I used to do that too :D ... It's a great trick when you're outa money !
I have a Floyd Rose bridge , so you cut the ball end before you install the string , therefore if I broke the string near the bridge all I have to do is get more of the string out of the machine heads and install it again.
Nowadays I can't stand the tone of rusty strings , so I normaly change them every 4-6 weeks ... They usualy break after 6-8 weeks if I didn't change them.
Heavier gauge last longer , but I keep with .010's for the playability.
