Frugal is Not Necessarily Cheap
When I was a little girl, frugal was not a familiar word in my vocabulary. I’m not sure, but I don't think I heard it until after I married Rich. And then it was used in reference to New Englanders who knew how to “pinch pennies” and be “tightwads.” It was a pretty sorry introduction. As I’ve learned to become frugal, I’ve learned that frugal is a far cry from being a miser. Although I think saving money is always a good thing, sometimes the most frugal choice will actually look like it costs you more when the clerk hands you your receipt.
Because I view my life as a steward of the possessions God has blessed me with, I find I need and want to use those possessions in a way that would please God. I treat it just like a good steward would have done for his king years ago. In order to use what I have wisely, I need to look ahead, look behind and makes choices bases on what is the wisest use of the resources I have on hand. When all things are considered, the choice I make might not be the cheapest option, but it will save much in the long run. Rich and I learned this lesson the hard way over the last several years. The lesson started with a chainsaw that moved onto a mixer, over to a reciprocating saw and finally punctuated itself with an iron. Well, actually 5 irons to be exact.
I have a little story for you. Once upon a time there was a new bride named Janel…
For various reasons, we are not polyester people. We like natural fibers for our clothing. My favorite fabric is linen. Rich prefers cotton and wool. In 13 years of marriage, the combination of those choices adds up to a lot of ironing. Unlike some, I don’t mind ironing. Although I could wipe out most of my ironing pile if I made just a couple different choices, I choose not to for reasons that have to do with timeless style, earth friendliness and other benefits not often considered. What I didn’t realize was that the quality of the tool I pick to maintain my original choice, makes an enormous impact in other ways.
My first iron was a cast off from a little old lady my mother-in-law helped. She had collected 3 or 4 through the years and was getting rid of them. Rich’s mom loves a great deal too, and knew I needed an iron, so she brought them home for me. I picked the nicest one and used it for the next 7 years. I didn’t think much about the consequences of my loss the day it gave up the ghost. Little did I know that it would be almost 5 years before I was again satisfied with the results of my labor.
Since the first iron was free, $18 for the second seemed like a reasonable price for a replacement. It lasted barely a year. Number three was $35 – double what I paid before, so it should surely be better! Right? Nope. The forth was frustratingly bought for $7. I figured whatever I bought would die too soon anyhow, so I'd just buy cheap. And then there was number five.
When a quilting buddy heard of my iron saga during the “Era of Iron Number Three,” she strongly encouraged me look into buying a steam generator like she had. She swore it was the only thing to use for cottons, calicos and linen. I had never heard of one before, but spending $200 for an iron sounded pretty excessive to me. Little did I know how right she was.
Two years ago, after much discussion and serious sticker shock, Rich bought me a $250 Rowenta steam generator for my birthday. Boy does it gets out wrinkles like you wouldn’t believe! The thing that really impressed me about it though, is that now it takes 50% less time to get through my ironing pile. I almost couldn’t believe it.
It is still hard to comprehend that I wasted hours of my life for what boils down to a few dollars in the grand scheme of things. Because of this, I’ve realized that I would rather do without or find a very cheap substitute at a yard sale or thrift store while we save for a “good one.” We no longer buy low end new items that will waste my precious hours on Earth or frustrate me with poor or inadequate service. That might sound harsh, but consider what you could do with an extra 30 or 40 hours each year.
Am I advocating that everyone should go out and buy the best there is every time we need to purchase something? Absolutely not. That would be foolish too. New is good, but sometimes gently used is better. Quality used in good condition is supreme! Whatever it is, whatever the cost, we need consider its place in our life and decide how that will affect us in the long run. Will it cost us money for repairs? Will it cost us time because it is slow or not big enough to handle the job? Will it bring us more time to live life more fully? Will it give us opportunity to spend more time with our family or in ministry? The questions are endless and need to be considered.
Before making a purchase, new or used, here are a few things to consider.
It might be better to choose high quality new over inexpensive or whatever you can find, if you can answer yes to these questions:
• Is your purchase going to be frequently or heavily used? Like a kitchen mixer, washing machine or lawn mower.
• Will its use impact hours of your time if it functions poorly?
• Would there be a safety issue?
• Will it make it easier to train your children and improve the quality of your homemaking?
• Is it something that will truly make life significantly easier for you, or are you just hoping it will?
• Is it something that is easy to service? Disposable things are generally better to spend less on.
It might be better to buy inexpensive new or whatever you can find, when quality used isn’t available, if:
• When what you’re buying is only used occasionally, but you must have one.
• It is seasonal or for one time use.
• You’re just looking to “try” something.
As always, my mantra is “Pray and wait.” God knows your needs and will provide the exact item at the right price when the time is just right. That’s been my strategy for years. It’s served me very well. I’ll have to tell you about my gorgeous new comforter set another time.
I have several tips to help you choose quality pieces here. I also have more thoughts on what frugal can look like and whether frugal is justifiable here. Enjoy.
I would love to hear about something you bought and paid a lot for, but it turned out that it was the most frugal choice in a way you never expected. Can you do that for me?
…and she lived happily ever after, ironing for her handsome prince and all the little princes and princesses that came along. The End
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18 Responses to “Frugal is Not Necessarily Cheap”
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:05 pm
This is such a great post, and so true, quality items will save you money in the long run!
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I purchased a digital camera when they were pretty new. I LOVE technology…and photography. I decided to try my hand at taking my own pictures and not paying someone else to take them for me. That camera was like your iron…I bought NO LESS THAN 4 cameras…yes, 4 cameras…I might even be off by a camera or 2, not to my good. Eventually, I decided if I was going to do something with my camera, I should just bite the bullet and purchase my Canon Rebel. I did it. I love it. I have had it for 2 years with NOT ONE COMPLAINT. I wish I had all of the other money I had spent on the other cameras so I wouldn’t have spent 3 times the amount of the digital rebel…that is my frugal hack.
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I have an iron story very much like this, except my expensive new iron was $35. Now I’m wondering what I’m missing out on!
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:51 pm
YES!! I actually really enjoy ironing and I am with you on fabric choice for a variety of reasons as well! When we were engaged, I registered for a $200 Rowenta iron and didn’t receive it before the wedding at a shower so I used some gift cards we had received and bought it so I could steam my dress & veil!!!! I have used it everyday for the past 5 years and sincerely could not be happier! We lost power last summer for a week and stayed with my in-laws who have the cheapest EVERYTHING and I was nearly in tears by the end of the 3rd day using their iron! I didn’t want to bring mine over because I didn’t want to offend them, but OH MY! The difference about killed me!
You are so right – it is better to use a cheapy while we save for the best product that will make an impact on our quality of life. That is how I feel about saving for my Dyson. We need it. For our air quality in our home since we burn our fireplaces all winter to heat our home. But I will save my money, and vacuum with my cheap DDevil twice a day until I have pinched enough pennies to buy my Dyson!!!!
Great post.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:45 am
So many people don’t understand this concept. A friend of mine just buys cheap and replaces regularly and doesn’t understand why I’m willing to drop the big bucks for things. She doesn’t understand that after I’ve shelled out money for a leather purse or nice furniture or a woolen winter coat or good boots that I won’t have to spend money on those items again, or, at least, for a very, very long time. I save money AND time in the long run since I don’t have to go back to the store to buy the items over and over again.
As an aside, how do you keep your ironed clothes unwrinkled after they’ve been ironed??? I’ve tried starch, but even with that I’m wrinkled by lunch time, and usually sooner. My skirts are the worse culprits.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:47 am
I love those stories!
The thing that got me with the first four irons is that I had to run them on high, but even then they weren’t hot enough to do a really nice job.
So out comes the new Rowenta, I turn it on high expecting it to be whimpy like the rest… I *melted* my favorite linen rayon blend skirt! Aaaah! lol
I’ve switched to sewing with all cotton thread so I don’t melt the poly core stuff. I LOVE how hot this baby gets. I think it would take dents out of a car.
Kim, I suspect you are soo missing out.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:32 am
I’m not into ironing much (squirrel fur doesn’t get too wrinkly), so can’t share anything in that line. But my husband used to work in a stereo shop back in the ’80′s and knew which companies made the best amps, receivers and turntables; and he saved up his meager salary and bought good components whenever he could. He’s still using most of the components, and they’ve needed only a couple of repairs over the years.
I paid way too much myself for a good chef’s knife about 17 years ago, but I’m still using that every day too.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:39 am
My husband I both believe in this idea as well. Buy one good item and it will last for years. There are many things that we pick up at thrift stores but some things I am willing to pay the good money for. We too bought a good digital camera after realizing that every single cheep one would need to be replace every one to two years. We bought a Cannon Digital Rebel Xti and I have not looked back once.
Clothes are thrift store items. Shoes, however, are not (at least for us). I bought one pair of sandals at the local shoe store for what I thought was a exorbitant price of $35! Now I know that lots of shoes run much more, but I was used to paying $5 or so. But three summers later those sandals still look fabulous and still get compliments! It seems to me at least, that if you buy a decent brand of shoe it will last. My sister has seven years on one pair of sandals that she still wears daily. You would never know that they are that old. She also still has people asking where she got them.
October 4th, 2007 at 9:17 am
I had to laugh because your iron troubles sounded exactly like my mixer troubles. I can’t tell you how many hand held mixers I burned up through the years. My husband bought me a Kitchen Aid a few years ago for my birthday. It was expensive but its been well worth the money in cookies alone.
Our daughter is allergic to nuts. There is only one kind of name brand cookies she can have to the tune of $3+ a package. It was such a pain to make cookies before with the hand held mixers I rarely did it. The Kitchen Aid makes it so easy. I don’t make all our bread but I enjoy using it for dinner rolls, pizza crust, etc.
There are several other things we pay more for initially but works out cheaper in the long run. For instance, I only buy sheets from Lands End or LL Bean. They last *forever*. I also buy most of my husband’s work shirts from Lands End. They wash and wear well so we don’t have to replace them very often.
October 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I don’t quite have the story you’re looking for; I’m more the type to err on the side of buying things too cheaply. But I do have some recommendations on things that are worth spending more for, or at least waiting for.
Pizza cutters – get the kind with a big wheel, 3 inches across. The big ones work so much better than the small ones that are easy to find, which I learned when I worked at a pizza place.
Reebocks last me about three times as long as the Kmart sneakers I used to buy (and they only cost twice as much). I got my first Reebocks as hand-me-downs.
Tools are another thing you should research high quality on.
Bore bristle hair brush – I recommend it if you have long, fine, dry hair.
Jewelry that doesn’t change colors on me, and hypoallergenic earrings for pierced ears.
I buy only reliable cars, no matter how boring, though they are not expensive because I buy them ten years old.
Whole wheat pastry flour – tastes more like white flour in baked goods than regular whole wheat flour does, but it has more nutrients and fiber than white flour. It’s more expensive than both.
Braun alarm clocks – last longer than cheaper ones. I discovered this from a roommate.
October 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Oops, I meant boar-bristle brush.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Raven, I don’t have any good suggestions for you. I’m not sure if it’s not a problem for the fabrics we keep (I know linen wrinkles horribly after wear, but that’s half it’s charm) or if I’m having a blonde moment and just not noticing. Sorry.
I’ve had a few mixer stories too… lol Live and learn!
October 5th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
My husband and I often get into debates on this kind of subject. The catch is knowing when you’ve got to draw a line in the proverbial sand.
One thing that caused us a lot of thought was buying our car. We had the issue that my husband had a long commute. We sat back and debated the buy North American ‘brand’ have cheap but frequent repairs but lower initial cost versus buy foreign ‘brand’ (but made in Canada) and so on.
We just had our most recent ‘debate’. Our sofa set was very shabby. I decided to spend the $’s on a very good slip cover set and keep the set since the frame and structure were very, very solid instead of buying a set we could afford that would look very pretty and new but likely end up garbage soon.
My husband was very astonished to see how much my ‘cheap’ fix cost. Naturally he didn’t participate in my pre-buying shopping and had no clue I actually did very well on my purchase. All he saw was the bill and …
October 5th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Three words: Ralph Lauren Sheets.
We have a set I bought when I was single; 15 years later they still look like new. And trust me, once you sleep on 300+ threadcount, you REALLY don’t want to go back.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
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February 1st, 2008 at 8:32 am
I agree…
The cheapest thing you can buy is “quality”. It is much more ecomical in the long run to buy quality items.
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