I have been thinking about something lately. Is it better to buy quality and spend more money for it because it lasts longer in the long run, or is it better to buy cheaper clothes and buy them more often? It is kind of a catch 22. What do you guys do? I can see the benefits of doing both.
It depends on the quality of the "cheap" product. I prefer the idea of going for frugal, where there's value for money. But quality is the important consideration at the end of the day.
This really should depend on what the item is and what its going to be used for. With everything there is always a big price range to choose from. For example a microwave oven, cheapest is about £40. But you can also get them at £300. Don't they both do the same thing? The one for £300 will be better made, better quality and probably last twice as long as the £40 one will but does that justify the extra? Probably not... I always try and find the cheapest I can, and then look at the price bracket just above that.
It all depends what you're getting. When it comes to electronics I don't usually go for the cheapest because I don't want to have to replace it quickly. I mean, I wont get the most expensive either, but you know what I mean. I go for the bit pricier light bulbs because in the long run I'll spend more money buying the cheap ones that burn out quickly. When it comes to clothes, I usually go for the least expensive because one-a lot of other people are going for the more expensive ones which means guess who's probably going to not have a double. Two-I have a baby. A messy baby. LOL It makes NO sense. Three-I am a messy mommy. LOLOLOL When it was work clothes then I did go for the bit pricier ones because I needed them to be well made and not fade or anything. Shoes, back in the day they needed to last. Nowadays, I'm a sandal wearing free-spirit. LOL One pair I had to emergency buy when I was pregnant and my shoes were killing me. I don't do flowers on my feet, but I found these $5 sandals with a flower on them that I bought thinking they'd break in a few months. My king is going on 2 and a half. I still wear those sandals once in a while. BEST $5 SPENT EVER.
If we're talking about clothes then it's the cheaper option every time if I'm buying new. I buy the majority of my clothes from thrift stores though so often have the opportunity to buy great quaity clothes for a fraction of their original cost. The only items I buy new are shoes and underwear and I do go for the cheapest option right now as I have very little spare cash.
Clothing and shoes are two things that you want to save money on without choosing the cheapest option. Both clothing and shoes equate strongly between cost and quality, up to a certain point. A $20 pair of shoes is going to start wearing out day one, while a $70 pair of shoes can withstand some punishment. $11 jeans from Costco aren't necessarily going to last nearly as long as $40 jeans from Levi's.
I prefer quality. I always look at the standard and comfort of the things that buy than its cost. This is especially true for shoes, jeans and shirts. I find quality ones last longer than those cheaper ones.
I buy 60% cheap and 40% quality most of the time. I don't really know the difference, though. I'm in the habit of buying brand new and quality clothes whenever there's a mallwide sale so every time I do this, it's like I'm buying cheap but at the same time quality clothes.
I love classics.I don't mean stodgy old lady clothes. I mean things that will never go out of style completely. To complement these classic pieces, I buy something inexpensive, but trendy occasionally, that I will be willing to put in a yard sale next year. This way, I have my high-quality clothing for a few years, and something to spruce it up for at least one season.
For some things I don't mind buying cheap, while for some I dislike the idea of buying cheap no matter how small they are just because I think it might end up costing me more in the long run. I try not to skimp on things that would eventually cause me to lose more money such as getting cheap on repairs or food which would end up only giving me a lot of headache and cause me to spend more in the future for hospital or mechanic bills.
For me it always has to be quality over price, especially if I have the money. I feel that if you go for cheap products, you end up spending more money as you keep having to replace the stuff more often as they don't last. This applies to clothes and appliances. I recently bought a cheap, weird brand iron because we were short of money, and boy do I regret it! It doesn't work well, and I'm now saving up up to get a much better quality one.
When I was in college, I used to buy really cheap clothes because I couldn't afford branded ones and money was really tight during that time. But right now, I prefer the quality of the clothes since I'm earning already, I really don't purchase expensive garments, just those clothes that are not too pricey but have good quality.
I prefer quality but will sometimes buy cheap if it is an item that I don't care about lasting a long time. I do tend to scour the thrift shops where I can buy quality cheaply. Oftentimes I find things in thrift shops that are way better than I could afford new. And, too, I've come to the conclusion that most vintage items are better made than even the quality new items today. It just seems like nobody makes really good stuff anymore. Supposedly good things always seem to have their share of cheap in them somewhere. Bad zippers, poor stitching, something always.
