Overcoming Cheapness (Blog)

[Inthon]

Great post, keep it up!

[Dev]

Going for Cheap Stuff especially food also runs the risk of eating Adulterated and Carcinogenic stuff.

[bluedragon]

I also can relate to what you say here - value is not always proportional to price, and sometimes, a small gain in value is not easily quantifiable. In many cases, a small gain in efficiency can mean a fundamentally different level of functionality, so each situation should be judged accordingly.

But

Our bed is so ridiculously comfortable, and I sleep much better on it. It feels great no matter what position I sleep in. We still have our previous mattress in our guest room (a “value” purchase), and I can’t sleep on it anymore. It just doesn’t feel right to me.

... com'on, Steve
I could imagine you doing a 30-day trial of sleeping on a Klingon bed much easier than I can picture you indulging in comfortable mattresses and saying the old ones aren't good anymore

[ArthurHung]

I usually enjoy sharing something lengthy on the topics in these forums. This time though, I just want to say I really love this abundance article. And have tremendous gratitude and appreciation for it. I'm positive it is already helping so many people. I hope the universe guides this particular thank you directly to Steve. But either way, I'm super happy to share it with you all.

@Ariel Bravy: I think I saw you comment over at my site once or twice. It's cool bumping into you here. I've done a similar thing with climbing shoes. And I'm glad you shared your experiences.

[zen]

If you feel so good sleeping on it I would buy it too.

I am using now some wood planks (read before that it is good to sleep on a hard surface, but recently read that actually the bed has to be soft !?!) and I do not sleep properly, perhaps there are factors.

In a mall close to me there was a shop with Swedish mattresses or something like that, that astronauts sleep on they said, around $2,000 and when I decided to have a closer look (taking into account that I spend more than 1/3 of my life in a bed) there was no more shop, must not have had too many clients.

I just looked it up and it is Tempur-Pedic.

[Inthon]

This post resonated with me.

One of the best ways to increase your self esteem is to feel better about yourself. You can do this by eating the best food you can buy.

[Ferrino]

7 years ago I made a decision to purchase my first home. (a cheap option) The house itself is absolutely fantastic but is in a neighbourhood surrounded by people who don't work or have any intention of working (by the way these people did not work long before the recession and are capable, able bodied people)

Though myself and my wife were both sceptical about the neighbourhood when we first viewed the house we had a relatively small budget and decided that apart from the area the house ticked all the right boxes.

We soon realised the early consequences of our decision. These include shouting and music playing in the early hours during the week, the occasional random bit of vandalism to our property, litter, swearing and uncontrolled children allowed to abuse someone else or someone elses property whilst the parents look on.

I am not a prude, nor am I a snob and am quite an open minded forgiving person. However there has been times in the past where my patience has been tested.

What I am trying to say is that if we had have saved for a few more months we could have probably bought a property 2 miles up the road, maybe a bit smaller but defiately a better area.

We still live in the house and have come to accept parts of what were previously unacceptable but it is no way ideal for us. In fact we have only just started having friends over regularly as to be honest we were a bit embarassed before.

When Steve did his article about environmental reinforcement of your goals I thought about where I lived and now realise that even though the house is beginning to be reflective of us and our goals, at least inside the house, outside the environment is incongruent.

We have been putting away money in savings and intend to put the house onto the market soon. Next time we will be very conscious of finding somewhere right for us, desirable in our eyes and that reflects who we are. My only advice is if you are looking to buy a property make sure you really find one that is right, save a bit harder initially if need be or don't act if it seems like a compensation or doesn't fit.

[Deergirl]

Originally Posted by DerekH

Over the last two days I've had some very interesting experiences.

For the past year I've taken up sewing and fashion design.

But over the past week I thought it would be really cool to buy an old sewing machine, take it apart and refurbish it. I got really excited about it because I love taking anything apart.

On a local classified ad website, I responded to two ads both offering old sewing machines in cabinets (one said it was a Singer and the other said a Kenmore brand). One was listed for $15 and the other for $20.

I emailed back and forth with the one lady Sunday night and I picked up the machine on Monday for $15. Now the machine turned out to be a Sears Kenmore from 1973 which was awesome but it was missing some of the attachments and there was a bit of things 'broken' on it.

I wasn't upset with it but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. The other ad was actually advertised as a Kenmore, so I thought that even if it didn't work, I could possibly use some parts in it.

I felt somewhat scared because I actually had to call this lady to setup an appointment to see it (I'd rather email then call lol). Today at lunch, I called her and left a message. She called me back at 6 and I went over at 630 to look at the machine. It turns out she lives less than 5 minutes from my house. The sewing machine also turned out to be the EXACT same model as the one I bought on Monday. The only difference is that this lady had ALL the original attachments and manual and everything was in good working order.

I am so excited with it and I can't wait to tear one apart... and put it back together

What I realized after reading Steve's post was that I really desired this and I wasn't really concerned with the money. What was even more weird was that each lady was selling for the same reason. They were moving to a smaller place, didn't have room and they were both having garage sales this weekend. Too creepy for me .

Considering I own a sewing machine which I paid over $400 for... the machines I paid less for are actually much higher quality (all the parts are made of metal). I may just end up using the older machines.

Hehe... This is awesome to read in this thread for me. My grandma gave me her old sewing machine years ago. An old Bernina. Awesome machine. But it unfortunately died on my a couple of weeks ago. It was old. I think it dates back to the sixties or the seventies. The motor broke and they can't find parts for it anymore. Too bad.

So now I have to buy a new machine. And all I can find are these cheap plastic Singer machines that can't really handle a lot and have a life span of about 10 years, perhaps. That's why I went to a Bernina shop today. The model I want (in metal) is a whopping 799€. That's a lot of money. When I said to the sales lady I'd probably pick that model, she said that because there are sales it'd be 750€. Yeah! I like the sound of that. It's still a lot of money, but it's worth the investment. I am going to shop around a bit more, but my heart is pretty much set on this model. My dad wants me to check out a very cheap Singer machine, but I don't think I'll take it.

And all the time when I was walking home, I had to think about this article. "This is exactly what Steve meant," I was saying to yourself. "Why go for that cheap Singer, which can't handle two layers of fleece and will probably break within the next five years, when you can invest in something more lasting?" Believe me, for me, this is a mayor change in thinking.

[TonyToneTone]

Thanks for this post. I needed to get a new steam iron (went cheap on the last one) and ended up purchasing the most expensive one they had at the store. I have to say, it is excellent! Way faster, more features, and gets the job done. Good stuff! Thanks Steve!

[ruanber]

Trent, a blogger owns the site www.thesimpledallor.com. I read his posts. his opinion is fully against steve's . I can not agree with steve's post fully. you must consider your financial condition even if you want something very much. or else you would go bankrupt untill you can not meet your basic your needs. and being bankrupt is a bad feeling.

[bluedragon]

Originally Posted by ruanber

Trent, a blogger owns the site www.thesimpledallor.com. I read his posts. his opinion is fully against steve's . I can not agree with steve's post fully. you must consider your financial condition even if you want something very much. or else you would go bankrupt untill you can not meet your basic your needs. and being bankrupt is a bad feeling.

Why would you go bankrupt if you conserve your money and wait until you can buy what you really want? Or if you refuse to settle for many cheap objects and you buy fewer objects that meet your standards?

Do you think that accepting a lesser standard is an effective strategy for obtaining a higher one? From an objective sense, does it seem the wise thing to do? Maybe so, but what if you consider the law (or principle) of attraction? And even more, what if you consider the paradigm of subjective reality? If you believed in a subjective reality, would you consider it logical to settle for what you don't want, as a strategy for obtaining what you do want?

[carenkh]

Originally Posted by ruanber

Trent, a blogger owns the site www.thesimpledallor.com. I read his posts. his opinion is fully against steve's . I can not agree with steve's post fully. you must consider your financial condition even if you want something very much. or else you would go bankrupt untill you can not meet your basic your needs. and being bankrupt is a bad feeling.

I can see when you read this:

If one item was $500 less than a comparable item that seemed a little bit nicer to us, we’d spend the extra money and buy whichever item we liked best, regardless of cost.

especially the "regardless of cost", you'd think that. But nowhere was Steve advocating not considering your financial condition. In fact, this:

We couldn’t afford to furnish our entire home that way without depleting our cash to an uncomfortable level (or going into debt), so we left some areas of our home very sparsely furnished.

is illustrating quite the opposite.

It's interesting you read something else into it.

[Lauxa]

To me, there are still certain advantages to going cheap...

With clothes, having clothes that wear out faster means you get to change up your wardrobe more often. To me the novelty of having something new is very fun and rewarding. When I buy secondhand clothes I can get many new items each month and continually experiment with what styles I enjoy. If an item doesn't work out (I often think I like it in the store but then it doesn't get worn for some reason) it is no big loss. The same goes if an item is ruined. If my mother or sister says she likes my shirt I just give it to her. I also get the pleasure of knowing I am extending the life of an item that someone else doesn't want anymore.

Most of these same arguments go for furniture. I don't have the same experience as Steve of not feeling grateful for my discount furniture. I still love the glass-top rattan kitchen table I got off eBay 9 years ago. The glass surface has proved to be very kid-proof, even permanent marker comes off with ease. I got a matching ettergie at a garage sale a few years later and after that some rattan folding chairs off craigslist that I absolutely adore (the chairs that came with the table did wear out). I could go on and on. Flexibility is one of my highest values, and I love the idea that if I could easily get rid of all my furniture and buy all new things -- if I wanted to move overseas, for example -- without losing a large investment.

I guess I really only like buying cheap items secondhand, though, the idea that I am contributing to the production of more cheap items that will wear up quickly and end up in landfills isn't appealing to me. When I buy new, I usually go for quality.

[Acting Like Godot]

I would be interested to know Steve's views on longer-term financial goals (such as saving up for your retirement years), as opposed to your current or near-term expenditure (such as buying patio furniture, shoes, irons etc).

But then I suspect I know his answer already.

[Stasha]

Terrific and timely as always, Steve.

In my experience one of the main challenges is overcoming the belief that "the good things in life" were never intended for you or worse can't benefit you. It's taken quite a while but I finally realized that there is true joy in exchanging my money for things AND experiences I really want and/or are really meaningful.

One of the areas where this has made a difference to us is in purchasing art. We used to be "posters in cheap frames" folks. But our home is now slowly filling with beautiful works that have meaning not only from the artists and subjects, but from our experience when we bought it. Further, we don't buy it to "appreciate" for money (though some of it has) but rather becuase we've discovered it makes our day-to-day lives richer, not poorer.

Thanks again, Steve.

Stasha

[livewire516]

Yes. What about the hedonic treadmill? Most psychologists haves spent millions in research to determined that wealth contributes very little to overall happiness after the most basic of needs are met? Ask someone who makes $50,000 a year at what salary would they be happy and they say on average $60,000. Ask someone who makes $100,000 and they'll tell you $150,000. Does anyone else see the carrot on the string?

[Liminal Chris]

Great Post Steve


I had the same epiphany at a much younger age. I remember getting so frustrated as a kid when I had to deal with cheap things my mom would buy. Her parents grew up in the WWII-Depression era, so she inherited a lot of their frugality. I guess she made me realize that Quality matters much more than Quantity.

As a Law Student who is paying his own way, I have found myself starting to falter in that view though as my budget is particularly tight.

Anyways, your post was a fantastic reminder - Buy Less, but Buy Quality. Thank you.

[Pace]

Thanks for writing this, Steve!

This post helps me find clarity about a topic I was thinking about earlier this week: my desk. When Kyeli and I started the Freak Revolution and went shopping for home office furniture, she convinced me to buy the desk I really wanted instead of settling for something cheap and functional, like I usually did.

Since then, I've noticed interesting dissonant feelings warring in my head and my heart about this desk. One part of me, the cheap part, thinks, "What a waste of money, think about all that money you don't have and can't do useful things with because of this desk," and the other part of me, my heart, thinks, "I love this desk."

As time has passed, the cheap voice has been getting quieter and quieter and the "I love this desk" voice has been getting louder and louder. Now I have a clearer understanding of why. (:

[Footballman]

That was an amazing article, thanks Steve.

I just want to add something I heard someone say. If you buy something for a lot of money say $150, but you wear it 150 times a year...then surely thats good value(compared to buying something cheap, and hardly wearing it).
Another thing we do often is only wear expensive stuff on special occasions.(say a nice pair of shoes or a nice top)..I think this is a mindset that comes out of lack...if you were to approach this from an abundant mindset....you could wear the expensive stuff as much as you want...because when you're done...you can just get another one.


Footballman

[dbooster]

Just read the article. Wow, thanks Steve, you've really hit the nail on the head.

Firstly, I haven't really visited your site in a year or so. Sorry. I really really enjoy your site and always recommend it to friends, but lately (like this past year) I've been feeling so overwhelmed with life that I felt like I didn't have time to read your blog. I'm trying to pull more positive in my life starting now tho, so I'll try to make this a daily read from here out.

Anyways, the article. It's funny I decided to come here and saw this, because just this morning I was thinking about my money situation. I'm currently trying to make the transition from full time job to self-employment, and this morning I was making a mental checklist of how much money I need to earn daily to match my current salary. This got me thinking about how much I really need vs how much I currently earn, and this furthermore lead me to the mental question of "If money were no object, what would I buy"

The funny thing is, even in my head, my answers to this were cheap. I found myself thinking things like "If possible, I'd like more bookshelves and the space for them, but then again, I don't really need any more books" or similar things like that. I kept reminding myself that money is no object in this fantasy so buy even whims that you aren't 100% sure you want, (yes, I was talking to myself... or thinking to myself, I suppose) but I noticed that I constantly fell back on money-saving ideas.

Anyways, I don't really have any kind of point I'm trying to make. Just wanted to thank you for the great piece of advice. I'll try to use it!

[Aleksander Krstic]

Originally Posted by Dev

Going for Cheap Stuff especially food also runs the risk of eating Adulterated and Carcinogenic stuff.

That's some good English for an Indian.

[cacheborn]

Steve,
This post is so spot on, I can feel it in my bones. I used to be very frugal and still am in many ways. But when I bought my laptop, I went for the one I wanted, a Dell XPS. And every time I see it, I have warm feelings inside me. Now I understand where they come from. I feel great.
Thank you for the insight!

[joesugar]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks this way. I'm this way with food, having often done without an item rather than buy a substitute I wasn't really happy with.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Steve, this is a wonderful article. One of your best articles on money. We are all entitled to nice things. I recently bought a new laptop that cost much more than the standard laptops because it had much more memory than the average 1-2 GB. It runs so smoothly and will be a treasured possession for years. I bought it about 6 months ago and it still feels new and exciting because it is what I really wanted. I didn't settle for a basic laptop, but I looked at what I really want and it paid off. I didn't even have to spend as much as I initially thought because there was a special $200 off that current month. So I got a $900 machine for around $600, because there was also another $100 savings for an upgrade to 6GB memory. Funny how all those sales were going on the day my old laptop died on me, one I'd had for almost 5 years. I paid much more for the original laptop, but it had 1/12 of the memory.

So, the new philosophy is decide what you want and buy it regardless of price, unless it will put a big dent in your finances. If that's the case, find a way to afford it through synchronicities or through creative financing.

[ClareDragonfly]

I was thinking about this article recently. I was shopping yesterday and I found a dress that I really loved. I didn't even look at the price! It turned out to be a lot more money than I usually spend on clothes, but I know I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it and it looks great on me.

[WakingLife]

i do understand how better quality and splurging can make one happier, but i also find emotional satisfaction when I find a great bargain. I look for good quality designer items that are marked down. I just bought this really sophisticated ralph lauren jacket reg 139 for 44. Spending full price usually makes me feel unsure like I can find another one on sale which is what usually happens.

[madgeylou]

really great post from bruce sterling on this exact point. he says that you should only have things that are beautiful, emotionally valuable, or tools that you use all the time. and that your tools should be top of the line.

The Viridian Design Movement

after a lifetime of making do with cheap things, i'm just starting to understand this. i got a wonderful italian bra that was NOT CHEAP but makes me feel beautiful and comfortable every time i put it on. i saved up for gorgeous organic bed linens. my next acquisition will be a vita-mix.

it's true we have massive economic and environmental problems. many people think they are caused by consumerism. but consumerism in and of itself isn't a problem -- mindless, thoughtless, overblown consumerism is.

from now on my goal is to purchase, keep, and care for only beautiful and impeccably designed things. my hope is that more and more people begin to feel this way, and that it fundamentally changes the way we live on the planet.

[Juki Schor]

I find this post really challenging. In my case, I don't have desires unless I have money, what can I do then? If desire is the fuel to get me going to manifest money for what I desire and I don't desire anything because I don't have money, it is like a dead end. I have been wondering about this for a while, because money in itself is not attractive, somehow.