Comments on: Frugal Tip: Buy Quality for the Long Term

By: Calvin

Calvin — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:41:06 +0000

I concur with you John. Living on the wet coast of Canada as well. I simply refuse to buy anything from shopping mall here anymore and haven’t been to one for months. Any “durables” I need will be on a shopping list and bought in these outlet stores, maybe just once or twice a year.

Quality wise I don’t buy the cheapest stuff too. I found going for the least expensive product line of a premium brand gives the best value.

Case in point:
1) Car – I bought my used Acura (entry-level line) 10 years ago and it’s still running perfect. I intended to keep it for a few more years and likely will make it. It costed me more to buy compared to domestic cars, but the fact I don’t have to buy another clunker every few years had probably saved me tons without myself knowing it.

2) Clothing – Most of my work clothes are from Banana Republic – bought only when they are on BIG sale – almost all had lasted 5 years or more, with some approaching 10 years mark…

3) Housing – There are many similar places around my neighborhood with lower prices, but with no amenities. In comparison my building has many bells and whistles that I do utilize frequently. As I have the smallest unit in the building it means I have the lowest condo fee too.

By: John

John — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:40:04 +0000

I live on the west coast of Canada and I find it hard to get good quality products at reasonable prices around here so I buy in the US from factory outlet stores. Almost all my clothes and shoes are from US outlet stores. The quality and price difference is astounding sometimes. I bought a london fog jacket 4 years ago for $50 that I still wear today for example and it still looks new. Two years ago I bought some very nice shoes that cost $400 a pair here for $95 in the US. Not sure why Canadian retail is so bad but I sure wish it would improve!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:10 +0000

I don’t mind buying cheap clothes, since I can mend & sew. But as for shoes, I do a lot of standing & walking, and I _invest_ in good shoes fairly often, because I believe it is better for the health and well-being of my feet. I think if you don’t treat your feet well, it affects the health of your whole body.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:38:26 +0000

My personal quality update (and coincidental New Year’s Resolution): do my damnedest to buy NOTHING stamped ‘Made in China’. It’s not a racial thing, just that the last thing I bought (yesterday), broke within minutes of use (today), was MiC. Made in China, Made in Canada, Made in Indonesia, Made in USA (ha! yeah right!) — it doesn’t matter.

I’ve had it with cheap, poor quality, ‘looks good’ items. Be it a house, car, book, shoe, shovel, vacation, meal — basically ANY consumable or durable good.

I can’t do it any more. I vow to seek out the highest quality I can afford. If that means I have to save for a year and half to purchase ‘Item X’, then so be it.

That is one really great thing that will come out the other end of the World Wide Plummet — the flight (and return) to quality, of all kinds. What happened in the last 25 years with the explosion of Western middle-class demand is that the producers of quality could not keep up with that demand. That’s when all the second and third rate producers came to life and filled in the gaps. This did nothing more than fill the world with mounds of disposable crap (thanks Wal-Mart!).

Now that people really care (or should care) where their money is going, they won’t support companies that produce non-quality goods. These companies go out of business. What is left, once again, and the way it SHOULD be, is the base of strong quality producers. Craftsmanship, not crapsmanship!

As one economic blogger out there put it, “We have to realize that we can’t have both $35 DVD players and $45/hr union wages.”

I’m also strongly considering putting Home Depot on my ‘No Buy’ list. Wal-Mart, the Bay, Zeller’s, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Radio Shack (R.I.P.)…seems to be a pattern of ‘big chain-low quality’. Coincidence?

My personal Flight to Quality begins now. I’ll keep you updated.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:41:58 +0000

I agree. It is worth paying more upfront if it saves you money over the long run.

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:01:13 +0000

That’s my boyfriend’s philosophy, and I’m slowly catching up to him on that one. In the past I have made the mistake of buying things cheap and having to replace them, when I could have bought one quality thing and had it last. I’ll be trying hard to not make that mistake in the future, but sometimes it’s hard when what seems like a good deal presents itself.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:19:01 +0000

I just steal the toilet paper from work = $0.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:37:43 +0000

I agree that there is a sweet spot.

Take windshield wiper blades. I usually replace them twice a year. Canadian Tire has a range from 4.99 to 22.99. I go for the cheap ones. Why?
-All wiper blades (no matter how expensive they are) have a limited life span after which the rubber dries out and they cease to be effective
-I know that the 22.99 wiper isn’t going to last longer than the 2 1/2 years it would take to pay for itself over the 4.99

Another example is toilet paper. I once came home with (what I thought was) a great bargain on some single-ply toilet paper. Once my wife recovered from what seemed like rug burn on her backside she informed me that I was never ever to do that again. Perhaps this is an example where one can be a little *too* frugal. ;)

By: moneygardener

moneygardener — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:43:03 +0000

The Aldo example is probably the best example of this and you hit the nail on the head. I think most of us learn this as we age.

By: Sarlock

Sarlock — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:02:58 +0000

Bingo. Cheaper does not always equate to better value. And conversely, more expensive is not always better value either.
I prefer to shop quality but carefully wait for sales so that I can buy them at a discounted price. There is also a difference between a “sale” and a “real sale”. Some stores have sales all of the time (The Bay) but it’s really just a reduction on a marked up price that is still higher than you can buy it at other retailers. Know the value of the item(s) you are shopping for and patiently wait for the price to be right, then buy.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:23:14 +0000

@FinMatt: thanks for reminding me of the other permanent resident in my ‘No Shop Zone’ — Canadian Tire.

I bought a lawnmower from them a few seasons ago. The front wheels/axle fell off on something like the third usage. After a very loooong exchange of transactions ect. I finally got my money back. And I learned a few things:

Canadian Tire’s ‘Yardworks’ line of tools etc. is contracted out to a DIFFERENT manufacturer EVERY YEAR! I have no idea why but I can always speculate. I will not buy anything from them ever again.

The repair dude also said in the last few years his business was seeing a huge increase in repairs from all kinds of equipment (lawnmowers to generators etc.). Lots of garbage being produced out there.

Here would be a good rule of thumb regarding shopping for quality: if you want ‘Item X’, go to an exclusive ‘Item X’ store, and not to a “general store” like Wal Mart or Canadian Tire.

And what about quality services? I think it’s much more difficult to find good quality people than quality objects. If you go to a high quality restaurant does that mean you will have quality service or just quality food? Again, price does not equate quality.

I’m sure there can be some kind of thesis written about this topic.

By: Finance Matters

Finance Matters — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:46:32 +0000

Great article, I agree my cheap crappy tire wippers barely lasted one season. On another note, I just want to announce my new entry into the blogoshere. You, CC, Preet and others have inspired me to give it a shot. I’d appreciate any comments, suggestions etc you can give to a newbie like me. Is there somewhere to go to announce a new blog? How did you get yours going?

By: Sampson

Sampson — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:39:45 +0000

I’m not following the people who say this axiom works with investments and stocks as well.

Buying goods that are low cost and low quality = no good.
Buying goods that are low cost and high quality = good.

These statements are true with stocks, but there is an upfront reason to pay for low quality goods (low cost). Is there a reason to buy low quality stocks?

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:48:28 +0000

I agree, buying cheap can break or not last and then it has to be replaced. Of course it all depends on scale and your thinking. Maybe pay a little more for sneakers because you know it will last a few months longer. You can say buy a car because you are going to have it for 10 yrs, but that’s more of an ordeal. Either way I think you have to find that middle ground and determine what is and what is not worth spending the money on.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:28:13 +0000

Disposable works in stock too. Wealth takes time and disciple. Cheap on the long run is much more expensive. Walmart is a great example.

By: Neil

Neil — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:10:07 +0000

My girlfriend buys tons of cheap, inexpensive clothes, and consequently, is always replacing her stuff. She tells me it doesn’t matter because she only paid $10 for this, or $15 for that. On the other hand, I purchase most of my clothes at department stores that typically offer quality clothes at reasonable prices, but I can wear them much longer.

How can I convince her that cheap doesn’t mean less expensive over the long run?

By: Chuck

Chuck — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:30:20 +0000

I look for a tradeoff between quality and price. Also I should stress the need to try and stick to the manufacturer’s care instructions.

I bought a nice pair of dress shoes (Bass) for my wedding in 2003 afterwards wore them to work most days in all seasons except winter, and took good care of them and only ended up tossing them this summer.

For larger ticket purchases, I still like to rely on publications like consumer reports to see what the long-term durability numbers are.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:48:46 +0000

Wow! I must be really tough on shoes. I’m excited when my Rockports have lasted an entire year. Low-end shoes disintegrate pretty rapidly – usually a couple of months is all I get out of them. I love my RedWing boots, too.
I tend to buy low-end shirts at Target on clearance, as they inevitably get stained with something before they wear out.
I also buy low-end automotive tools sometimes, when I know they’re going to be single-use or rarely used. My wrenches and oft-used tools are Craftsman, though.

By: Richard Edwards

Richard Edwards — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:52:50 +0000

I agree with most of what you are suggesting. For me it really varies depending on the category of the purchase. Services or items I use daily such as appliances, mattresses, furniture, electronics, shoes etc. are ones that I never scrimp on quality. Trendy items or things I’m apt to lose, grow out of or go out of style I look for the best value or buy cheap. On things like tee shirts, other clothing items etc. I don’t care if they don’t look good after a couple months because they get thrown out or are rarely worn after that.

By: FrugalTrader

FrugalTrader — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:49:23 +0000

Great points guys. Nobleea, do you avoid Walmart because of lack of quality? Or because of their shady labor policy?