transistor in 1950—it is impossible to foresee the long-term impact of 3D printing. But the technology is coming, and it is likely to disrupt every field it touches

3-D PRINTING one can uses a great variety of materials to recreat a soild object.  Where one day we will be our own manufactures.  (dont doubt we once doubted there would ever be TV, the concept of cell phones were reseved for sci fi movies. etc) One 3-d printer company even has chocolate as a material that can be used in a 3-d printer.

here are a few pics ..

 Advocates of additive manufacturing also predict that this arc of technological development will counter globalisation, as end users will do much of their own manufacturing rather than engage in trade to buy products from other people and corporations.^[6]

I agree, especially when it comes to appliances.  My Magtag washing machine faithfully served me for 30 years, including the washing of cloth diapers for my two children.  Sadly my newer but certainly not better Kenmore only reached the 3 year mark when it started to make a clunking noise.  And to think I am now doing much lighter and less soiled clothing.

My hubby and I are still happily using our cross country ski equipment which is 35 years old (the boot is the kind which has 3 holes in it).  Our philosophy is "that if it isn't broken, why fix it?"  An added benefit is that we never have to worry about anyone stealing our equipment while we enjoy a hot drink inside the chalet.

Speaking of used clothing...awhile back I bought a pair of jeans with those sparkly designs on the back pockets at $25.00. Was in what I cal a junk shop, a used clothing place, and saw the same jeans priced at $56.00! Are they out of their minds?

As for the Blog...yes, most things are of lesser quality for more money. And if we want to make something for ourselves the cost os atronomical! Won't be long and we'll be wearing rags like the some of the other countries.