Are you willing to spend more if you will get a better quality item? I touched on this in a different post. I started thinking about it and realized that I do this with art supplies. Crayola colored pencils are nice and do the job, but prismacolor pencils are so much better. I will spend more for them to create brighter, smoother images. This is true with my hamburger and hot dog buns. I will buy potato rolls, because they are not as dry as the store brand buns. Anyone else do this? Or have a product they buy at a higher cost because of quality.
Yes, of course! There are many items where it makes more sense to spend a little extra for better quality. For example, bed sheets with higher thread count. (Who wants holes in sheets?) Also, sandals. You can get some for ten bucks at Wal-Mart but they fall apart within a month! Another example is backpacks. I have bought the cheaper one and the arm strap fell off just a month or two after buying it, but a Jansport backpack will last forever.
Not always, but there are times when I'd rather spend more than settle for less. Satisfaction and security are really important to me. For instance, whenever I travel, I always prefer hostels to hotels, usually because of their homey atmosphere. However, rather than sleep with strangers in mixed dorms, I'd rather go for a single room and pay extra. It's safer and more comfy that way.
If the higher priced item will last longer, give me more value in some way, or makes me happier, I'll buy the more expensive item. For instance, I like really high thread count sheets and cannot sleep if the sheets are too rough. My sleep is important so I spend the extra money. A mid-range backpack with features I like will probably last longer than the cheapest one I can find in that size so I'll go for mid-range but unless the higher one offers significant more value (which, for my needs, it usually doesn't) I won't buy the highest price one. I try to find a balance between price and quality. For some things though, it just doesn't matter - shipping supplies from dollar tree work the same as shipping supplies from Target or the UPS store. So do paper plates, hangers, and dish liquid.
For me, it depends on the use of the item, and purpose of the purchase. I agree with the above posters about long-term purchases, such as bedding, and would definitely pay for a single room, rather than sleeping with strangers. There are some things I pay less for, because I tend to switch them out fairly often, such as litter boxes for my cats. In my opinion, the insides get scraped up during cleaning, so scents sometimes linger, and I'd rather buy cheap ones and toss them more frequently, than pay a lot, and be stuck with stinky boxes. I was asking a friend recently whether it would be worth it to buy a more expensive serpentine belt for my vehicle, but his opinion was that it wouldn't be worth it, since I'd end up replacing it in a couple of years anyway. He recommended going with the middle priced option. I'm glad I asked, because, since I don't have much knowledge on the subject, I might have gone with the most expensive belt, thinking it would last longer, or perform better.
What a great example. I would tend to favor a more expensive thing if I don't know much about with the thought that it costs more so it must be better. I'm sure car dealers and repair people get customers on this often.
It depends on what it is. If it is something I need to last, like a vacuum or furniture I will spend more. Of course I do research to try to find the best deal, but I will spend more. If it's something like paper plates or sandwich bags I go as cheap as possible. I'm always down to save money, but not when it will cost me more in the long run.
I definitely try to weigh up whether it's worth it - almost doing a cost-benefit analysis on it. A lot of the time it does pay to spend a little more for quality. But ultimately it really depends on what you're spending the money on, particularly if it's something that wouldn't normally be viewed for its quality or doesn't have much of a shelf life anyway.
While at times there isn't a huge difference between cheap generic products and pricey brand name products sometimes the difference is so huge that it is better to buy the expensive product because it will be more durable, have a better taste, etc. That's why I at times choose quality over price.
It depends on the item and where you buy if from. I don't like to skimp on pens because cheap pens don't write well and they break. Sometimes it's trial and error and some expensive things aren't always better quality but the packaging and marketing is better.
