Here's a question

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
S

Smitty37

Passed Away Mar 29, 2018
In Memoriam
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Messages
12,823
Location
Milford, Delaware 19963
We get a lot of questions here regarding "pricing" how to price our wares. We also get a ton of suggestions .... all that is good.

Here is my question though. What factors do you consider when you are buying.

When buying discretionary items I personally consider things like whether the item is something I can't get along without(not much in that catigory), something I really want, something I'd like to have but can live without etc.... then I look at price - I have only one question regarding price. Is it worth as much to me as what I'll have to pay to get it.

How do you buy?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Smitty, at our age there shouldn't be much left we can't live without. We did so far! Besides, I would have to move all that other stuff I couldn't live without last year out of the way to have a place to put it. That pile of stuff is the best relief for - I can't live without it.

Now tools are a different issue...:rolleyes:
 
Like Harry said, at my age there is not anything I cant live without. If there is something I want, as long as I can afford it I buy it. I try to buy quality and not go cheap anymore. In my younger days I bought cheap thinking there wasn't a lot of difference. you learn with age.
 
LeRoy,

How do I buy? My initial thoughts were the best way I can maintaing dignity for the seller and me the buyer. My Church interview one question was Are you honest in your dealings with other people? I like to think I am to the best of my ability.

So in answer to your question here in Australia the factors I consider are not in order.

Can I afford it?

Is it equitable for both parties?

Am I buying for the right reason?

Respecting my best friend of 60 yrs now consulting with her and also with my wife the same person.

Try to have no regrets either way and move on.

Enjoy each day bear in mind I am 4 yrs older than you so you will understand what I mean.

Spend considerable effort in trying to be the best husband I can to help guide us through life.

Kind regards Peter.
 
My buying goes like this..I will be working on a project at home (home improvement or not). Then I tell the wife "I need (insert tool name) to do this properly". She says to go buy it. Then when I need it to do a similar job, I can not find it so I have to go get another one...
 
I do pretty much what you do, Smitty. But once I find the model # of something I want, I try to find the best price. Only once in the last few years have I paid the "I want it now" price and that was for my new Jet drum sander. In hind site, I coulda waited, but you know what they say.
 
plano_harry said:
Smitty, at our age there shouldn't be much left we can't live without. We did so far! Besides, I would have to move all that other stuff I couldn't live without last year out of the way to have a place to put it. That pile of stuff is the best relief for - I can't live without it.

Now tools are a different issue...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I agree, If I couldn't live without it I probably already have it.:RockOn:
 
My dad always said "Give to the church first, then separate your NEEDS from you WANTS. Where to spend your money will be obvious." Occasionally I follow his advice.....:biggrin:

Tom
 
Well my wife will spend $20 bucks on something that is on sale, not because she needs it or wants it, but because it was on sale.
 
One thing I've had the good fortune to do is not worry about what my wife spends, she has had her own checking account for about 40 years and she can spend whatever is in it. She shops a lot and buy's a lot, but her greatest pleasure is finding something a little unusual and cheap. She is not impressed by expensive things.

She does make me buy her cars though --- couldn't make herself spend $25K but she can drive around in it with no problem, she says "Smitty bought it for me."
 
:bananen_smilies039: Three months ago someone stole my wife's credit card. I haven't reported it yet, because they are spending less money than my wife did. My plan in life is to spend my last buck on the day I die. I have saved and invested well, so If we want it ,we get it, because no one has figured out how to take with them yet. Jim S
 
With all the working and saving over the years I thought I'd have something nice for my children when I go.
When my father left us he left a nice gift but at my age I no longer needed it.
So when my children reached a certain age of adulthood they were given what I planned to
leave behind. It has made their lives alot easier.
What's left means very little to me.When I wake in the morning if I have a clean towel,soap,and hot water in the shower,everything after that is a plus.
I will put whatever I need in the shop to do the job,my tools have always paid the bills
in one form or another.
They don't owe me a dime.
Mark
 
plantman said:
:bananen_smilies039: Three months ago someone stole my wife's credit card. I haven't reported it yet, because they are spending less money than my wife did. My plan in life is to spend my last buck on the day I die. I have saved and invested well, so If we want it ,we get it, because no one has figured out how to take with them yet. Jim S
Click to expand...

This may not be true... there's a story about a fellow who made big bucks in the stock market and kept badgering his wife that when he died, he wanted his money buried with him. He died and at his funeral his wife graciously rose and placed a nice rosewood box in the coffin with him. As she sat back down, her friend whispered, "you didn't really put all his money in his coffin, you're not going to bury that money with him are you?"... the wife said yes I did, that what he requested and that's what I did....

I wrote him a check.
 
Smitty,
In answer to your question, there's very little that really "Need" and many of the things I would like to have are just that... things I would like to have. If I feel that I do need something, I look for the best price and then think about it a little longer, then I'll get it.... I buy for utility, not to impress anyone, rarely do I buy a name brand product, because they tend to be just that... a name brand, not necessarily the best quality or for that matter the best for the task at hand. Example, my side angle sander is a cheap brand I buy off Amazon because it's inexpensive, ships for free and usually last from 6 month to a year... in my research I found a fellow who does the same thing because he bought a high dollar name branded side angle sander that lasted him 6 months to a year.... they tend to suck the sanding dust into the gears and after awhile get gummed up to the point that the gears strip out... even with blowing them out after use.
Matter of fact, AARP had an article earlier this week about not buying name brand products, when the store brand would do the same thing and usually just as well... and it's known that many store brands are manufactured by the same name brand manufacturers.
When I was traffic manager for a telephone switch manufacturer, we put out one product, it was "branded" by whomever was buying it and would come in any color you wanted... if you wanted a white one with the "brand" name across the front in metalic or vinyl tape, depending on what the "brand name" supplied us. They all did the exact same thing, had the exact same components inside, just a different strip of tape across the front.
 
Last edited:
TellicoTurning said:
plantman said:
:bananen_smilies039: Three months ago someone stole my wife's credit card. I haven't reported it yet, because they are spending less money than my wife did. My plan in life is to spend my last buck on the day I die. I have saved and invested well, so If we want it ,we get it, because no one has figured out how to take with them yet. Jim S
Click to expand...

This may not be true... there's a story about a fellow who made big bucks in the stock market and kept badgering his wife that when he died, he wanted his money buried with him. He died and at his funeral his wife graciously rose and placed a nice rosewood box in the coffin with him. As she sat back down, her friend whispered, "you didn't really put all his money in his coffin, you're not going to bury that money with him are you?"... the wife said yes I did, that what he requested and that's what I did....

I wrote him a check.
Click to expand...

Chuck; Great comeback story !! My wife thought your's was funny, mine, not so funny. Jim S
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom