Was it really a "good deal"?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Country Families : One Thread

Have you ever bought anything thinking it was a really good deal or that you really, really wanted, then later thinking that it just wasn't worth the price?

I have purchased or recieved as gifts a few duds in my time!! Like the aromatherapy thingy. BIG waste of money!! And the potato twister! Sometimes in the past I would see these interesting gadgets then think I needed them, but I am smarter now. If I want something I wait a year or so to see if I REALLY want it, before I buy it!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 09, 2002

Answers

Holy shmoley, I can show you a whole cupboard filled with them (or those that have been sold at the garage sales)....LOL! I am a kitchen/housewares nut! Let's see...there is the salad spinner (cause I don't haul it out, I just use a towel), the Bloomin' Onion maker, the donut maker, the Fry Daddy, the toaster oven, the electric broom thing (that looks like a broom - worst thing of all), the plant mister/waterer thing that hooks up to the sink, the hamburger maker, the hamburger cooker, the electric skillet,.....and I have a million more!

What I really use? The George Forman grills (I have 4 of them), the Popiel Rotisseri (sp?), the food processor, my electric griddle, and my Kitchen Aid mixer.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.


Yes!! I have a number of those things in my kitchen too. They seemed like a great idea at the time but I never use them. Our biggest purchase like that though was a generator. We just took one back that we've had for 3 1/2 years. Until just recently the water we used came from a well and if the electricity went out we had no water. Prior to our buying the generator this happened somewhat regularly. Since buying it, though, we haven't lost power for more than a couple of minutes. We never even opened the box. My husband talked Lowe's into giving us back the last sale price on it ($350). This meant we lost $150 but we had it for so long I'm surprised they gave us anything. Then he turned around and bought a log splitter from them, talking them into giving him a $130 discount on it. So in the end, it really only cost us $20 to have the generator that long! My husband is a super shopper!

-- Deena in GA (dsmj55@aol.com), April 09, 2002.

Since I buy things for a living I probably have had more experiences like that than most. One of the biggest sources of mistakes like that is what I call "falling in love with the deal." That occurs when you spend so much time and effort on the search and negotiation for some purchase that you feel as though you have to buy it or all of those efforts will have gone for naught. I can tell you that some of the best deals with which you'll ever be involved are those from which you simply turn and walk away.

That applies to property, farm equipment, cars, trucks and just about anything else. Some of the things about which I'm happiest are those I DIDN'T buy. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), April 11, 2002.


Reminds me of the quote that says something to this effect, "My best words were the ones I refrained from saying."

-- Randal in Brazil (randal@rhyme.cjb.net), April 12, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ