My vacuum cleaner died this past fall and I did the same thing you did, got a cheap one and it just does not clean like it should. So I paid $45 for a vacuum cleaner that does not work well, I still have less than as clean as I would like carpets and I’m doing my research for a new vacuum. Hum, did I also mention that I also spend $50 on an industrial vacume that does nothing but spit dirt as well… it may be great for cleaning your garage, but stinks for cleaning the house. I followed some bad advice on that one. $100 wasted…

I think that misery loves company when it comes to vacuum cleaners. I’m also a little concerned that I’ve built Dysons up too much in my mind. If/when I get round to another vacuum cleaner, I’ll do some proper research.

Too funny, I just wrote a post about splashing out on a decent vacuum, and it wasn’t a Dyson.

I went with a Hoover, they’re better & cheaper!

I’d recommend looking into a miele cannister. They’re more expensive than a Dyson, but well worth it. We bought ours a few months ago and it’s worked like a champ.

We live in the woods, have a dog, and a little daughter who loves tracking dirt and food all around the house. Our miele has no trouble sucking it all–hair, dirt, & food–out of the carpet.

Definitely buy a freezer and microwave. I think you probably waste more money buying food out than you would if you started buying in bulk and getting frozen food from the store. Not to mention it is probably healthier for you eat what you make not fast food. I try to be frugal as much as possible and not cheap.

I think that appliances that are worth investing in are completely subjective; I have a good iron because I do a lot of sewing and I have always bought good kettles because I make tea far too many times a day. On the other hand I have a cheap toaster, microwave and vacuum, all of which are completely acceptable for my purposes.
I do think a freezer is always a good investment though, I always liked a good stash of M&S ready meals to get me through after a stressful day!

I think you’ve described the difference between frugal and cheap pretty well here, Plonkee. Do you mean to say that you don’t even have a small freezer of any kind? I don’t know how you survive! But I guess it comes down to lifestyle differences. I love food and I love cooking, so even if I were single, I’d have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. But if you don’t cook much and you don’t eat at home much, then maybe you do save money by not having a freezer or microwave. I mean, if you got them and then bought food that you ended up not eating, it’s just a waste of money, right?

By the way - I do the same sort of thing you did with the breadbin. I need a new blender because I last bought a cheap one that, well, isn’t holding up. But I have been dragging my feet big time because I have not had good luck with cheap blenders so I will have to spend more money than I want to, and because I don’t want to read a gazillion reviews!

Oh, and on vacuums, I worry that Dysons aren’t really worth the money too. And I hate vacuums that are super heavy, so when I happened to be wandering around Best Buy while my husband was looking at something, I asked to see the Dyson Slim. I’m 5′2″ and I swear this thing is made only for people 5′8″ and taller!

Plonkee,

I know it’s got nothing to do with appliances and white goods, but on the topic of cheapness and frugality here’s a great post by Ramit Sethi of ‘I Will Teach You to be Rich’:

http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/cheap-versus-frugal

All the best,
Lloyd

@Aaron:
Thanks for the Miele canister idea, I’ll look into them. I know that Miele have a good reputation for reliability so maybe that would work out.

@David:
I think you’re right about that, they are both on the list of forthcoming purchases to be made.

@Looby:
You can tell I grew up lower middle class because I think of M&S food as a major treat. Not that that’s a bad thing at all . I definitely will get a freezer for just such a purpose, but I’m going to save up for it. I have a cheap toaster and kettle that are absolutely fine for me (I only really drink hot drinks at work) so I know what you mean there.

@CFO:
I have an icebox. You can fit 2-3 frozen pizzas in it. I think you’d describe my fridge as an under-counter model - appliances tend to be smaller in the UK than the US because our houses are smaller on average. Also good to know about Dysons, because I’m only 5ft nothing so I’d probably struggle with one. Best of luck with the blender.

Just to offer a different opinion on Dysons–I’ve had quite a succession of vacuums in my home: Hoover, Eureka, Dirt Devil, etc. and none of them worked half as well as my Dyson Animal. With four kids, two cats, and two dogs in the home, I needed a powerful vacuum and finally shelled out the bucks to get one. No regrets here, and I’m about 5 foot 2 inches and haven’t found any height-related issues with the vac.

Oh I can so relate. I too don’t have a microwave (could we be the only 2 people in Britain?)!

I make do with 4 plates and 2 plastic cups currently - I just can’t comprehend spending until I’ve met more of my financial goals!

I bought a blender for about $10 that would leave big chunks of chickpeas in my hummus or strawberries in my smoothie because it was so weak. And it would leave my kitchen smelling delightfully of burnt rubber.

Not a frugal purchase. I ended up tossing it when I moved, and I just went without until someone bought me one that worked..

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I know that a breadbin isn’t exactly a major purchase, but I did in fact buy one about 6 months ago. I bought the cheaper version of the one that I really wanted. Why is this not a frugal purchase? Because it doesn’t stay open unless you hold it open - it actually self-closes in quite a painful way.

I know that a breadbin isn’t exactly a major purchase, but I did in fact buy one about 6 months ago. I bought the cheaper version of the one that I really wanted. Why is this not a frugal purchase? cheap wicked tickets Because it doesn’t stay open unless you hold it open - it actually self-closes in quite a painful way.thanks for sharing. cheap radio city spectaular tickets

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