Frugal Doesn't Always Mean Cheapest

[amyschiff]

Originally Posted by Julie Rains

I think that many of us calculate multiple factors when making a purchase decision -- for me it's not the time to research that is a huge deal (maybe it should be though) but the time and inconvenience it takes to replace an item, esp. one that should have lasted longer.

This very similar to my perspective. I don't really consider product research as time wasted, since it's something I do in my free time. I'm online a lot, so I don't really consider it taking time away from some other more fruitful pursuit.

[Mary Webber]

Well, while you guys are talking about some of the tech toys where frugal really does need to balance value, time, cash, and satisfaction, this is also the time of year to look at all this good stuff as it relates to outfitting the kids for school, starting to think about how school meals will fit into the family budget, and then there's all that's needed for the first-year college student.

I love what saint tim says about not buying filler foods, etc. Amen, brother!

[lucille]

Here's a situation where cheaper may not have paid off. I needed to replace one of the toilet seats in the house. I found one that was on the lower half of the cost scale but it had these quick release levers so you could remove it to clean under and around the hinges. It lasted 3 days. Yes 3 days. the hinge screws ripped out of the wood seat. I thought about returning it but who wants to return a used toilet seat! So the replacement I bought I found a brand name one (Kohler) and found one that had one long hinge in the middle of the seat. This one is also plastic. So hopefully looking closer at the features this time plus paying another $10 will yield something that lasts longer.

[FrugalNYC]

I totally agree with what you are saying about being Frugal. Buying the cheapest item you can find is usually a bad choice. I know, I've done it before and will probably do it again. Doing your research is usually the best idea, but then it really depends on the product. You don't want to spend an hour hunting around for a $5 item and saving 50 cents, even if that is a 10% savings.

Bottom line, quality counts. Being Frugal is knowing what you can trim out. I find that it crosses over to productivity and how you live your life to the fullest. I'm still on that road and just posted a short post about Todo lists today on my blog.

[Mary Webber]

Oh, Lucille, it would have been worth YouTube to see you return that toilet seat!

I'm intrigued by your comment, FrugalNYC, about how the idea of balancing price and quality to equal true frugality can also apply to productivity and living life to the fullest. What an interesting idea. Please expand on it...