Buying the cheapest does not work for me. I have tried, so many times, to get the least expensive version of something, but I end up disappointed. I end up spending more time trying to fix or exchange the item than actually using it. Here are my personal examples:
- My first computer, a Cyrix (remember them?) based computer. A 200Mhz Pentium clone. It was slow, and if you ever tried to do anything with the onboard, software based modem, it lagged and dogged like no one’s business. Why did I buy it? It was the cheapest Microcenter had at the time. I learned my lesson, build your own, or buy a nice, mid level computer instead. Since then, I have always built my own, since then I know what parts are inside, or, purchased a mid tier laptop.
- Shoes. I don’t know how many pairs of shoes I have gone through. Every time I think I am getting a deal, I get a shoe that lasts a year and hurts my feet at the same time. Some people can get away with inexpensive shoes, I can’t. I won’t even mention how much I paid for my last pair of shoes, but it was worth it. Almost no foot pain and a pair of shoes that should last 10 years, easily, and I can get it resoled from the manufacturer for $65.
- Watches. I have gone through my fair share of Timex, store brands, etc. Most only last a few years, and when you change the battery, it costs a good percentage of the watch price. Give me a good watch any day from Seiko or Orient. They will last decades and are worth the little extra money.
- Furniture. How many of us have owned a futon? How many are still in working order? My guess is not many. I have tried to go cheap, but the stuff just does not last as well. Get a good Flexsteel or name brand, made in USA couch and it will look out of style before it wears out. Same thing goes for mattresses. Coffee tables and book cases you can go cheap, but nothing you can sit or sleep on.
- Electronics of many sorts. DVD players, wireless routers, USB card readers, etc. I have bought the cheapest of all of them and had to return or replace just about all of them. I should of just bought the better model to begin with.
- Cookware. A cheap pan works like a cheap pan. A cheap knife cuts like a cheap knife. Cheap spoons bend in ice cream that is not soft serve and I really don’t want a piece of mystery metal in my mouth when using a fork or spoon otherwise.
So much time and money wasted, when I could of just bought the better version of something. That is not to say sometimes the cheapest version will not work just fine. If it does for you, more power to you. Some things don’t really seem to be much different quality, no matter the price, like blank DVD’s, most clothes and toiletries. It all depends how you use an item, I guess. I try not abuse anything that I own, but I expect it to at least meet some minimum standards. However, I am opposed to ‘buying the best’ since ‘the best’ is usually 10 times more expensive and works 5% better than the mid tier version of something. A little more money spent up front more than makes up for the lack of heartache later.
Are you even trying anymore?
Wow, Chicago Tribune, you really don’t proof read anymore, do you? Run ons, fragments, and even a sentence that starts with but. My high school English teacher would of given this an immediate F. The article barely makes sense. This is why the newspaper business is going down.
Family mourns railroad conductor killed in yard accident
By William Lee, Tribune reporter
Melinda Carter lit up her mother’s eyes recently when she talked about plans to buy a home in the southwest suburbs. But the bigger surprise was that Carter wanted her parents to sell their home in a rough Far South Side neighborhood and come live with her.
“She said, ‘You’re going to come move with me, you and daddy.’ And that’s what she always wanted … to take care of her family,” said her mother, Delois Carter.
But on Saturday, family and friends gathered to mourn Melinda Carter’s death. The 36-year-old train yard conductor for CSX Corp. was killed Friday night when she was tossed from a locomotive and struck by it. Carter was conducting routine switching operations while cars were being moved to prepare them for delivery, officials said. The accident occurred on the company’s grounds near 134th Street and Ashland Avenue in Riverdale and an investigation is ongoing, a CSX spokesman said.
Carter, a veteran conductor, was a member of the company’s safety committee, according to her brother, David. “It’s not like she was a novice, not by a long shot,” he said.
Family gathered at their Roseland home Saturday. In an upstairs room sat three pieces of new furniture Melinda Carter recently bought for the home she planned to buy. On the dining room table, family pictures were scattered.
“I haven’t found one yet (where) she isn’t smiling,” Delois Carter said of her daughter.
“She had a smile that was worth a million dollars and that smile was genuine,” her aunt Gladys Taylor chimed in.
The youngest of three children, the Harlan Community Academy graduate was the heart of her family. She made sure her family was provided for, whether it was her parents were taking their medication or that her nephew had a nice pair of shoes.
“She had that spirit of knowing what you needed and when you needed it and how to love you,” Delois Carter said.
Posted by admin on April 24, 2010 in General Comments
Leave a comment