When Being Frugal Costs Money: Our Lawnmower Story

Every few years, I’m reminded that sometimes being frugal costs money. You’d think I would learn my lesson eventually, but no, I keep realizing this over and over again.

Our Lawnmower Story

Last August, we bought a new house, with a 2/3-acre lawn. The previous owners left us their lawnmower, which was a relief. With all the moving expenses, we appreciated not having to buy one more thing.

However, we dreaded mowing the lawn. It took us three hours, and mowing was a strenuous workout. When our neighbors cut their grass, I watched them do so easily. They looked like they were strolling with a lawn mower in front of them. My husband and me? When we mowed, we were red-faced and puffing as we put all our strength into getting the lawnmower to move.

This spring, we took out the lawnmower, and I noticed for the first time that the wheels had no tread. How old was this beast? Did the previous owners leave it for us because it was too old to sell?

One afternoon, I was working and looked out the window at another neighbor leisurely mowing his lawn. He was upright, and he wasn’t struggling. Then, I looked at our growing grass, waiting for the season’s inaugural lawn mowing.

I decided and told my husband we were going to use part of our tax refund to buy a new mower. So we researched and decided to buy a Greenworks Battery Self-Propelled Mower.

Is Self-Propelled the Mowing Secret?

A few days after buying the mower, I headed out for the first mowing of the season. I couldn’t believe how easy mowing was! I was like my neighbors, standing upright, not forcing the mower to move with all the energy I could muster. And I mowed the lawn in one hour and 40 minutes. That was almost half the time it used to take!

This Mower Will Pay for Itself

If we mow once a week for six months, we will cut the grass approximately 24 times this year. We needed three hours each time with the old mower, so we would spend about 75 hours this summer mowing the lawn. However, we’ll spend approximately 40 hours cutting the grass with the new mower.

By spending money to replace a mower that was likely ten years old or older, we have recovered 35 hours per summer. I can spend that time on my freelance work, which will net me more money. Or, I can spend that time with my family, which is a much better use of time than mowing.

Also, because we bought a battery-powered mower, we won’t need to pay for gas and oil, saving us money.

Final Thoughts

In general, being frugal is smart. But sometimes, being frugal costs money and quality of life. In our case, buying the mower was a smart use of money because it saved us time and improved our quality of life.

Read More

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