Do you purchase cheapo or the best of the best

[Pengwuino]

When it comes to purchasing things besides big-ticket items such as automobiles or homes; what do you normally go for? Do you feel you get what you pay for most of the time and buy only the best or do you just buy whatevers the cheapest?

 

[inha]

I usually go for the best I can afford or the best that's reasonable for my needs. I'd rather have something reliable and durable than something cheap but flimsy(is that even a word and am I using it in the right context?).

 

[Zantra]

This brings into play an issue in California. I'm not originally from here, but I've noticed it's a not too uncommon practice for people here to buy "the best of the best" even if they really can't afford it. It all goes towards image. Now by no means is this everyone, but it's not an rare thing to see someone driving a mercedes who doesn't have a pot to pee in. People want to look good, so they spend more than they need to on an item.

For me it's highly dependent on what the item is. I wouldn't spend boku bucks on towels. But I might go for the moderately priced item on clothes and such. I never by the "best of the best" because past a cerain point you're definitely paying for the name brand, and not the quality of the item. OTOH big ticket items sometimes don't give a choice but to spend the money because there's only one brand/item with the features you want. So sometimes it's a necessary evil.

 

[Artman]

I am fairly cheap.

That being said, I have bought a guitar for $199.00 with an MSRP of $690.00, an amp for that guitar for $146.00 with an MSRP of $400.00. I have a friend who plays guitar who only buys high priced stuff (he has three guitars each worth about three times as much as I paid for all of my guitar gear.) My $199.00 instrument sounds better than his $1700.00 dollar instrument and as good as his $5000.00 instrument.

I bought $400.00 worth of wood and hardware and spent tons of time building an entertainment center (armoir and two bookcase cabinet units) instead of spending $2500.00 on a similar set (my wife and I shopped all over for a good set for arond $1000.00 and they were all crap.)

Built a $1000.00 computer for about $500.00.

I consider myself a good shopper not willing to settle for less just because I can't afford the best. I also check reviews pretty carefully. If a cheaper item is highly rated by users, I'll give it a try if it meets my needs.

 

[Townsend]

I always go for the best overall value based on my needs. For example Alienware is pretty close to the best of the best for high performance laptops. After Alienware there is probably the Dell XPS and so on and so forth. When I went looking for my laptop I decided what I would be willing to spend and what I expected out of it. I then found what I wanted in a Sager for less then the cost of either Dell or Alienware or most other similarly equipped gaming laptops.

I could have gotten a flashier and more expensive laptop from Alienware and the tech support would have perhaps been better but to me this hardly justifies the increase in overall cost.

So to me it is about value and getting what you want for a price you can go home and still feel good about at the end of the day. I have learned long ago that if you buy something more expensive then you really wanted to you will easily be disappointed in it. If you buy what you wanted at a price you know you are happy with then you will feel good about your purchase.

I think anyone who buys something just because it is the best is a superficial fool. They will never be happy because there is no such thing as the BEST when it comes to material things because there is and will always be something better.

 

[mapper]

I always get the mid range. They are usualy the best bang for the buck.

 

[hypatia]

For everyday needs I shop at the dollar store, I don't care if my paper towels sport christmas decor in july, or that my scrubbies don't come from "scott" brand.
I DO buy good quality cloths and shoes ect.

 

[motai]

Cheap all the way (or at least most of the time). I never buy designer clothes, as I don't see the point. Why pay money for designer clothes when all you're doing in the end is becoming an advertising object (showing off their name brand and not getting any royalties). I should get paid to do that. Most of my shirts are either running shirts or otherwise, and clothes tend to be generic.

For food I tend to be fairly thrifty (it all ends up the same way in the end). As for electronics, mid-range is good enough unless I can get it cheaper.

We must remember though that immediate gratification through expensive purchases doesn't really make us happy, and that commercials will lie to you so that you will purchase their product.

 

[hypermorphism]

It depends. If it's clothes, it's either functional or non-functional. Same with sink strainers. I don't care what super titanium copper alloy the strainer is made of, since Godzilla does not regularly attack my sink strainer, I'll stick with the cheapest functional one. When it comes to things where there are actual huge performance differences, though, I'll go for the best I can afford (where best is judged by features, reviews, testing, etc., not some brand name or "ooh, it has a higher model number"). Stuff like solar arrays, receivers, I/O cards, etc. Basically machinery and technology.

 

[Kerrie]

It depends on what I am buying. When it comes to my beads, yarn, or fabric, I buy the best of the best. My crafts are a reflection of my creativity, and I want only the best to show it of. When it comes to clothes, I go for middle of the range but good quality. Eddie Bauer is my clothing line of choice. When it comes to cars, I buy the top of the line within my price range. Nothing worse then paying a lot of money for an item that isn't what you really want. When it comes to food, I buy good quality meat and produce, but will buy bulk grains, etc. Good quality food is truly a luxury and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to have access to it, so I indulge. I think the main thing I am cheap on is regular household items, I find Target to be a great place to buy cool stuff at reasonable prices.

Also, if I can make it, I don't buy it. This is especially true with my jewelry, purses, blankets, pajamas and quilts-all items I make for gifts and myself. Been told to start a business with my beaded jewelry and cigar box purses because I make some rather unusual and weird items, but my real job doesn't allow me the time to do it as much as I would like.

 

[Loren Booda]

When I shop at the grocery store, I buy name brands on sale rather than store brands in general. I judge the nutrition, quality, quantity, price, shelf life, preparation and personal taste while choosing food items.

 

[juvenal]

Cheap all the way (or at least most of the time). I never buy designer clothes, as I don't see the point. Why pay money for designer clothes when all you're doing in the end is becoming an advertising object (showing off their name brand and not getting any royalties). I should get paid to do that. Most of my shirts are either running shirts or otherwise, and clothes tend to be generic.

For food I tend to be fairly thrifty (it all ends up the same way in the end). As for electronics, mid-range is good enough unless I can get it cheaper.

We must remember though that immediate gratification through expensive purchases doesn't really make us happy, and that commercials will lie to you so that you will purchase their product.

Most designer clothes (that I'm familiar with - and I've been to Barney's, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Fred Segal, etc.) do not have the name brand flaunted in an obvious location. In fact, I buy nice stuff when I can, but purposely avoid anything with a name brand or label shown somewhere. Why do I like nice stuff? Because, if chosen well, it tends to be better constructed and look nicer. And is more fashionable.

Why care about fashion? Well - why care about anything? Should the value of anything be solely based on its practical utility?

Based on what you're saying above, we just have different philosophies about life. I'm fairly hedonistic. I find great pleasure in eating expensive food when I can (assuming that the quality is good, of course), even though "it all ends up the same way in the end". But I've met others with philosophies similar to yourself. (I just find them no fun to hang out with).

I do agree with you that one shouldn't become a slave to consumerism though, and that expensive purchases are a poor substitute for filling any voids in your life.

 

[Moonbear]

I buy the best quality I can get for the lowest price available. Sometimes that means I can pay a low price and get good quality, and sometimes I have to pay more to get the good quality. Price and brand names don't always reflect quality. And sometimes if the best quality winds up out of my price range, I need to consider what alternative is available in my price range and whether it's sufficient to meet my needs.

Then again, it also sometimes depends on the use. If I only need to use something once and don't anticipate ever needing it again, cheap will be sufficient, but if I intend to use something repeatedly and want it to last a long time, then quality is more important than price, and something that will outlast the cheap product ends up being more cost effective in the long term (think of it in terms of how much you will pay per use rather than the cost at the register).

 

[mattmns]

I usually look for quality. Whether it be free or expensive.

 

[1123581321]

EBAY!

That's all i can say

Fibonacci

 

[franznietzsche]

I tend to buy the best of the best.

Especially computer parts. They burn holes in my wallet. Big gaping holes.

But i build all my own computers, so they're still $200-$300 cheaper than the same hardware from Hell, or some other comapny.