Quality Not Quantity

[shengmei]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

Well, I am not sure Wal-Mart is cheaper than Neiman Marcus. Of course the original retail price is cheaper, but I try very hard to buy nothing on retail. Wal-Mart never goes on sale. Neiman Marcus goes 90% off all the time.

I once had a friend who works in the plastics industry explain to me the differences between the materials used in Rubbermaid and Sterlite. I was surprised that a lot of things you think are the same are actually different. My Rubbermaid containers had lasted me a good five years. My sterlite containers cracked and had sharp edges. They had to be thrown away.

As far as sports drinks go. I know one sports drink that has 1000% daily nutrient allowances of vitamins. It was like a vitamin pack in a bottle. All of the drinks in a typical grocery store would be of similar price and quality, but there are professsional grade stuff out there.

I think it is important to dilligently read reviews. A lot of times the best quality is not found in the highest priced, but in the mid-price-range products.

[shengmei]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

I forgot to mention one thing, though....Cheaper, lower-quality things sometimes have a more classic timeless design and they are more basic, which I prefer, especially when it comes in terms of electronics. I have a $40 stereo which I prefer over my BIL's $5000 model.

I prefer cheap eyeshadows because I apply them with a wet brush. When I buy the expensive brands sometimes they are too highly-pigmented for me.

I prefer buying khakis at Target, because they are the only ones still carrying a classic basic design.

I prefer the cheap cat tree and clay cat litter at Wal-Mart. I rarely go to Wal-Mart but if I do I stock up on them. The cats love tearing apart the cheap cat tree and they prefer the cheap ones over the expensive ones. The cats also prefer a plain clay litter ($2 per 60 lbs) instead of the highly fragranced fancy chemical-y cat litters out there. Plain cat litters are much healthier for them than fragranced models. The cats also seem to prefer the cheap canned cat food from Wal-Mart than anything I can buy them at the health food store.

I prefer the cheap $20 area rugs at Wal-Mart over the $500 area rug in Saks Fifth Avenue, because they have a shorter looser pile and weave and thus they are easier to clean.

If you want quality, you should get the best (and often heaviest) thing you can get. However, sometimes you just want something basic and easy to work with. In which case something cheap will do.

[lrjohnson]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

Without going into brand names how do you decide the quality of an item. With clothing and linens. Is it the stitching, the material.
WHat about furniture. Etc etc etc.
How about electronics?

For clothes I look at the material (I prefer non made made material-cotton, etc.) I am not savvy enough to really look at stiching, etc. There are some brands I have had a good experience with-clothes loooking great after years.

Buying used clothes can really help here, believe it or not. If it's been throuh a few washings and the seams are still tight and the fabric looks good and it hasn't pilled, etc., it's a good sign to me that the quality is decent or better. Poor quality clothes don't make it to used racks looking good, even if they look fine on new racks.

Sheets, I go with cotton and a high thread count, at least 300. They seem to last a very long time.

Electronics/computer related I do an internet search and ask tech savvy friends. I just bought muy Guy a cheaper mp3 player that had very high ratings, so it was good value, and as Steve mentioned, I looked at features more than brand or price before I narrowd down. I knew what I needed as far as features and what would be nice, and it helped my search.

Furniture: I prefer older vintage furniture. I buy one piece every two or three years, and expect to have these a long time. If I am looking at garage sales, etc., I go for all wood and avoid press board, etc. I would get some IKEA if it was close to me.

I'd like to start buying more quality items to replace the make do stuff that I have been slowing getting rid of.

I totally understand. That's what I have been doing with furniture for years. I will get by meeting my basic needs until "the" item comes along. I have bookcases I have used for 20 years (bought as a teenager, all unfinished pine). I have a nice armoire and vanity that are vintage-old wood just looks so warm, very different to me from new furniture, even very nice new fuirniture, I can't explain it. I won't buy anything new or pricey I don't like. We used a funky kitchen table with a tabelcoth for years until I got a beautiful hadn me down oak round table.

What has worked for me here is just being patient, and taking one step at a time. I recently, well two yeard ago, started buying some nicer shoes that cost more. I may buy one pair a year. I don't worry about repalcing all my cheap stuff at once.

And, to be sure, there are some items I don't mind being cheap at all. My goal isn't to replace all cheap items, just replace items I don't like as much or that aren't sturdy/beautiful etc.

[disneysteve]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

A lot of times the best quality is not found in the highest priced, but in the mid-price-range products.

This is very true. If you read Consumer Reports, very rarely do they give their top rating to the priciest items in the category. As I said earlier, sometimes all you get with the more expensive items is bells and whistles and more things that can break or go wrong.

[DC?]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

I agree with the idea that investing in quality is really only important for those items that you would like to use regularly or keep around for some time. For instance, I would rather spend a lot on high quality furniture than "disposable" furniture that gradually falls apart. That said, people's tastes change and the conservative look isn't as popular as it once was.

Another thing to keep in mind is you don't need to pay for needless "features". While I would like the luxury of an expensive espresso machine, my $30.00 glass coffee press makes wonderful coffee and doesn't even use electricity.

[shengmei]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

No matter how expensive or cheap something is, if it offends you visually, it would become visual clutter.

It is important to buy things you love. If you truly love something for its looks, you can get it repaired even if it is low quality and it breaks.

[benosayi]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

The best place to find a nice bedroom set is at an estate auction. I purchased my sons' bedroom set (2 twin beds, dresser w/mirror, nightstand, chest of drawers) for about $400 at auction. But, you have to be prepared to haul it home with you on the same day you buy it. Their set is maple. I purchased a cherry dresser, chest of drawers, night stand and mirrors for about the same price. Then, I went to the local furniture store and found a cherry stained head board that matched my set for $75. Go to some auctions and get comfortable. Keep an open mind on what may work for you.

I got my bedroom set at an auction for 800.00. It was in a 7 bedroom in Milton, MA. This is what the auctioner said??? But anyway it is a heywood or something like that. I went to Bob's discount furniture and what I could get that I could afford was plywood. Jordans wanted 3,000 for a bedroom set. I do not finance furniture. They had great quality but not in my budget.

[vishenda]

Re: Quality Not Quantity

usually for electronics I go for quality
for clothing, I dont really mind