Kyle’s Coupons: Investing in High Dollar Items. Worth it?

Posted by Lynnae on August 6, 2008

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Lynnae is wondering what Kyle and the readers think about buying a new, good-quality refrigerator vs. buying a used, less expensive refrigerator on Craigslist.

The following is a regular feature by Kyle of Rather-Be-Shopping. If you like this post, consider subscribing to his blog’s RSS feed.

I am a firm believer that you will actually save money in the long run by investing in certain high quality items that are often fairly expensive. Here are a few examples from my family:

~ Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer - I asked for my wife’s opinion on this topic and she immediately said her Kitchen Aid electric stand mixer. She uses it all the time for baking and cooking and she says the controls are simple, she loves the attachments, it is very well made, and should last her the rest of her life! Cost was close to $300 but she does not regret a penny of it. The savings comes from making, not buying, cookies, pie crust, breads, and much more.

~ Britax Car Seat - Before our first child was born, almost 7 years ago, we did our research and everything we read kept pointing us back to the Britax Roundabout car seat. Unfortunately, it was also the most expensive one on the market. But my wife and I wanted the safest car seat available and the safety reviews, and usability, were hard to argue with so we made the purchase. At the time, we paid around $220. I think they are a bit cheaper now. It was one of the best purchases we ever made. It is very easy to install and it is so well built that all three of our kids used it. As a Dad, I loved the safety features and the kids were all very comfortable sitting in it. A couple of times we used other brand car seats on vacation and it made me really appreciate our Britax. A great investment for our family.

~ Power and Hand Tools - Every time I have skimped on a tool purchase it has come back to haunt me. This has been my experience with both power tools and hand tools. This does not mean that I buy professional grade, top of the line only, but it does mean that I do my research before I buy and make sure I am getting something that will last and not drive me crazy trying to use! Definitely worth the extra money. Quality tools shave costs by allowing me to do my own home repairs and improvement projects.

What would you add to the list? Looking forward to your comments.

Here are some online coupons that can help you save money on the things I mentioned, plus a few back-to-school deals.

Baby Center.com
Free Shipping on your $49+ online purchase
Coupon Code: FREESHIP49
Expiration: 8/15/08
See All: Baby Center Coupons

Baby Universe.com
Free Shipping on your Britax online purchase through this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 8/31/08
See All: Baby Universe Coupons

Lands End.com
Get $5 Off Backpack and Lunch Box purchase through this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 8/27/08
See All: Lands End Coupons

Office Depot.com
Save 10% Off your online purchase, good for back-to-school deals
Coupon Code: 42759854
Expiration: 8/15/08
See All: Office Depot Coupons

Old Navy.com
Save 20% Off your online purchase (Use Old Navy card to get discount)
Coupon Code: STUFFSAVE
Expiration: 8/21/08
See All: Old Navy.com Coupons

Smart Bargains.com
Save 12% Off your Entire online purchase (New customers only)
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 8/31/08
See All: Smart Bargains Coupons

Target.com
Save $7 Off your $70+ online purchase through this Link
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 8/15/08
See All: Target.com Coupons

Tool King.com
Save 15% Off your Delta, DeWalt, and Porter Cable tool accessory
Coupon Code: TKDPD15
Expiration: 12/31/08
See All: Tool King Coupons

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Comments

14 Responses to “Kyle’s Coupons: Investing in High Dollar Items. Worth it?”

MITBeta @ Don't Feed the Alligators on August 6th, 2008 5:29 am

Quality products will last a long time. As to Lynnae’s question: It depends. How old is the refrigerator? In buying something like that, I would be most concerned about efficiency. You might save a few dollars on the up front cost, but if the thing is old enough to be a total energy hog by today’s standards, then what have you saved? Also, even if it’s not that old, how does its power consumption compare to a new, Energy Star rated fridge?
Susy on August 6th, 2008 5:39 am

I agree. It pays to spend more for quality and longer life.

With fridges, you can often buy new for not much more than used, that is if you can stand to have a plain beige fridge and not a stainless steel one. I have read that refridgerators become a lot less energy efficient after about 10 years, so why buy an old used one. My mom just bought a new side-by-side for about $700. She saved about $20 a month on her electric bill (her old one was 12 years old). When you figure out the cost per year you probably don’t save as much as you think you’ll save by bying new.

On certain items however, like a table saw, it’s probably better to buy used. Since these tiems last for years and years. It’s even cheaper to share with friends & relatives. Sometimes you might even be able to find a relative that has one they’re not using and “borrow” it until they need it.
Angie on August 6th, 2008 6:38 am

Ditto the Kitchen-Aid Mixer - I lOVE love mine!! HOwever, as I’m packing, I’m realizing how extremely HEAVY it is!!!

I got mine for FREE - I saved for 3 years with my Navy Federal credit card points. It helped that I had an apartment one year that let me pay with my credit card to rack up even more points!
Brad on August 6th, 2008 6:46 am

Buying something once, even for a little more, is always going to be a better deal than buying something on the cheap and then having to replace it. Possibly more than once.

As for the fridge - I would want to go and look at it to be sure that it’s something that isn’t going to crap out on you in a few years. I would also be curious as to why the family is getting rid of it in the first place … But good luck!
Ashley @ Wide Open Wallet on August 6th, 2008 8:17 am

We just bought a new fridge and we went with a middle of the line new one. It’s name brand so I wasn’t concerned about quality but it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that they over charge you for. We went with new because it’s something that you will have for a very long time. You don’t get rid of your fridge because a fancier version comes along. You use it til it’s dead. So might as get as long of a run as possible on it.
Jennifer Simmons on August 6th, 2008 9:03 am

Hey there! On the fridge - I say go with a new one. You get the warranty, which could come in handy.

There are times where more expensive is better and times where it isn’t. and of course it depends on how much you plan to use something. Like for me, while a kitchen aid mixer is nice and I’d like one, I wouldn’t get the use out of it since I don’t bake!

Shoot - my mom gave me a bread maker and I’ve yet to break it out. So even though it was free, it isn’t really worth it since its now just taking up space.
Susan on August 6th, 2008 9:29 am

A friend of mine just purchased a full set of matching white appliances– fridge, stove, dishwasher,microwave, all 4 years old for $800. The owners had remodeled their kitchen w/stainless. I would definately keep an eye on Craigslist.
Marci on August 6th, 2008 9:47 am

A good new frig should last you 20+ years and be energy efficient in the mean time. If you are buying for your own personal use, your main frig (and not a pop cooler in the garage or overflow unit or for a rental house), and you are going to use it all day long every day, you should get one that you are happy with, that suits your family’s needs, and that has what you need on it. If you buy a used one, you are just going to need another one somewhere down the line. There’s a certain peace of mind that comes with having a new frig, versus used. If the new one is a lemon, you should know within 90 days, and the store should warranty it for you under the lemon law.

You can get a decent one from $659 (mine - 18 cu ft bottom freezer) on up. Lots are in the $800 range. You probably don’t need the $1500 units
Remember the frig needs to be most dependable - your food is in it! Same with a freezer - altho if I actually saw a used freezer with frozen stuff in it, I would not be leary of buying it. However, for $329 I bought a new freezer right before last Thanksgiving, and am delighted with it

Remember also that most landfills/transfer stations will charge you for disposing of a frig or freezer due to the freon in it… why take a chance on having to pay to get rid of the bought used appliance?

Other appliances are not on the ‘new list’ in my book. A used stove, dishwasher, microwave… if they go out, your food does not go with them - they are not as important/urgent (in my opinion).

I kind of feel tho that microwaves are soooo reasonable now, that why not buy the new one for $60 instead of the used one for $25.

Both my dehydrators tho I bought used at garage sales - both in the box with paperwork still. One was $5 and one was $10… felt they were worth taking a chance on It’s a gamble… I’m not comfortable taking a gamble tho on something as urgent as a frig.
Jesse on August 6th, 2008 10:06 am

I think it really depends on the item. For things that receive heavy use and could break easily I think its obvious that a higher quality choice is the way to go. But for things that are not in danger of breaking, less used, or just generally less important, obviously go with the deal
Mydailydollars on August 6th, 2008 10:42 am

I wholeheartedly agree! Our KitchenAid paid for itself with the wedding cake. A wonderful friend of mine donated her cake-baking talents as our wedding gift. We would have easily spent $300 — $400 on a cake. Now we’ll have the KitchenAid for years to come!
Milena Thomas on August 6th, 2008 10:46 am

I completely agree about the mixer!! It sits on my counter and now that I’ve learned the secret to the world’s best cookies I make them constantly.

Seriously, I’m not kidding. I have the BEST cookie recipe.
Marci on August 6th, 2008 10:57 am

@Milena - Don’t just tease us Share the recipe! Please
Denise E. on August 6th, 2008 2:17 pm

I would buy the fridge, freezer and front loader washer new. The rest are good used. I bought a kitchen aid mixer used and also a used pressure canner. These two were the best deals ever and they are going strong ten years latter.
Heidi on August 7th, 2008 6:30 pm

I totally agree on the Kitchenaid! My mom has had her for over 30 years and it still works fantastically.

I don’t know about the fridge. Ours was new 6 years ago, but we have already repaired it twice ourselves. It was cheap bc we did it ourselves, but would have other wise been expensive. I just don’t know how fantastic new appliances are anymore.

I’d add to the list very good quality clothing, shoes and backpacks from a place that guarantees quality like Lands End or LL bean. That is ONLY if you will wear it until it wears out though.