{"id":511,"date":"2018-10-24T11:00:26","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T18:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/2006\/09\/26\/the-good-stuff-choosing-quality-over-price\/"},"modified":"2023-12-05T14:20:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T21:20:55","slug":"buy-it-for-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/buy-it-for-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Buy it for life: Choosing quality over price"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"highlight\"><p><em><strong>Note:<\/strong><\/em> <strong>This is a substantial re-write of an article I first published more than <em>twelve<\/em> years ago.<\/strong> (Yikes, I&#8217;m old!) I&#8217;ve opted to keep some of the older comments if they had good suggestions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Earlier this week, I wrote about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/quality-versus-crap-why-i-bought-80-pajamas\/\">my quest for quality pajamas<\/a>. I recently paid $80 to purchase a pair from Filson, a company I trust for well-made goods. It&#8217;s my hope that these will be the last pair of pajamas that I ever purchase. My goal was to &#8220;buy it for life&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>This experience reminded me of two other companies that I love for their top-notch stuff.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The first is a company called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bestmadeco.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Best Made<\/a>, which aims to make and sell &#8220;the finest, most beautiful and useful products made by any company anywhere&#8221;. And they do. Best Made offers an esoteric collection of clothing and household items, all of which offer quality reminiscent of your grandmother&#8217;s era. The catch? The quality comes at a higher cost.<\/li>\n<li>Or there&#8217;s the Portland-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schoolhouse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schoolhouse company<\/a> (formerly Schoolhouse Electric), which makes and sells a variety of lighting, hardware, and furniture for the home. I&#8217;ve purchased a few things from Schoolhouse over the years, and I&#8217;ve been blown away by the quality. The items were expensive up front and I was hesitant to purchase them, but my reservations have vanished with time and usage. The blanket covering my feet at this very moment, for example, cost $250 (I think) but will last the rest of my life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here&#8217;s something I&#8217;ve learned over the past fifteen years: <strong>One way to practice financial prudence while living the good life is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/best-quality-for-less\/\">buy quality products<\/a><\/strong>, products that are a pleasure to use, products that will last a lifetime (or at least a decade).<\/p>\n<p>Today, let&#8217;s talk a little about choosing quality over price. Let&#8217;s talk about the &#8220;buy it for life&#8221; philosophy.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Buy It for Life\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/30598013347_352e8b6e7b.jpg\" alt=\"Buy It for Life\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\"\/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-find-the-good-stuff\"><\/span>How to Find the Good Stuff<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first challenge is to figure out how to <em>find<\/em> the good stuff. When you&#8217;re ready to make a purchase, how can you know which items are quality and which are run of the mill?<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you&#8217;ll know which company offers a high-quality version of whatever it is you need to buy, either from personal experience or from paying attention to friends and family. Or, if you don&#8217;t know off the top of your head, you know whom to ask for more information. If I wanted to buy audio gear, for instance, I&#8217;d ask my brother. He&#8217;s an audiophile and could steer me in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the time, however, you&#8217;ll have to do some research.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes time for me to make a major purchase, the first resource I turn to is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B003I7HS3Y\/?tag=grsorg-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Consumer Reports<\/em><\/a>. I&#8217;ve been a <em>CR<\/em> subscriber on and off since I graduated from college in 1991. I trust their reviews, especially the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/cro\/a-to-z-index\/products\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comprehensive evaluations online<\/a>. (The magazine doesn&#8217;t have room to go into depth.)<\/p>\n<p>When Kim and I bought our country cottage, for instance, I used <em>Consumer Reports<\/em> to figure out which tools to purchase for the yard and garden. (I ended up choosing an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B01DL6GVKW\/?tag=grsorg-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">EGO electric mower<\/a>, along with the company&#8217;s string trimmer and hedge trimmer.)<\/p>\n<p>For smaller items, I use Amazon to guide my decisions. Deciphering Amazon reviews is something of an art. I make sure to <em>always<\/em> read the one-star reviews in order to learn if there&#8217;s anything drastically wrong with a product. I&#8217;ve also devised my own rough guide to parsing Amazon reviews:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Five stars is equivalent to an A.<\/li>\n<li>Four and a half stars is the same as a B.<\/li>\n<li>Four stars is roughly a C. (From my experience, most Amazon items earn four stars.)<\/li>\n<li>Three and a half stars is a D. I try not to purchase anything rated this low but sometimes there&#8217;s no alternative.<\/li>\n<li>Three stars and below is the same as an F. I <em>never<\/em> purchase products rated three stars or below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One final resource for finding quality products is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/BuyItForLife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\/r\/BuyItForLife<\/a> forum on Reddit. \/r\/BIFL allows users to share items they own that are durable, practical, proven, and built to last. Here&#8217;s the \/r\/BIFL compilation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/BuyItForLife\/comments\/pigqt\/bi4l_essentials_the_kitchen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">kitchen essentials<\/a>, for instance. You can find more lists like that in the \/r\/BIFL sidebar.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"highlight\"><p>One GRS reader recently noted that choosing quality over price is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sam_Vimes#Boots_theory_of_socio-economic_unfairness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a luxury reserved for the rich<\/a>. People who are struggling to get by are often forced to take the cheapest option, even if it costs more in the long run. That&#8217;s an interesting observation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"where-to-buy-it-for-life\"><\/span>Where to Buy It for Life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Over the past decade or so, I&#8217;ve compiled a mental list of companies that <em>I<\/em> feel sell wonderful products. Below is a list of a few of my favorites. (Most of these are clothing companies, for some reason. Maybe because I buy clothes more often than, say, furniture?)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.filson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Filson<\/a> (Seattle, 1897, &#8220;Might as well have the best&#8221;) sells outdoor clothing, hats, bags, and accessories. I own two Filson hats, a Filson vest, a Filson jacket, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/quality-versus-crap-why-i-bought-80-pajamas\/\">Filson pajamas<\/a>, and several Filson bags. Each piece was spendy but worth it. Filson makes high-quality products.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patagonia.com\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patagonia<\/a> (California, 1965, &#8220;Committed to the core&#8221;) makes active outdoor clothing and gear. I own a couple of Patagonia jackets and a couple of travel shirts. They&#8217;ve served me well. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patagonia.com\/shop\/web-specials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)<\/a> (Seattle, 1938) is a outdoor gear co-op that&#8217;s <em>very<\/em> popular in the Pacific Northwest. I own tons of REI gear, including my favorite travel backpack. They&#8217;re one of my favorite companies. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/rei-garage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pendleton-usa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pendleton Woolen Mills<\/a> (Portland, 1909, &#8220;Good for life&#8221;) makes and sells shirts and blankets. Before the damn dog ate it, I owned one Pendleton hat that I wore frequently. I&#8217;ve owned Pendleton shirts, and have always been impressed. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pendleton-usa.com\/sale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stetson.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stetson<\/a> (complicated history) is best known for its hats and boots, but they offer offer other items as well. I own one Stetson oilcloth cap (no longer available) that I picked up in the Normandy region of France on a cold and windy afternoon. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stetson.com\/store\/sale.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items.<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timberland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timberland<\/a> (Boston, &#8220;Make it better&#8221;) makes footwear, it&#8217;s true, but they offer a lot of other products too. In 2007, I bought a pair of Timberland hiking boots. I love them. I&#8217;m now nearing the end of my second pair. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timberland.com\/sale.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icebreaker.com\/en-us\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Icebreaker<\/a> (New Zealand, 1995) makes merino wool clothing. Long-time readers know that I&#8217;m an Icebreaker fan. I own a couple of their jackets, a cap, some socks, and probably 20 different t-shirts. (For real!) Just yesterday, I bought a long-sleeve button-down shirt from Icebreak for an upcoming winter trip to Austria and Hungary. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icebreaker.com\/en\/web-specials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.birkenstock.com\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Birkenstock<\/a> (Germany, 1897) makes quality footwear. In college, I started wearing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birkenstock.com\/us\/milano-oiled-leather\/milano-core-oiledleather-0-eva-u.html?dwvar_milano-core-oiledleather-0-eva-u_color=5326#start=9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Milano sandals<\/a> from Birkenstock. They&#8217;re my go-to summer shoe. I bought my last pair in Key West, Florida during our RV trip. I&#8217;ll need to get a new pair next year. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.birkenstock.com\/us\/last-chance-sandals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.landsend.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Land&#8217;s End<\/a> (Chicago, 1963) is a popular mail-order clothing supplier. When I was younger, I owned a <em>lot<\/em> of their stuff, but somehow forgot about them. I recently placed my first Land&#8217;s End order in a long time. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.landsend.com\/shop\/sale\/S-xec-xee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stickley.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stickley<\/a> (New York, 1900, &#8220;Collector quality furniture since 1900&#8221;) makes classic fine furniture. Much of the modern Get Rich Slowly has been written from a Stickley Morris recliner. During the depths of the Great Recession &#8212; just after I sold this blog &#8212; I purchased four Stickley pieces at deep discounts. I love them.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tombihn.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tom Bihn<\/a> (Seattle, 1972) makes awesome bags and backpacks specifically designed for people who travel or who are on the go. I own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tombihn.com\/products\/the-makers-bag?variant=16381005639\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Maker&#8217;s Bag<\/a> and love it. Kim loves it too. In fact, I had to buy her one so that she would leave mine alone. (We also have their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tombihn.com\/collections\/dog-gear\/products\/citizen-canine?variant=16560974791\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dog training bag<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a> (California, 1976) has grown from a company with a cult-like following to a respected manufacturer of quality computers. I converted in the early 2000s, and I don&#8217;t regret it. Their machines are expensive, but they&#8217;re very well made. (And you know what? They run Windows too!) Most of my life is spent in front of a Mac screen. Sad but true. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/shop\/refurbished\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sale items<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This list isn&#8217;t intended to be comprehensive. These are the companies <em>I<\/em> know and have used in the past. I&#8217;m sure I&#8217;ve left out plenty of fine places. If there&#8217;s a firm you feel ought to be included in this list, let me know in the comments.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"highlight\"><p>I had lunch with my cousin yesterday. When I told him I was writing this article, he shared his experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/quality-clothes\/\">looking for quality clothing<\/a>. He recently lost a lot of weight and had to replace his entire wardrobe.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I can afford to buy things new,&#8221; Nick told me, &#8220;but I don&#8217;t like to pay that much. I&#8217;ve been shopping at thrift stores to find the same stuff for much less. And you know what? I really do think the famous name brands <em>do<\/em> tend to have better quality.&#8221; (Nick is like the <em>anti<\/em>-consumer, so this observation means something coming from him.)<\/p>\n<p>See also: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theluxestrategist.com\/how-to-shop-at-thrift-stores-10-tips-for-finding-the-hidden-gems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to shop at thrift stores for quality clothing<\/a> over at The Luxe Strategist.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"the-good-stuff-according-to-grs-readers\"><\/span>The Good Stuff (According to GRS Readers)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As I was preparing this piece, it occurred to me that I ought to ask folks on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/getrichslowlyorg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/getrichslowly\/status\/1054732816091635713\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a> where they go to find the good stuff. When do <em>they<\/em> choose to &#8220;buy it for life&#8221;? I received a lot of responses!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jdroth\/posts\/10156823486216214\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Quality vs Price Question\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/45519798911_7e79f624ff.jpg\" alt=\"Quality vs Price Question\" width=\"640\" height=\"329\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some people offered suggestions on how to buy it life. Here, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/getrichslowlyorg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the GRS Facebook group<\/a>, are three top tips:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Advice for buying quality goods\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/44622788855_97187f765d.jpg\" alt=\"Advice for buying quality goods\" width=\"640\" height=\"509\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Jacob from <a href=\"http:\/\/earlyretirementextreme.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Early Retirement Extreme<\/a> had some good advice for determining whether any given item is considered quality by the people who own it: Check eBay to see if it&#8217;s retained its value.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Check eBay to see if things have retained value\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/45537577991_74cbb79b4e.jpg\" alt=\"Check eBay to see if things have retained value\" width=\"640\" height=\"466\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I took the time to sift through the roughly one hundred replies I received on social media. While this was by no means a scientific survey, the responses were interesting.<\/p>\n<p>First, it&#8217;s clear that people are willing to pay a premium for certain <em>classes<\/em> of products.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I was shocked by the number of people praising footwear. We all want comfortable, quality shoes, and when we find them, we remain loyal to the companies who provide them. I love my Timberlands, for instance, but others are willing to pay extra for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drmartens.com\/us\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Martens<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merrell.com\/US\/en\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merrell<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keenfootwear.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keen<\/a> was the most-recommended shoe company in my survey. Some smaller shoe companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trask.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trask<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.samuelhubbard.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Samuel Hubbard<\/a> received rave reviews. (A few folks mentioned socks, specifically <a href=\"https:\/\/bombas.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bombas<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/darntough.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Darn Tough<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li>Sleep is also important. Some people recommended pillows or sheets, but most focused on their mattress. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tempurpedic.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tempur-Pedic<\/a> garnered the most mentions. (When we moved in together, Kim and I shopped for a high-quality mattress. I think we chose Tempur-Pedic also, but I&#8217;m not willing to strip the bedding to find out.)<\/li>\n<li>People are also willing to pay more to ease life in the kitchen. Several people raved about their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitamix.com\/us\/en_us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vitamix<\/a> blenders. Mostly, though, folks mentioned their knives. I own (and love) a chef&#8217;s knife from <a href=\"https:\/\/shun.kaiusaltd.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shun<\/a>, as do a couple of other readers. Others, like my ex-wife, prefer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zwilling.com\/us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Henckel<\/a> knives. Justin from <a href=\"https:\/\/rootofgood.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Root of Good<\/a> offered an awesome alternative. His family buys Kiwi knives from Thailand at $3 or $4 each. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B078WLXB39\/?tag=grsorg-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">They go for $9 on Amazon<\/a>, which is still a great deal.) All knife lovers agree on one thing: The best way to make your life easier is to sharpen your blades!<\/li>\n<li>Several women, including my girlfriend, told me they&#8217;re willing to pay a premium for high-quality cosmetics. But each person cited a different <em>brand<\/em> of cosmetics that they&#8217;re loyal to. Because I&#8217;m a boy and know nothing about this stuff, I&#8217;m not going to link to any one company. (But <em>you<\/em> can in the comments below.)<\/li>\n<li>Lastly, outdoor gear proved popular in my poll. Many people like <a href=\"https:\/\/arcteryx.com\/us\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arc&#8217;teryx<\/a> (a brand I&#8217;ve never tried). Others praised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patagonia.com\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patagonia<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">REI<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.llbean.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">L.L. Bean<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some readers zeroed in on very specific items.<\/p>\n<p>Whitney Hansen, the <a href=\"https:\/\/whitneyhansen.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Money Nerd<\/a>, likes a particular &#8220;adventure blanket&#8221;. Long-time reader Tyler K says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.benjaminmoore.com\/en-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benjamin Moore paints<\/a> are so amazing that he&#8217;ll never buy paint from a hardware store again. Another reader recommended Casio <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gshock.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">G-Shock watches<\/a>. Several people were fans of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hydroflask.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hydro Flask<\/a>. (Me too! I own three of their water bottles and think they&#8217;re amazing.) And a <em>lot<\/em> of people seem to think <a href=\"https:\/\/www.otterbox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Otter Box<\/a> phone cases are essential.<\/p>\n<p>But can you guess the number-one company that GRS readers turn to for quality products? It&#8217;s the biggest tech company in the world: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a>. Apple didn&#8217;t used to be known for quality. (In fact, their quality was crap twenty years ago.) Now, though, things have changed. Apple quality has won converts like me &#8212; and you.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Apple makes good products\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/45487639442_566089ffb4.jpg\" alt=\"Apple makes good products\" width=\"640\" height=\"154\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Finally, several people mentioned that they do their best to buy products with lifetime warranties. Then, if they break or something goes wrong, they can get a replacement. (Leah Ingram maintains a list of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leahingram.com\/products-with-lifetime-warranty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">companies with lifetime warranties<\/a>.) By purchasing items with a lifetime warranty, you&#8217;re making certain that &#8220;buy it for life&#8221; is literal, not figurative!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"quality-is-part-of-a-rich-life\"><\/span>Quality Is Part of a Rich Life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One follower on Twitter took me to task for tackling this topic. He believes that talking about spending <em>more<\/em> to purchase quality items is tantamount to encouraging consumerism. Like I said the other day, I do sometimes worry that this sort of thing crosses the line to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/lifestyle-inflation\/\">lifestyle inflation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the time, however, I think choosing quality is a smart financial decision.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Liz from Frugalwoods has written in the past that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frugalwoods.com\/2017\/09\/25\/why-i-mostly-disagree-with-buy-it-for-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the &#8220;buy it for life&#8221; philosophy can be problematic<\/a>. If you&#8217;re buying the best of <em>everything<\/em>, that&#8217;s an issue. You should only buy the best when thing your buying is an important part of your lifestyle. (Why spend a ton on something you rarely use?) And what about changing fashion and priorities?<\/p>\n<p><strong>I believe that buying well-made things, things that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/konmari-method\/\">&#8220;spark joy&#8221;<\/a> when used, is part of living a Rich Life.<\/strong> Most of us don&#8217;t aim to be ascetics. We&#8217;re not frugal for the sake of frugality. We&#8217;ve scrimped and saved and worked hard to build wealth precisely so that we <em>can<\/em> spend money on products that make our lives easier and\/or more enjoyable. There&#8217;s nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"highlight\">\n<p><em><strong>Note:<\/strong><\/em> <strong>This is a substantial re-write of an article I first published more than <em>twelve<\/em> years ago.<\/strong> (Yikes, I&#8217;m old!) I&#8217;ve opted to keep some of the older comments if they had good suggestions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Earlier this week, I wrote about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/quality-versus-crap-why-i-bought-80-pajamas\/\">my quest for quality pajamas<\/a>. I recently paid $80 to purchase a pair from Filson, a company I trust for well-made goods. It&#8217;s my hope that these will be the last pair of pajamas that I ever purchase. My goal was to &#8220;buy it for life&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>This experience reminded me of two other companies that I love for their top-notch stuff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3287,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[32041,488,484],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}