I just wanted to have a quick show of hands here, who else has a box/jar/tin around the garage/shed/house which contains loose screws, nuts, bolts and other fasteners?
Growing up it was an accepted thing that any fasteners that were removed from things you were getting rid of went into a tin that lived under the stairs. If my dad was doing any DIY around the place he would go the tin and see if there was something he could use, I hate to think how many times the contents were tipped over an old newspaper and I ended up raking though looking for four screws the same length and head type.
When we cleared out Granny's house when she died we found around 20 small cardboard boxes containing wood screws, which had belonged to Grandad. When my Dad died as the eldest and only male I inherited the tin. Last time I looked in my garage there was a couple of boxes full of left over fasteners.
Admittedly both Grandad and Dad had lived though the tough times of the last century when even the litlte things cost money and were difficulyto come by, and they had an in-grained habit of being frugal and re-using what they could. I don't seem to have that excuse (not with current prices and availability) but I still hate to see good things thrown away if they still work. Only last night I had to connect an electronic doodad to an electronic thingumy, and not only did I have the cables I needed but in the big box of electric string in the garage I would appear to have spares......
Is it just me?