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08.03.26 | Posted in: Decorating, Frugality

I hadn’t prepared to post today, but I wanted to pass along links on what I think is an important topic: being cheap versus being frugal.

The cogs in my head began turning this morning after reading Frugal Dad’s musings on the subject. One of the differences he mentioned was that a fugal person will pay more for something of higher tangible quality. Last week, Lynnae at Being Frugal discussed that very topic. Sometimes it costs less to spend more.

As I’m preparing to move home to St. Augustine and begin my real, adult life, this is a topic that weighs on my mind, particularly when thinking of the purchase of furniture. I’m hoping to purchase a home later in the summer and I’ll be entering into the home with no furniture to my name. None!

What choice should I make?

Sure, a $50 desk made of particleboard might perform the same function as a $200 desk made of solid wood, but which will still be functional a year from now? Five years from now? Ten years from now?

Throughout my college life, I’ve been sustained with cheap, particleboard furniture from Wal-Mart and Target, but I’ve seen the wear and tear put on these pieces in just a couple years of use. It might hurt me now to spend more money for furniture made of better quality materials, but, if the pieces last longer, the higher cost is well worth it.

To me, this is the essential difference in frugal versus cheap. It is not a matter of dollars and cents, but rather dollars and sense. It is truly understanding the value of goods, not just their cost.

What do you think? Is more expensive furniture worth the cost? On which other goods does it pay to spend more?

1. sara l:
   March 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

   I think more expensive furniture is worth the cost, if you can afford it. I’m living in my second apartment after undergrad and most of my furniture isn’t going to last more than 2-3 more years. But when I was purchasing it was what I could afford to buy without going into debt. As I move forward I will replace or buy things with higher quality items but up front affordability should also be considered.

   I think electronics purchases also fall into this category. Having higher specs, quality construction, and customer service are often worth the extra money up front. The key is to do the research at home to determine what’s best for your needs, not just the highest price.

2. Toni:
   March 26th, 2008 at 4:41 pm

   Great comment, Sara. Thanks so much! You make a great point about making sure that whatever you’re spending more money on is still affordable. This is another consideration for me — I want to spend enough to reap the benefits of better quality construction, but I won’t let it hurt my finances and absolutely refuse to let it bring on debt.

   You also bring up a good point about electronics; I’ve made many purchases in that category where I wish I’d spent more for higher quality. Sometimes, however, it works out. My television and laptop were no-name brands and they have completely outperformed all of my expectations. Of course, I think that’s the exception rather than the rule.