[disneysteve]

I don't think quality is necessarily overrated, but I know what you mean, cschin4. There are times when you need good quality and there are times when you don't.

How do I judge quality? It really depends on the item in question. The answer will be different for clothing than it is for cookware or cars or electronics. Some of picking items will come from physically checking them out in the store. Some will come from recommendations from others or from Consumer Reports reviews. And sometimes we just pick the one we like best.

Is buying based on quality more frugal? Sometimes, but only if it is an item that you expect will get heavy use and needs to hold up well. For example, we spend very little on my daughter's clothing because she grows so rapidly that she outgrows things long before she can wear them out. The quality just doesn't matter. We'd rather get stuff at Wal-Mart and Target for a few dollars. It serves its purpose and goes to Goodwill within a few months. On the other hand, I have dress shirts that I've had for 15 years and they get worn on a regular basis. Quality is much more important for something I expect to have that long.