Buy it – Keep it.  In today’s economy, is price better than quality?  I don’t believe it is.  While it’s important to live within a budget, sometimes you need to consider the quality a product when making a purchase.  Is it worth the price if you’re not satisfied with the quality?

When purchasing a product, I always consider how it will be used and for how long.  Typically, we make a purchase and keep the item for years, and years, and years, and (well, you get the idea.)

I’ve learned to always examine the quality of products before I make a purchase.  Sometimes, quality should trump price. It’s just that simple.

It’s taken me awhile, but I learned that spending a bit more now can save me from having to make the same purchase down the road. Furniture is a fantastic example of how purchasing quality can make a huge difference.

My husband and I purchased a couch a few years ago.  While it was by no means cheap; we were focused more on the budget than the quality of the couch.  After a few years, the cushions are becoming distorted and the stitching is pulling at some of the seams.  I would have preferred to keep this couch for another 10 years, but I honestly don’t see how it will make it more than 2.  The quality just isn’t there.

On the flip side, I have chairs that my mother purchased over 20 years ago.  She purchased quality products and they still look as good as new all these years later.

Clothes are another great example of purchasing quality products.  If I purchase a good pair of jeans, I’m able to wear them significantly longer than a pair that I picked up at Kmart.  I have jeans in my closet that I have worn off and on since I was 17 years old – seriously!

Purchasing quality clothing also means that I’m able to find clothes that actually fit and flatter my body shape.  Not only does the investment lead to a longer longevity,  I’m more comfortable which makes me want to wear them longer.  Consider this fact the next time you need to purchase a bra.  Get a bra fitting prior to making the purchase.  You’ll feel more confident and comfortable which will likely further extend the life of your purchase.

[Read more…]

I was thinking the other day about how old some of my furniture and other belongings are. One of the consequences of being frugal is you tend to avoid purchasing new items and learn to make do with what you already have. In my case, it’s more like making do with what’s been given to me.

Walk around my house and approximately 75% has been given to us by family. Granted, you wouldn’t know that most of it is 18+ years old. The hand-me-downs were well cared for allowing us the luxury of quality furniture at no cost.

The first big purchase Derrick and I made was a new mattress. I remember sleeping on my in-laws old mattress for years and how long we saved to purchase a BRAND NEW king size bed.

That was a big deal!

Years later we have purchased new master bedroom furniture, a couch, Monkey a big boy bed (his dresser was Derricks growing up) & LuLu’s bedroom set. That’s all the new furniture in my entire house after 12 years!

Do I want a house full of new, matching furniture? Yes. Do I want to spend our hard-earned money on it? No!

When you save and sacrifice to make a large purchase, it’s more difficult to actually spend the money. We started saving for a dining room table about 2 years ago. Even though we have saved up the cash, I still haven’t purchased a table. I just couldn’t find a table that was worth me shelling out the money.

About 6 months ago, my in-laws moved and we took their dining set. It’s not new (they purchased it used about 25 years ago) and I actually hate the style but it’s a table that cost me nothing.  A nice white table cloth (from my mom) and you can’t even see all the old stains on the top 🙂

One day I plan to take a room at a time and redecorate. For now, I’m happy with my hand-me-down furniture.

For us, spending time as a family and splurging on the occasional adventure is more important than new stuff.

What are your splurges or what do you do without in an effort to save money?

Halloween is less than a week away.  Are you ready?

If you don’t have costumes for the kids – try these simple ideas:

1.  Dress-up box. Most kids enjoy playing dress-up year round, so it’s likely you have costumes already on hand.   My kids have costumes for a doctor, pirate, princess, superhero and more  just sitting in the playroom.  Simply add some makeup and a cool accessory and the kids are set!

2.  Sports Fan: Don’t forget about old sports uniforms.  Kids can be a soccer, baseball or football player by wearing their sports uniform.  Easy peasy.

3.  Swap costumes:  Swap costumes with family, friends or neighbors.  Did your son fall in love with his cousins Batman costume last year?   Borrow it for one night of fun.  You can also get all the neighbors together for a fun, impromptu costume swap.  This should provide a large selection of costumes and give the adults a reason to spend time together.

4.  Make your own.  You don’t need to sew for hours to make a creative costume.  Dress as a tourist, Miss America or Black Eye Pea.  Find more easy costume ideas at Disney Family Fun.

Get prepared for next year and shop the after Halloween sales starting November 1st.  This is also when I pick-up new costumes for the kids dress-up box.

What are your ideas for Last Minute Halloween Costumes?

I know many of you have heard the phrase “Time is Money” more often than you can count.  Yesterday, I was thinking about this as I headed to the Dollar Tree to purchase cards for Grandma’s 80th birthday.  First off, I don’t usually buy cards.  We either send ecards or the kids make cards.   I just can’t see spending $3.99 on a card that will end up in the garbage.  When I do need to purchase a card, the Dollar Tree is my go-to store.  You can pick up cute cards 2/$1.

Anyways, I was under specific instructions from my mother-in-law that we were to mail 4 cards to Grandma for her birthday.  The kids could make their cards, but I had to purchase the other 2 cards.   Well, the Dollar Tree is not exactly close to my house.  It’s not terribly far, but I could pick about 8 other stores that sell cards before I even got close to the Dollar Tree.

I decided to stop at Walgreens which is about 10 minutes closer my house to purchase the cards.  They have a lovely section of $0.99 cards.  It pained me to spend an extra $1 on these cards – I know I’m crazy.  But it was the principle that I could have saved money.

Why did I spend the extra $1?  Round-trip was about 20 minutes of MY time to save ONE DOLLAR.  Hmmm,  not really worth it when you think of it like that.  PLUS I would have used a few dollars worth of  gas to get to the Dollar Tree.

My time is something I had to take into consideration with shopping at Kroger.  I love Kroger, there are awesome deals to be found.  However, Kroger is about a 25 minute drive for me.  When I factor in losing almost an hour of my day just in the car – it’s not usually worth the trip.  Now, if I have an appointment near Kroger, you can bet that I’ll check the Kroger matchups before heading out.  Otherwise, I’m better off spending a little more in my neck of the woods.

I realize my Dollar Tree example is a bit silly – it is only $1 that I’m talking about.  But stop and think about the amount of times you head out of your way to the store for 1 free product or to get a deal.

Think about how much your time is worth and factor that into your savings.  Think about how much gas it will take you do get there and factor that into your total savings.

Remember that your Time is Money too.

What have you found that not worth your time?