Frugal Propellerhead?!?

So what is it that made me a Frugal Propellerhead and what exactly is that? Basically it works like this: although I love most things technology oriented and what it does for me, I hate (actually, I pretty much will not) to pay the "going rate" for them. In fact, you can thank my friends and upbringing for this aspect of my personality.

A) I hate waste! I'm not a "greenie" per se, but I really believe in the concept. You know those pages that print out with 1 or 2 lines at the top when you send a print job of a webpage? Yeah, I keep those for scratch paper. But really, the thing that I really love to do is to save older things that are still useable and actually find a use for them. This is especially true of the electronic world where changes and "upgrades" happen so quickly that things aren't anywhere close to being worn out before they are replaced or discarded. I actually come at environmentalism from another angle; one that says that it's stupidly expensive to be wasteful.
B) Growing up, I spent lots of time with my older brother, Daniel (who's an engineer by profession as well as inclination), who thinks he can fix or modify anything.... and he can. Most of my friends growing up and in later adult life are mostly the same way. Bob, my father-in-law is a great example...there's a reason we call him "Bob-the-Builder". Between he and my friend Pat, half the furniture in our house is "home built" and not bought.
C) Life experience of working in IT, stereo/home theater and education has taught not only some skills, but the philosophy that yes indeed, you can teach yourself most anything if you keep at it. This I learned mostly from my some of my students and wife.
D) As a educator, by profession (and choice), I simply don't have the financial resources to buy the latest and coolest thing that just came out. And, interestingly enough, I found that I get far more enjoyment out of figuring a way to get what I want (meaning the outcome instead of a product), by the least $$$ (actually $ in my case) expended. I'd much rather spend the money going to, or taking the kids somewhere instead.
E) Lastly, my wife thinks (and I agree) that I'm really at least as interested in the "hunt and kill" than the actual consumption; whether that's getting what I want for the price I want on eBay or Craig's List. Not to mention, that when my parents decided to move us to the United States when I was 7, it was a givin that we'd behind a life of much higher standard of priviledge and leisure. The 2 maids and driver weren't the only thing we gave up when we moved from Hong Kong to Hallettsville, Texas in 1968! Mom didn't even know how to cook for peat sake, much less do laundry and clean house!

Next time, the transition from film photography to serious (or as serious as I get) digital photography.