The type of thing I obsess over.

or, The Saga of The Pink Laundry Basket

(As a disclaimer, I should say that this sort of minutiae is not terribly important in the long financial run. A purchase of a laundry basket is hardly going to ruin a person, and I think it’s much more important to look at ongoing expenses(like grocery spending or cable bills) than it is to look at one-time, small purchases like this. I think I’m going back and forth on this more because I want to be responsible consumer than because I want to save money. However, I just thought I’d let you in on the mental workings of a crazy frugal girl…and I’m asking for your input too!)

When we first got married, we bought a nice sturdy laundry basket, which is still going strong. This was our sole laundry basket for a while.

A couple of years into our marriage, my sister in law gave me an old pink laundry basket that she no longer needed. Since this one is the old style, it’s a softer plastic, and it has not held up as well as our newer laundry basket. I think that if it had only been used for laundry, it might still be ok. But-as in many households, I suspect-my kids have turned it upside down, danced on it, sat on it, jumped on it, used it as a play jail and done who knows what else with it. And, it’s starting to be worse for the wear.

In addition to the rip that’s visible in the photo above, the side is also cracked. The basket is not so bad when it’s empty, but when it’s filled with a load of wet laundry, it tends to buckle, and it’s difficult to hold it on one hip. Still, it can be used, and so I was reluctant to get rid of it and buy a new one. I was especially hesitant to throw it away because that sort of plastic was not recyclable in my area. Because of that, I decided to stop obsessing and just use it as long as I could.

Recently, though, something happened that has made me start considering a new laundry basket again. In the last few months, our local recycling rules have relaxed considerably, and now we can put items like old laundry baskets out with our recycling! This is good news, but it has made me rethink my commitment to my pink basket.

Since I can now get rid of it without sending it to the landfill, I’m much more inclined to let the old pink one go(I have used it for a lot of years!). I’m sort of considering getting rid of the old one without buying a new one. The old pink one has just been sitting in my laundry room for the last six months or so, and I seem to be managing just fine with only one laundry basket. I’m a little bit concerned, though, that this may only be because I’m not currently using the outdoor clothesline, though(it’s been too cold). I seem to use two baskets more when I’m carrying laundry outside and back in again. I really think that I could manage with just one basket though, and if I could, it would mean a little less clutter in my laundry room.

I could always buy a new one this summer if I end up really missing being the owner of two laundry baskets.

See, I told you I was obsessing(and I would probably obsess over a million more things like this were it not for the leveling effect my husband has had on me). What would you do?