Comment by ghoomketu
Yes Reflecting on it, making things last longer had some great side effects. For instance, almost every woman in my family knew how to *rafu* clothes (1), and people understood how things worked under the hood of a car (like you my father did all the maintenance too). These skills were passed down through generations, becoming a part of our everyday knowledge.
I guess a lot of things aren't that simple or accessible as most of it is often a black box nowadays. But anyway, Skills like these not only saved money but also fostered a sense of self-reliance, resourcefulness and stuff your parents taught you as life skills.
I cannot help but winder if, as a part of 'Fix, don't toss' mentality, there is an attendant[1] additional tenacity present.
[1] Or a pre-requisite. Correlation, not causation and all.