Lists: would you buy it new or used?
Liz Weston posted 2 lists of 10 things at MSN Money:
I'm guessing everyone's list would be a little different on both sides of the cash register, and I hesitate to say "never" because great deals, changing economies and personal circumstances can make decisions look very different. A brand new vehicle would be at the top of my Never List, but the thriftiest man I know bought his last vehicle brand new, and he even let the dealer finance the purchase. He did this with plenty of cash in hand, in the firm conviction that it was the best financial investment for his particular situation.
A few things that I prefer to buy used:
- Vehicle
- House - actually we built our own so it is new, but the point is we didn't pay massive bucks for someone else's labor.
- Clothes, with a few exceptions
- Big ticket toys - trampoline, video game system, etc.
- Books
- Furniture
- Major appliances - Yes, you might be inheriting somebody else's problems, but often at 90% savings. It's worth the possible repair. Find a great deal privately or choose a reputable dealer who offers a warranty.
There is a very short list of items I prefer to buy new - hopefully at a discount. Most of these I would gladly accept from friends and family, but not from a thrift store or yard sale.
- Shoes - Especially for adults, who will likely wear them for many years. I often buy used shoes for the children since they may outgrow shoes after just a couple of months. Many "used" children's shoes are new, or practically new.
- Food. I would never buy food at a yard sale, even canned goods.
- Makeup - Used (or anything suspected of being used) would just be creepy to me.
- Laptops - It feels frivolous to suggest buying any big ticket item new, but we've had too many problems with new and used laptops. I would hate to pay good money for one without a warranty.
What's on your list?
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6 Responses to “Lists: would you buy it new or used?”
March 1st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Furniture and clothes are two categories where I prefer to buy used.
I’m having a hard time thinking of things I’d prefer to buy new, other than the very obvious (underwear). Even food I would probably buy ‘used’ assuming the environment where I was buying it seemed sanitary.
March 1st, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I don’t know that I would exclude anything off hand for buying new or used. I’ve bought plenty of used clothes and shoes and was able to get years of use out of them. I think some of that depends on your source. I would be used electronics especially if they came with some sort of warranty or came from a reputable source. Electronics new and used break all the time and I don’t think buying new is going to garuntee that nothing is going to go wrong and if it does it will be covered. That said I can’t see myself buying “used” food at a yardsale although I would take it from friends and the same with makeup. I would rather put a little more effort and researching into finding a good used product then buy something new because rarely do I require something that has never been used before.
N.
http://badhuman.wordpress.com
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:39 am
NEVER BUY USED—- Unders! bathing suits! (for adults) I admit to hand me downs for the kids on both.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
You should never buy a used mattress. Bed bugs are actually very common, almost impossible to eradicate, and also there could be hidden allergens (smoke, cat dander, dog hair) in the mattress that you can’t even see but might make you miserable.
Used car seats might not be safe if they’ve ever been in an accident. I have loaned/borrowed from my sister before, though, because I KNOW that they haven’t been in a crash. Bike helmets for the same reason!
I think most personal care items should be bought new as well – that’s just common sense!
I buy almost everything else that I can used!
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Don’t buy a used mattress. But…. look for “as is” sales on mattresses. These are ones that have been returned for “defects” such as threads that weren’t clipped, or a bit of dirt. We got our $800 set for $175 or so, and it’s lasted us every bit of 10 years. Well worth it.
Hugs,
Melinda
March 4th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I completely agree with most of your list — the only thing I do prefer to buy new if I can is clothes. I’ve bought a decent amount of clothes from thrift or vintage stores, but a lot of them have a smell that just won’t go away, or they are faded or have a stain or something like that. What I now do is shop at places like Target and Forever 21 – they have really trendy, cute clothes, but at a really low price.
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