This is a guest post from Amanda, a Colorado tech writer and an activist for children with congenital heart disease.
I grew up poor: single-wide trailer-house, shared-a-room-with-two-sisters, garage-sale-wardrobe, government-cheese, worked-full-time-in-high-school, and paid-for-my-own-cap-and-gown poor. You might think that growing up poor would have made me frugal. Not so. While I do have an overwhelming urge to get the “most” for my money, I often see “most” as only quantity, and that’s not smart financially.
Quality trumps quantity
There was a time in my life when I thought fifteen pairs of $10 shoes purchased over a year at Target or Wal-Mart were great. But I had a closet full of shoes that hurt my feet, so I never wore them. Plus I was out $150. Back then, it would have appalled me to spend $150 for a single pair of shoes, but this spring I did just that. I was sold the minute I tried them on. They didn’t hurt my feet anywhere — a rare find. I waited for my tax refund to arrive, and then called to order a pair in my size and color. (This was all I spent from my tax refund; I saved the rest.)
My daughter sleeps on my old bed. The bed is about 100 years old, but not the kind of quaint antique that people love. It actually fell apart once when I was reaching for a toy, and I hurt myself pretty badly. She’s safe for now because she’s so little, but the bed has got to go before she gets much bigger. I’ve decided to buy a $800 captain’s bed with room for clothing storage. She also had my old dresser, but it too broke this summer, so we’re using an old craft caddy for her clothes for now. When choosing the bed, I went to the store and abused the floor model, checking for dovetail joints and solid wood.
I don’t have the bed yet, but I just sold some stock options on Friday, and will buy it when my check arrives. If I didn’t have any stock options and had to just save for it, I would do that. If my daughter’s current bed became entirely unusable, it would go to the curb, and I’d put her mattress on the floor until I could afford the $800. I could buy a cheap bed that would fall apart, or find another used bed that I hate, but eventually it would be replaced, so better to have her sleep on the floor and keep her PJs in a craft caddy for a few months until we can get something that meets our long-term needs.
The difference between frugal and cheap
Does this mean I would never buy used furniture or garage sale finds? No, I absolutely would buy a used desk or dresser in good condition. But my daughter’s room is small, and she’s only three, so she’ll be using this bed for a long time in limited space. I don’t have the time or the skill to repair badly damaged furniture, and I don’t have the space to store it. Keeping something around that I couldn’t use would only make me feel depressed and frustrated. I did originally repurpose all of my old furniture for her, but it’s past its usefulness.
A free piece of furniture that falls apart is no bargain; it’s a danger and a waste of space. A free piece of furniture that is an eyesore just makes you feel poor and unhappy. A free piece of furniture that looks nice with a little paint and is very useful is a treasure. So is an $800 extremely functional bed that will survive the childhood of one very sweet little girl and eventually allow room for a desk in a crowded little bedroom.
By the same token, my husband and I are taking $20 to set aside every time we get “paid” in our cash allowance to save for some nice sheets. We only have two sets of sheets, and the nicer fitted sheet ripped earlier this summer. So we have one fitted sheet, and we wash the bedding and return it on Saturdays. I am committed to buying expensive sheets, using my Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupon, and sleeping comfortably for several years. Expensive sheets will cost up to $200, and it may take us a few months to get there, but unless our one remaining sheet tears first, I’d rather stash the cash then spend $50 for cheap sheets that keep me from sleeping.
Making the most of your money, I believe, is surrounding yourself and your family with only things that are usable, comfortable, and give you pleasure. Whether it’s free or costs a fortune, if it’s unusable, uncomfortable, and gives you no pleasure, it’s junk. Quality is worth the wait.
This guest-post hits home for me. Like Amanda, I grew up poor. Like Amanda, this did not make me frugal. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to value quality over quantity. If you have an idea for a guest post, please drop me a line.
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I struggle with this. I’m often inclined to spend a small amount of money and I thend end up with a less than satisfatory result. For example I’ve got a couple of cheap bookcases that I’m sure would be fine if I didn’t actually fill them with books. And a cheap sofa that I hate and despise. Not all good design is expensive, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s worth holding out for the things that will really work, both functionally and aesthetically.
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I agree that buying quality is often the way to go. However, I make a strong effort to buy used quality goods whenever possible. That $800 bed might be available on Craigslist for $400. (or one like it….) And since it’s well made, there’s nothing wrong with buying it used. I’m not on board with 200 for sheets. Go to Marshall’s or a similar discount store and you’ll find many high thread count sheet sets for less than $100.
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I agree with the general theme that frugality and quality aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. The problem I have is that the post highlights some extremely expensive options and touts them as being “frugal”.
I’m sorry, but a $800 bed isn’t “frugal”. Sure, it’ll be very good quality and will last forever, but so will a cheap, solid metal bedframe (about $75, plus the cost of a mattress and boxspring). Add a nice headboard and you can have a very nice, functional, durable, and attractive bed for far less than $800.
Ditto the $200 sheets. We have some sheet sets that were purchased at a second-hand store for less than $10 that are absolutely awesome and likely cost hundreds of dollars brand new. Some people are grossed out by the idea of “used” sheets, but we just made sure they went through the wash a few times with some bleach before we used them.
Sleeping comfortably has much more to do with establishing a sleep routine than what bed, mattress, or sheets you have.
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Boy, $800 is a lot for a bed. At estate sales you can find good sturdy, great-looking beds that will last a lifetime. It’s not a choice between a cheap bed that will fall apart and an $800 bed that will last. It’s a choice between an $800 bed that will last and a $100-200 bed that will last. The old stuff is often a lot better made, too. My son is sleeping on my childhood bed (metal frame, new mattress), which was bought in 1963 and is still as sturdy as the day my parents set it up. I’m sleeping on my aunt’s old bed, which is as sturdy as the day it was bought in the 1880s. I see beds like them at estate sales frequently. And the poster should be aware that the very high thread count sheets fray much more quickly than medium count. You pay for the feel of them, not for the way they last, because they don’t last long.
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The “take-home” message I got from Amanda’s article was this: we each have certain areas of our life in which we value quality. For some, it’s their car. For others, it’s food.
There’s nothing wrong (or non-frugal) with spending money on these areas if the money is handled sensibly. When you deficit spend to afford these things, that’s not frugal. If you forego these things and feel miserable, that’s cheap. But if you make planned expenditures for which you’ve practiced smart saving, these can fit into a frugal lifestyle.
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Though I agree with the theme, like most money issues, there’s no one size fits all answer. It’s quite clear that Amanda highly values that $800 bed. Since she’s made that a high priority (and it’s her call to do so), it works – for her. It didn’t work for the commenter above and it wouldn’t work for me (but it might for my wife, leaving me in the same situation as though I agreed with it myself).
To me, one of the best examples of frugal vs. cheap is with a car purchase. It’s really easy to get trapped there and the decks are stacked against us. Still, nearly all of those reading posts like this are already aware of the massive immediate depreciation that occurs when purchasing a new car. Yet I know most of us have, at one point, bought a new car. And if not, I’d wager most of us do dream of doing so. Frugal? Cheap?
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you can get amazing, 300, 400, even 600 thread count sheet sets at Marshalls and TJ Maxx for $40-$60…truly luxurious, name brands, not crap. Don’t bother with bed bath and beyond!
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I agree with her points.
Most of us have areas of our lives where we can cut back and not feel the pain, and other areas where we feel deprived if we don’t indulge ourselves. For the writer, bedding is a big issue. I feel deprived when I cut back too much on the expenses for quality food, making music, traveling, outdoor activities, and live theatre — not the most “frugal” of interests. However, I happily cut our auto, TV, and furniture budget to the bone.
BTW — a nice, solid $800 bed that will also function as a dresser and be used for 15 years isn’t a crazy expense ($53/yr; 15 cents/night). I wish I typically got that kind of cost/use for my money. The time required to find a used bed of the same style and equal quality might not be worth the $400 to the original poster. I know there have been too many times that I’ve searched in vain to buy a particular item used, only to buy it new a few months later, because I wasn’t willing to compromise on quality; I hate shopping, so sometimes the “new” premium is worth it.
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Thanks for a very thoughtful post! I grew up partly in the Philippines in a poor family, but even I understood the difference between quality and quantity. I’m much more comfortable now and continue to make purchases that I know will last me a long time. One of the examples that I brought up in a comment on The Simple Dollar (and for which I and a couple of others who made similar comments received a few negative responses) is that I will not buy a cheap purse at Wal-Mart, no matter how trendy or pretty. They fall apart after a year, and inevitably they look terribly out of fashion, as Wal-Mart’s “designers” have very little understanding of classic design.
On the other hand, I WILL pay $300 or even more for a handbag or tote that’s well-made, functional, and has that classic look that will last for decades. I have a Fendi purse that my mother bought for me about fifteen years ago, and which still looks brand-new despite my having used it almost constantly (and I’ve taken it around the world as well). When it needed a new strap, Fendi replaced it for free. On the other hand, I’ve bought a few cheap Made-in-China purses from discount stores and Wal-Mart where the stitching starts unraveling within weeks of minimal use.
The same goes for shoes (I won’t pay $600 for Manolo Blahniks, but I’ve paid $200 for well-made hiking boots that survived mountain climbs, hikes and months-long backpacking trips in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the US and which fell apart only after nine solid years of use), cars, even food. I buy mostly organic produce and quality foods that I know will give my body the necessary fuel and nutrients it needs, rather than the cheap convenience foods that will only accelerate aging and breakdown.
I understand that each person must find the appropriate level of frugality that’s most comfortable to them. There will be people out there who can’t afford a Fendi purse, no matter how frugal they may be, and will satisfy themselves with a $10 Wal-Mart bag, knowing that it won’t last forever. I know there were times in my childhood when even a Wal-Mart or Salvation Army purse would have been a priceless gift. On the other hand, if you have the means, I can think of no reason to settle for an item that you’ll hate and which you’ll end up discarding anyway. Save up the money and get yourself something you really love.
Salut,
Marjorie
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I totally agree with this article. It’s always better to have a few thing that you really enjoy than a ton of stuff that cycles through your home and onto the curb for trash pickup.
The important point is to save for it – not throw it onto a credit card. My wife and I saved for several pieces of Stickley furniture. Each piece is like a piece of art that we will pass on to our children.
Second, carefully think about whether you are sacrificing your financial goals for this purchase. In our case, we are on track to save more than enough for a good retirement so some purchases like this, I feel are justified especially if they will last and save many future purchases.
I guess it is all about striking a balance.
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I agree that it generally makes sense to buy quality items (second hand quality items are even better). I think most people have bought something cheap on sale and found that it didn’t fit well or didn’t wear well and that cheap purchase ends up being expensive if you only use the item once or twice. On the other hand if you a quality item that you use regularly that lasts the per use cost is less. I bought an expensive work bag this time last year (its big and leather and holds all my work stuff) and while it was more than I wanted to spend I did get it on an after Christmas sale and I’ve used it almost every day for a year and it still looks new.
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I agree with the basic message here: money “saved” on poor quality items is really money wasted.
The problem many of us face is – in the absence of deep product knowledge – we equate higher price with higher quality.
The author said, “I am committed to buying expensive sheets” at Bed Bath & Beyond. The assumption is expensive sheets must be the highest quality. But that assumption can get you into trouble.
I believe most of the time, you get what you pay for. But, there are exceptions. For example, my sofa came from Salvation Army for $60, and I would not trade it for any brand-new one. I don’t know who manufactured it, I just know it’s good.
On the other hand, when I have chosen to pay a higher price for what I perceived to be quality, sometimes I have been rewarded, other times, disappointed.
I do believe you get what you pay for. Just try to make sure that what you are paying for is not a lot of brand-name hype and hot air.
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I had a similar discussion on my blog regarding a fridge purchase a few days ago. Several people commented that I should go with the cheapest model I can get – but quality (and the resale value of my home) is very important to me.
Spend on the bed for your daughter and the sheets for yourself (I get my high-thread count sheets at overstock dot com). They will bring you years of use and joy.
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I absolutely agree with this article. This is how I’ve been thinking for a long time. It’s nice to see that I am not alone in my thinking. I would much more spend money and get quality than quantity of cheap stuff.
This is how I think of food as well. We don’t eat out but we do buy fresh and higher quality foods. It’s definitely a priority for us. We also splurged and finally bought a really good bed. And great sheets….we save, then we buy.
Thanks for the great article!
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I agree in general that cheap can mean bad quality. But it depends. Many used goods are of high quality, but still much better than buying new.
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My father always quotes his Lithuanian grandmother-
Peasants can’t afford to buy cheap.
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The tendency to think that quantity is prosperity, which Amanda describes, is common in people who grew up poor. My mother still has it and I struggled with it through my twenties, leaving me with closets full of cheap junk to clear out in my thirties. For years, I felt more secure when I had lots of stuff. Now I’m far happier when I sell/give away/throw away a handful of things and replace them with one quality piece: ten pieces of costume jewelry for one simple solid gold 18″ chain, for example.
My husband and I also need bedroom furniture. We have an old bed frame, a garage sale dresser in bad shape, and a bunch of plastic shelves in the closet. Some of our relatives have expressed shock that we choose to live with those for now, even though the rest of the house is nicely furnished, but we refuse to go into debt or buy anything that is poorly made. Instead, our plan is to pay off our last non-mortgage debt this spring (a car loan) and then buy a new mattress set. At the same time, we’re selling old baseball cards and collectibles we were given as gifts years ago — with no sentimental value, but a surprising amount of dollar value — and those returns will fund a new bedroom set.
One last thing – ditto many above: for heaven sakes don’t blow a couple hundred dollars at BB&B on sheets! My high thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets came from SmartBargains dotcom years ago, cost $50 for king-sized, and are still in excellent shape. Or be like my parents, who only have one set of sheets — they are put back on the bed fresh out of the dryer each week.
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Trying to choose between quality and quantity depends greatly on the type of item you are talking about.
I guess it all depends on what you value as important in life…
-Raymond
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Amanda – Sheets – $200 is too much. Overstock.com has great sheets. I’m in Texas – I get Ralph Lauren Egyptian Cotton Sheets for Queen bed for under $50 at a store called Ross Dress for Less. I’m not a “name” shopper – got RL sheets due to price and found them to be amazing! Try Overstock.com – you will be glad you did – low cost shipping.
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I’m not sure here. My folks paid $50 for my used bed when I was a kid. The thing is still solid and will be used for my future son. It will be going on 35 years old at that point in time. I personally couldn’t justify paying more for a bed than I pay for a month of my mortgage. Yes good furniture is important but I’m not sure buying a new item at full price (or 15% off at BBB) is ever frugal when there are other options of quality available.
Let’s look at it this way. I need (want) a coffee table. I have three options, buy name brand (furniture store) version for around $650. I could buy cheap at Ikea or Sauder for about $50. I grew up around Sauder so I find it to be quality. Going with Sauder I can buy 13 tables for the price of 1 from Crate and Barrel. Sure it may break after 5 years but even at that rate I have 65 years worth of furniture which I can more easily change with styles.
I would be even better off searching the thrift stores and garage sales.
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This is true to an extent, but it’s always a risk. I personally think this is definitely a mistake for technology. For the most part, there is a plethora of useful gear that is way under valued because it isn’t the latest thing. I build PCs for myself, and I usually upgrade a year or two after something has shown up in the consumer market. A buddy of mine loves macs, and when he wants a new one, he scours ebay. Often times, he can buy a one year old, and sell his two or three year old for close to the same price (because he’s patient). It’s a bit of a hassle to transfer things over, but he really feels good that he doesn’t fill a landfill, and he doesn’t mind something that’s only a year old, usually they are in good shape.
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I thought about this article more on my drive to work.
We have an entire room — our living room — that is unfurnished. (Well, that’s not true. We do have an old television, a Wii, and two Dance Dance Revolution pads there, but those aren’t really furnishings.) I’ve been dying to get some nice furniture in there. In fact, I came this close to buying a $2500 Stickley chair.
I still want that chair — badly. And the $3000 bookshelf unit that matches. I’ve lived with cheap furniture so long that I’m ready to have something nice. I feel like I deserve it.
But I recognize that feeling like I deserve it is a trap. Wanting to spend $2500 on a chair is a trap. This way lies the path of Lifestyle Inflation. While there’s no question that I will furnish this room with quality when I do furnish it, now is not the time to do so. I still need to save an emergency fund. I want to pay down the mortgage. Besides, where would we put the chair right now? The Wii is in the way.
I’m not saying that Amanda is wrong for having purchased the bed — it seems like the right choice for her situation — but that I need to be careful. Sometimes I allow myself to use Quality as a way to justify unnecessary expenses.
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My grandmother told me when I was 16 that a good deal could be a very expensive deal. In the first Tightwad Gazette, Amy talks about her antique bed purchase.
I have found it to be true that the things I spent a bit more on have given me much pleasure – like the $50 sweater that shouted at me just before Christmas! It gives me great pleasure every time I wear it!
Enjoy the bed, look a little longer for the sheets!
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I shop at Overstock.com for high tc Egyptian cotton sheets, and only buy a king set when they’re $50 or less. With 3 of these sets, bought gradually over 2 years, we’re set for some time. They feel good, wash well and wear well… and don’t cost a fortune!
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Hear hear to those who mentioned Overstock, Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Other great places to look are Design Within Reach (dwr.com – check their sale area) and West Elm (westelm.com). Reasonably priced quality pieces. I agree that quality beats quantity once you’ve advanced past college age. But you can get great quality sheets that will last years for less than $200 just like you can get great quality chairs for less than $2500. I’m hearing a bit of emotion in those prices…or said another way – status.
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I think that the core message of this post is very accurate. Unfortunately for me, I’m both cheap AND frugal.
(Both Welsh & Dutch)
However, i still hope that Amanda takes away some of the great suggestions for getting the quality items at a MUCH CHEAPER PRICE then what she has been looking at. (I’m sorry, $200 for sheets? WTF? If you want really nice sheets, & you’re waiting anyways, keep your eye open for sales, check overstock, check ANYWHERE.)
As a side note, it seems like there’s another message in here: Learn how to repair your own things, how to take care of them, and you can save alot of moola too.
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I think some are missing the point:
1. Quality does last over Quantity.
2. It is OK to spend whatever on sheets, beds, stuffed monkeys, etc. as long as you plan for it and budget for it.
Every budget should have room for some luxuries as an escape valve. Let off a little pressure now and then to avoid the big blowout.
Look, I want a new BMW, but to do so I am not willing to go into debt. So I set aaside a little each month, and I might not ever get there, but I am saving for something I want, which keeps me on the right path.
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I learned the true value of well made shoes when I developed plantar fasciitis a few years back. The cost of this condition is high, both in pain and in visits to a podiatrist. I’ve found the best way to prevent flare ups is to wear shoes with good arch support. To that end, I wear Dansko clogs 95 percent of the time now. One pair lasts me 3 to 4 years–well worth the $100 plus dollars each pair costs me.
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@Marjorie: I agree on the hiking boots. I’m wearing a pair right now that I bought four and a half years ago, and they’re still in great condition!
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Great post, but (there’s always a but) I have to disagree a little. I don’t think it is a question of either/or – either cheap or quality. There is a spectrum and sometimes the answer is in the middle somewhere, and sometimes cheap is the right answer. To use myself as an example, I am tough on sunglasses. I’m a motorcyclist, and I think that squeezing them under the helmet stresses them in ways not seen in “normal” usage. I often find myself out on the road as the sun is going down. I’ve found I can take them off one-handed and slip them into a pocket (where they can easily get bent and scratched, but I don’t have many other options) My solution is to buy the cheap sets found at gas stations or mall carts. At around $10, I don’t mind that I have to replace them about once a year. If I was doing that with $100 sunglasses, I’d be rather unhappy. My point is that you have to determine what level of quality is acceptable for your purposes, then be willing to spend what it takes to get that. No matter the cost, if the item does what you want it to do, then it was worth it, and if it doesn’t work for you, then the price was too high, no matter how cheap.
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You have got me thinking, even if I don’t agree with it all. I would add that if you are in a relationship or have a family, extreme rules can cause friction. In my case, my EX-husband refused to allow a framed print into the home because it was not an oil painting, and he refused to purchase plastic furniture for the deck because it was not wrought iron, and so on. His standards had to be met. However, he would do nothing to change his low income level or pursue these things at discount… It was a control thing and was quite frustrating and depressing. Sometimes in life we “make do” with things that are good enough so that we can enjoy the here and now. At present, my home is furnished with quality goods from thrift stores and thrift sales. No safety hazards and nothing ugly. And all is well.
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This has been a big issue ever since I discovered what quality is and unfortunately this post doesn’t shed any light on my conundrum. When I am able to enforce some control over my spending, I get the cheap stuff thinking I’ll give this away and get quality later on when I can afford it, but later on never comes and since I prefer quality I lack the discipline to save up for it and end up spending money I don’t have (credit cards) to get it. I am therefore in debt and have become a throw away consumer because of it.
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There are plenty of ways of getting quality while still maintaining some frugality. There are a lot of places both offline and online that have already been mentioned. The trick is to shop sales, use coupons where ever possible and keep an eye out for good deals. My wife has this down to a science.
I find that it helps to keep something set aside for surprises. My wife and I keep some money set aside with no specific purpose in mind other than have something in hand to buy things that we need when they’re on sale. We also keep a short list of things that we need which aren’t urgent. Once we find a deal that we can’t pass up for something on that list, we get it.
For example, we had budgeted about $100 for a digital camera for our son for Christmas. Even with sales, $100 might get you a decent compact point-and-shoot. Luckily, a local camera shop was clearancing their Kodaks. We managed to get a $300 SLR-like digital for $100. It was much, much better quality than what we intended to get at the same price.
We try not to pay retail unless we have to, but that’s another story
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Totally agree. While it is up to each of us to determine what we consider quality, and how much we are willing to pay for that level of quality, I definitely agree with the basic premise that money spent on cheap items that are intended to be durable but will need to be immediately repaired or repeatedly replaced is a waste of money.
And, as you mentioned, at times it is much worse that just a waste but may actually cause real harm in some cases if the item ends up being unsafe.
I just wrote a post on this same topic after having numerous cheaper items fall apart on me on or prior to the first use of the items.
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Totally agree. While it is up to each of us to determine what we consider quality, and how much we are willing to pay for that level of quality, I definitely agree with the basic premise that money spent on cheap items that are intended to be durable but will need to be immediately repaired or repeatedly replaced is a waste of money.
And, as you mentioned, at times it is much worse that just a waste but may actually cause real harm in some cases if the item ends up being unsafe.
I just wrote a post on this same topic after having numerous cheaper items fall apart on me on or prior to the first use of the items.
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I was so happy when I read this article. Like JD, it hit home with me. All you have to do is say “government cheese” and I’m transported back. I’ve been there, done that. Been there with buying the $20 shoes that hurt my feet because I couldn’t stomach the thought of paying so much for “good” shoes… as if I didn’t deserve to have shoes that don’t hurt me when I wear them.
Like Amanda, I reached a point in my life where I realized that the value of a good bed was worth spending “real” money. No more hand me down mattresses, no more futons on the floor. When my husband and I bought our house we spent a week moving everything by hand ourselves instead of paying for movers as we had saved up for. Instead of spending the money on movers (and saving ourselves the injuries and frustration, which we’d been really looking forward to not suffering) I realized we could buy a good bed. A bed with a real wood frame. A king sized bed, so we had enough room to get a good night’s sleep even if we were visited in the night by a little girl who just couldn’t stay in her own bed (something that happened for over three years). A bed with a comfortable, NEW mattress that would last us for many, many years. Was it “frugal” to buy it? I think it was! We paid good money for something of quality and it’s been worth every penny and more in the years of comfort it’s already provided. It’s also *beautiful* and every time I see it I feel GOOD. I don’t regret. I don’t look at it and wish I hadn’t spent so much or that I still had our crappy old hand me down futon on the floor.
The comments on this story have really deflated me. Amanda isn’t doing it right! Amanda isn’t really being frugal even if she’s buying something in a responsible way and paying for quality merchandise that will last. Amanda is doing it wrong. Amanda should do X or Y or Z instead. Amanda should learn to take better care of her thing and then she wouldn’t need to replace them. Amanda wants this thing but probably doesn’t really need it.
RacerX has it right: Every budget should have room for some luxuries…
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Many posters have made good points. Quality lasts. For years I bought cheap furniture only to continually replace it. When I finally bought a condo, I slowly purchased quality furniture as I could afford it. I looked on Craigslist for a sofa and ended up deciding it would be better for me to buy a new one, but found a DR table in great condition at a great price. So, $800 for a piece that functions as a bed and a dresser sounds like a reasonable price, but I’d check internet prices to make sure it’s the best price or find out when the sales are.
Other posters have mentioned Overstock and TJ Maxx for sheets. I agree. I wouldn’t pay more than $100 a set of good sheets. Having bought 400 and up in threadcount – I’m not going back, but $200 seems steep.
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@ Dave,
Your post made me laugh, and it’s a great illustration for this thread.
I am rough on sunglasses, too, and I love that I can get a nice-looking, functional pair at Target for $10 or so.
My recent pair broke right before Christmas, and someone offered to get me a Sunglass Hut gift card so I could get some “nice” ones. I politely declined.
When I think about how miserable I would feel breaking a $100 pair of shades, it reminds me that paying for “quality” isn’t always the way to go.
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What a wonderful article. Everyone is forgetting that Amanda is living within her budget, and she is the only one (along with maybe her husband) that can PRIORITIZE that budget. That’s the real beauty of the article. I love it.
My husband thinks I’m nuts, too, because I’ll go on a business trip and eat peanut butter and jelly for weeks only to return and take he and my son out for an expensive dinner (using the money from my per diem!!!). Everyone prioritizes their wants and thus their budgets.
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The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they manged to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, where they were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the carboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kinds of boot Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socio-economic unfairness.
–Terry Pratchett, Men At Arms, pg 35
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Ugh, shoes. I feel hurting when I think of the 2 or 3 pairs of fancy shoes I got from ASOS.com and which I just can’t wear. On the other hand, how comfy and durable are my various Camper sandals, flats and pumps, worn year after year.
I agree about the question of computers – I too am a Mac lover as well as my boyfriend. When I bought my first iBook 6 years ago they were still very expensive and my purchase felt risky at the time, but oh how great it was. During these years I never spent a euro to have it fixed and when I bought the new Macbook I could re-sell the old faithful iBook.
My bf on the other hand uses his Mac machine for a while before switching to the latest model (he keeps constantly updated since he works with computers) and is able to spend little for it since he can sell the old hardware almost full price.
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Hah, this thread made me think of that Pratchett quote as well. Good show!
Personally, I don’t believe in the middle ground. I try to buy things that are either really cheap or really good. This is why I have a Sony Wega TV sitting in a $10 used pressboard entertainment unit, and a brand new queen-size bed with the same single-bed headboard I had as a kid. When I replace the cheap stuff, it’ll be with something high quality that will last the rest of my life. Until then, the cheap stuff works fine. Whereas if I replaced the cheap stuff with something from Ikea, it would eventually have to be replaced, making the purchase effectively wasted money.
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Great post! I think a lot of people get too focused on price tags, which are only part of the equation. Quality matters at least as much, as do priorities and income. Everything is relative to a point.
I’m doubt most people here would consider me to be frugal, being a shopping and fashion blogger, but I look back at previous years and I certainly feel more frugal — despite the fact that I’m actually spending more money on individual items.
A year ago I though I was very frugal when I was buying lots of bags and shoes for under $20 because they seemed like such great bargains. Well, I ended up with a lot of blisters, shoes I don’t wear, and bags that were tearing at the seams after just a few uses (I hate Walmart!!!). So nowadays I know that it’s smarter to spend more but on fewer items.
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As an amateur photographer, I have what would normally be an expensive hobby. When I’m looking for new equipment (new to me), I’ll go to eBay. I just can’t justify paying retail when I can find it for a fraction of the original price.
There are plenty of people who must have the latest and the greatest, and when it comes time to upgrade, they’ll offload their gear for about 1/2 of what they paid. I take advantage of that.
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I’ve read some of the other comments, and I agree with the sentiment that the $200 BBB sheets aren’t the best idea — at least not from BBB. While I fully understand the writer’s logic and desire (I’m 100% behind anyone who saves so they can buy quality), I think the execution of the idea could be stronger.
One thing I’ve seen in finance blogs, where someone is really strapped for cash, is that they assign a high quality value to something from a name brand store. In one blog, it was a woman saving to buy $15 bookshelves at Target. As others have pointed out, it’s possible to use a site like Overstock to get a better deal and better quality. If the writer lives near a Macy’s, I’d look there, too, and wait for one of their (almost constant) sales. Personally, I generally only go to BBB to look around, because I find their non-sale prices to be far too high — for example, I was once looking for large plastic storage bins, and theirs were about $18 each. I ended up finding something comparable at the grocery store for $4 each. There was nothing significantly different between them in style or size, and the quality was exactly the same.
I think the best thing to do, is figure out what the best quality is, and then research where it can be found most economically.
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I agree with Amanda’s mentality towards purchasing footwear, which is much more practical. I buy two pairs of $150 sneakers and wear them interchangeably, I find that it prolongs the life of both pairs. Maybe if she did so, mixing the usage of the $150 and a couple $10 shoes, she can make that $150 pair last much longer.
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I appreciate this article. I could really identify with it. I grew up in a home where cheapest was always best. After marrying into an intelligent/emotionally healthy/wise family, I learned the stupidity of buying cheap when it means you buy over and over and over again to replace that item (like cars in my family of origin) and end up spending double or even triple what you would have spent for a quality item. I’m still cheap when it comes to clothes and shoes and accessories, but I’m trying very hard to learn when cheap is okay and when I need to go for quality.
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I would definitely advise eBay for sheets! Yes, sheets
I bought a set of Ralph Lauren sheets on eBay. They are extremely high-quality, and I paid about 25% of what I would have paid at Macy’s. Even cheaper than the BB&B 20% off 1 item coupon. HTH!
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I think generally when someone cites quaility as the reason for buying a particular item, it’s an excuse to justify buying that item.
If an item is quality, it will speak for itself.
Clearly, the author could find a quality used captains bed, and comfortable sheets for far less than prices quoted.
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There are unquestionably some things where spending more money rather than less on a purchase tends to work out in the long run; the question tends to be where those areas are. For instance, I’d rather spend $90 every two years getting the air conditioner in my truck serviced than wait for it to fail all total. In fact, I just did that today. But it is hard to know what to spend money on as a preventative measure, indeed…
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Ryan
http://uncommon-cents.net/
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