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Avoiding Buyers Remorse Price vs. Quality by Nikki Willhite When we go shopping, I have a hard time controlling my husband. His favorite saying seems to be "price is forgotten long after quality remains". There is actually some truth in that statement- but there is a breaking point. There are times when I have let him talk me into paying more for something than I wanted to. Sometimes I was glad about it. Other times, I was not.  I have found that you do remember the price when you buy something that you feel you have paid too much money for in some cases. Let me give you an example. When we first moved into our home several years ago, we had to do something about the glass on the top part of the front door. It was clear, and in the shape of a half circle. My husband was traveling a lot at the time, and I didn't feel comfortable with people being able to look into our home at night. I had several ideas, such as buying an inexpensive oriental fan to place over it, etching the glass, or putting on gallery glass for the stained glass look. However, while we were at Home Depot, I let my husband talk me into ordering a custom fit blind. It was expensive. I cringed as I wrote the check. To this day, I am reminded of that purchasing decision every time I notice it going out the door and it does not give me a good feeling- no matter how nice it looks. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to pay a dime more than I think something is worth. The price doesn't matter as much as the value I put on the item. In this case, I feel I paid far too much for what I got, and it still bothers me. There was no question of taking it back, because it was a special order. On the other hand, a few weeks ago we had to buy a new dishwasher. The one we had was broken and unsightly. We didn't even want to try and repair it because it had rusted from the inside out through the finish. Once again my husband steered me toward a higher priced model than I wanted. While I could have settled for less features, he insisted upon an upgraded model that was more quiet (with the stainless steel interior) and digital controls. In this case, I was glad. Our dishwasher is right next to our family room. Every day I appreciate the lack of noise from that appliance. So how do you know when to pay more, and when to buy something less expensive? As a homemaker, there is great satisfaction in bringing physical and emotional comfort to our family. I think this concept should be our guide when we make our buying decisions. In the case of my dishwasher, the upgraded features made it a more pleasant atmosphere for our family to gather and talk after dinner. It made my home my pleasant and more comfortable. As far as the door, the purpose of that blind was pretty utilitarian. It wasn't a piece of art that we could look at and enjoy every day. It didn't contribute to my family's health, comfort, or emotional well-being. We did need to cover the window for our feeling of security, but it could have been done in another way, at a lesser cost. We all buy things. Save money on the things that are not important to you, so that you can have the things that are important to you. Learn the difference, and you won't have to suffer "Buyers Remorse" About the Author: Nikki Willhite, mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing articles on the topic of frugal living for over a decade. Visit her at www.frugalhappyfamilies.com - where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money!  Article first published at www.allthingsfrugal.com

 

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