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I should choose frugal over cheap for appliances

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Frugal, plonkee, is not the same as cheap. Frugal is being sensible, cheap is taking short term gains for long term pains. And, that’s the lesson that I’m currently learning from my appliances.

I don’t have a microwave or a freezer because they cost money and I’m too cheap to get one. But if I did have a freezer I could bulk buy and then package up and reheat. And I’ve been known to buy food on the way home from work because what I’ve got requires too much effort - even though it’s only turning on the oven. If I had a microwave I’d have less excuse.

Not buying appliances is one way in which I’m probably guilty of being cheap. Another is in the quality of appliances that I’ve bought before.

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.

The very latest thing to remind me that it’s annoying is my vacuum cleaner. It doesn’t pick up hair from the carpet very well, and there’s nothing worse than vacuuming and realising that it doesn’t really look any different to before. That’s what comes from spending about £80 on the cheapest vacuum in the shop. I may need to save up for a small Dyson.

To be fair, I’m not always cheap - sometimes I’m actually frugal. My washing machine was researched prior to purchasing. I was looking for a model that had a delay timer (so washing is ready when I come back from work) and was A rated for energy efficiency. The cheapest model that did both is perfectly satisfactory  for me. I’ve got clean clothes, what more could I want? It was similar with my fridge which needed to be 55cm wide by 85cm tall, with an icebox and again A rated for energy efficiency - I then picked the cheapest such fridge and it has worked out well.

Sometimes, I don’t realise what I need in an item until I’ve lived with a less than perfect version for a while. But I’m going to be thinking quite hard about all my appliance purchases in future, trying to work out what will satisfy my needs and then getting it for the best price. I’m going to try to be frugal, rather than cheap.

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Discussion

38 comments for “I should choose frugal over cheap for appliances”

  1. 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…

    Posted by bouncing betty | May 20, 2008, 2:08 pm
  2. 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.

    Posted by plonkee | May 20, 2008, 3:39 pm
  3. 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! :-)

    Posted by debtdieter | May 20, 2008, 4:58 pm
  4. 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.

    Posted by Aaron Stroud | May 20, 2008, 5:20 pm
  5. 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.

    Posted by David Carter | May 20, 2008, 6:24 pm
  6. 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!

    Posted by Looby | May 20, 2008, 7:38 pm
  7. 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!

    Posted by Chief Family Officer | May 21, 2008, 3:30 am
  8. 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

    Posted by Lloyd | May 21, 2008, 9:41 am
  9. @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.

    Posted by plonkee | May 22, 2008, 8:53 pm
  10. 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.

    Posted by Sylvia | May 24, 2008, 11:20 am
  11. 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!

    Posted by Frugal Trenches | May 26, 2008, 12:23 pm
  12. 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..

    Posted by Kathy | May 26, 2008, 3:20 pm
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