Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My first approach to being frugal was to buy at low prices.The past some odd months I have been thinking that if you buy cheap on less quality things you will probably spend more later.What are the things that you don't skimp on? (Sale items excluded)
I don't skimp on food. I'm not buying junk just because it is cheaper. OTOH, decent food doesn't have to be expensive.
We don't buy cheaper cars. We look at what has quality, lasts, is comfortable and what fits our family.
I rarely shop at Wal-Mart. They took a quality dive several years back. I did some price checks between them and the competition. The competition was often less expensive and had better quality meat and produce. If I shop in the off season, I can find fashionable, better quality clothes at same prices or less.
I pretty much only buy something cheap if it is one time usage. I can't think of anything I currently buy because one time use is often a waste. I'd rather buy less and do without if I can.
I don't skimp on almost everything i buy because I can't think of many examples where buying cheap got me anything other than less than what I paid for.
Well, ok I got a flimsy $1 plastic bucket at dollar tree. It's not as sturdy as the bucket I paid $5 for at target, but it does the same job.
Maybe Christmas cards, gift wrap too are worth skimping on.
Seasonal kids things that only need to last for a short time such as bathing suits, swim goggles, etc.
Basic school supplies, writing pads, paper, pens, pencils. Most pens and pencils get lost before the kids use them up and they are big paper wasters at school, no sense paying for good quality there.
Computers, they are too easily replaced to fix and constantly out of date with the newest OS, so we get the less than $500 on sale rather than the $2000+ ones now.
Book, getting then from a book exchange or library is just fine for us, we do not need the newest version when they first come out,
caller id, call waiting, call forwarding, etc. We just have the basic service, if the phone rings we answer it or it goes to the good ol' answering machine.
yard work, as we need it we call about once a month, but not every week (rural area, no grass) and we keep it up in between
I agree about the computers and would apply that to electronics in general, plus I'm not a gamer. I just need enough memory for forums, emails, writing, and photos. Still, I think I'm going to build my next computer, just for the experience.
Food -- I'm slowly changing my mind. I still buy spices and other pantry staples that really don't matter at Aldi's or Fareway. Salt is salt . . . sugar is sugar. But I'm buying the freshest stuff I can in season. I pay a little more at the farmer's market, but I'm also supporting local people. With food recalls, it's nice for me to know where food is coming from and how it was raised and handled.
Clothes -- I'm not buying any right now, but I'll hit the thrift stores when it's time. There are heavier jeans and shirts there when I can find them. The stuff at Walmart is so thin! I may also start sewing, again.
Furniture -- comes from garage sales or similar. I buy small, all-wood pieces and refinish or repaint them. I got the current set of end tables for free from a friend who was moving. They are solid walnut and will last for years with a little TLC.
Appliances -- depends. Small ones (microwaves, blenders) I buy on sale and get two when possible. I have three toaster ovens. They are now about $15 higher than when I got them. I generally can't repair them, so I move on to the next one. I also have surge protectors on all the kitchen outlets, which is helping.
Larger appliances -- I'm going to be needing both a new oven and 'fridge. I will pay what I have to in order to get a non-digital gas oven. The digital junk tends to blow out within two years, and I will no longer have in my house. I have a $100 'fridge now and that was a mistake since I can't work on them. This one has a motor that's going soon. I won't get top of the line, but I will a buy new, mid-priced model without an ice maker, perhaps at the Labor Day Sales. I'll also check the scratch and dent rooms because I can fix cosmetic problems (or ignore them).
I guess that overall, quality is important to me when I can't afford the loss in time or money to have it break down at the wrong time or I can't easily afford a back up (like for my computer). That's why the oven and 'fridge won't be thrift store items next time, but when it's time to get a new couch, it'll be cheap or free, as long as it's comfy and easily fits in the front door!
Scams aside, you always get more value by paying more. That doesn't mean paying more is worthwhile. There's no way I'd pay $15 for a bottle of premium spring water when filtered tap is 95% just as good for 1/100000 the cost. On the other hand, there are many things I can do on my Google Nexus 5 phone that I'd rather not go without by buying a $50 smartphone.
I buy good enough quality to get the job done. If the item is one that I will continue to use over time, I buy good enough quality that it will last and still do the job over time.
Skimping on quality to save money isn't the best move if you end up replacing your cheap item with the good one that is more what you need. You can buy a Walmart bicycle, but if you want to race, you will go back and buy a racing bike and then probably go back again and buy one good enough to compete with. Then maybe go back and buy one that is still better. You would have save a lot of money by just buying the good one to begin with. Money spent on tools that won't do the job is money wasted. Evaluate how much quality you are going to end up needing and buy the right one to begin with.
A big part of being frugal is to learn to not buy things that you don't really need. That frees up money so that you can get decent quality that will last in the things that you do need.
I don't skimp on things which are related to safety, like tires, or things which see heavy use, like tools. I can't discount sales because I don't buy durable goods if they're not on sale. Well, I do, but only in a pinch.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
