Never buy the cheapest anything?

mrbadexample

The cheapest ironing board in the world would last me forever. Same with vacuum cleaners.

Pretani

mrbadexample wrote: »

The cheapest ironing board in the world would last me forever. Same with vacuum cleaners.

that'll be a good chat-up line

LittleMissAspie

It really depends on the item. If I did ironing I would buy the cheapest board and iron because as far as I can see they still do the same job. I made the mistake of buying a cheap hoover though, will get a Henry next.

Big electrical things like washing machines or cookers I think it's worth spending more to get better quality. But other things like kettles or microwaves or clocks or smaller household items are okay when you get the cheapest. Whatever I'm buying I always look at the cheapest first and see if it will do or if it's worth paying more.

freakyogre

I'd say to buy what she can afford, there's no point getting into debt because she feels she has to have the best of everything, when it simple isn't true.

I moved out at the end of 2007 and bought what I needed at the time. My kettle and slow cooker both came from Argos (Cookworks range) and I can't fault them. I already had a Cookworks sandwich toaster which is still going strong, so I didn't see the point of spending a fortune on that kind of thing. My toaster came from Asda (about £8 I think) and i've had no problems with it. My Tesco Value steamer is also great and i'm glad I didn't spend more as rarely use it!

I did buy a cheap iron which was hopeless, not heavy enough and it didn't heat up properly so that was replaced with a better model.

I was lucky with my microwave as my dad gave me the one we had at home as it was too big for them. It's a Daewoo one and probably cost a lot when new.

When I moved again a year later I had to look into getting a washing machine and fridge and did go for a cheaper brand (Beko) as that's what I could afford. We had a Beko fridge when I lived at home and it was really good, so I hope my stuff lasts as long, although i'm sure they won't go on forever. I suppose the washing machine depends on how much you use it as well, I live on my own so do 1-2 loads a week, but a family would use it a lot more than that.

I think it also comes down to how well you look after things to be honest. If you treat things badly and don't clean them after use then they won't last as long. A lot of my stuff looks like it's just come out of the shop as I do look after it.

falady

My approach is to do the research and find out what is the better / best version of the thing you want to buy. I use the Which website a lot for this (my dad subscribes, so checks things out for me). Its advice, reviews and best buys are very good. We have recently bought some baby items for our first baby due in a few months, and I have found it to be invaluable.

Other website or recommendations can also be useful for customer reviews of a product.

You may not be able to afford the 'top' recommended model of the thing you want, but you will at least have taken a considered approach, done your research and bought the best thing you can afford within your price range. It should do te job you want it to do, be reliable and last well.

lauren_1

I went to the £1 shop when i first moved out at 18 and bought a glass casserole dish with lid and 2 veg knives.

I still have them and they're still going strong.

A good £3 invested.

Furniture wise I got a basic table from argos, just had to look at it and it fell apart.

Trinny

Hi Barneys mom

To be honest - our home is entirely furnished with stuff that used to belong to others - my first kitchen table was reclaimed from the tip!

I think that places like freecycle are brilliant for white goods and furniture that still has plenty of life in them - i think that if the original owner bought quality then its worth getting it second hand. We bought our bed base, conservatory suite ( dont have a conservatory btw) from a friend who had bought quality items and needed to downsize.

For food etc - i buy the best i can afford, in terms of quality rather than price - eg free range but at the best price possible. Places like B&M and Home Bargains are great for top class products at reduced prices.

If i was investing in something like a telly - i would wait until there is an offer on - price compare online and then haggle for a discount in store.

HTH - its tough starting out - and its not always possible to buy good quality the first time round.

Trin

irishwexford

I always buy the best I can afford and that goes for clothes and food. I tend to buy less of everything but better quality, also I stock up on bargains. When I got married it was a different story, having to buy so much stuff in one go was very hard so I looked for the cheapest but in those days everything lasted years. These days its a different story, things do not last so well but a lot of them are cheap enough to replace.
Quality is very nice but only if you can afford it.

sazzy6

I don't iron a lot and bought a very cheap ironing board that year. The legs came apart and one snapped in half at the pivot. I went for a better one this time and woo hoo it doesn't wobble. I even iron a bit more. :0)

Stephen_Leak

I always try to buy the best I can afford, but never pay full price for it.

Remember Martin's Money Mantra. Do I need it? Will I use it? Have I looked for it cheaper elswhere?

A tip with ironing boards. Get the widest one you can afford/lift. You have to move the item being ironed less.