5 Ways to Buy Quality Merchandise

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5 Ways to Buy Quality Merchandise

We all love nice things, right?  I know I sure do.  Here are 5 tips to help you shop less, have better things, and maybe, just maybe, enjoy life a little bit more! 😉

1.)  Buy Better Quality.  Buy something that is better quality and will last longer.  When possible I try to buy nicer made clothes (from the clearance racks) than to buy a similarly priced item that isn’t on sale.  I do this with shoes too.  I used to buy Old Navy flip flops every summer and at the end of summer when they were wore out I would throw them away.  Now I buy better brands that are more expensive but will last me for many years….as a bonus, they feel much nicer on my feet!  I love following this principle when it comes to kid’s clothes too.  Buying a nicer brand (on sale!) means that the product will hold up better and because it does so I can resell it as opposed to having to donate a cheaper brand.

2.) Buy Double Duty Items.  Alton Brown is to thank for this idea!  He often emphasizes the importance of finding kitchen items that will do more than one job.  I hadn’t thought about this before but since I’ve put it into practice I realized there were a lot of things in my kitchen that I could do without because another product I have could do both jobs just fine.  I won’t give examples but just think about your specific kitchen and what you can do away with. 🙂

3.) Choose Carefully.  Do your research before you make a purchase.  The internet (and Amazon reviews) make this very easy nowadays.  Does that mattress topper really cool?  Does that rug shed or is it hard to keep clean?  Reading reviews online could potentially save you from a stash of items you have on hand but have never loved and hate to throw away.

4.)  Items That Will Last.  This is similar to #1 but it’s not exactly the same.  Choose products that are made to last longer, possibly that are made of a different material.  For instance, instead of buying something that’s plastic for $1 why not opt for the $3 metal one that will last longer?  Why buy disposable nail files when you can buy a glass one that will work better and last for years?  If you go through a lot of tissues, maybe think about a handkerchief.  Does that make sense?

5.)  Buy Repairable Items.  When possible I try to buy items that can be repaired locally (like a new leaf blower we recently bought).  We considered one leaf blower brand that if something happened to it we would have had to pay to ship it to get repaired and in all likelihood we would have just bought a new one.  The brand we chose was from a mom and pop shop that does repairs.  We bought locally and saved money on future repairs.  Win-win!  If something can be repaired it will save me time, money, and an extra item around my home (or in a landfill).  This might also look like a seamstress mending a shirt, a watchmaker fixing a watch, or a cobbler mending a shoe.  If you’ve followed steps 1, 3, & 4 hopefully you won’t have too much that needs repairing.

I hope you can see my heart in this.  I’m not encouraging everyone to spend all of their money buying the best of everything but my desire is for us to be mindful of the purchases we make so that we’ll be better stewards of our money.

What are some ways that you buy quality merchandise?