Do You Buy High Quality Once or Low Quality Many Times?

sandman87 on 21/03/2018 - 14:17
Last edited 21/03/2018 - 14:17

I was sitting at work today contemplating how I spend my money. Specifically, should I spend more money on a higher quality product in the hope that you wont need to replace it/reduce the frequency of replacement/more easily repairable versus spending as little as possible on a lower quality product expecting that it will break but wont break the bank

To give you an example, I was given a pair of RM Williams boots for my birthday. I have worn them to work every day since I got them and they have lasted well. Compared to the previous pair of shoes I wore to work, which were about $50, they only lasted a year. Now as a self respecting OzBargainer, I wouldn't spend $500 of my own money on shoes, but I'm beginning to see the value of spending more money for quality product if it lasts.

What is your philosophy? Spend more for higher quality, or spend less and be prepared to throw it out in the near future?

Also, what have you purchased (regardless of price) that really surprised you with its quality and longevity?

Poll Options expired

  • 68
    Spend more on higher quality
  • 13
    Spend less on lower quality
General Discussion

Comments

  • dcep on 21/03/2018 - 14:21
    +1

    "Compared to the previous pair of shoes I wore to work, which were about $50, they only lasted a year. Now as a self respecting OzBargainer, I wouldn't spend $500 of my own money on shoes"

    You can buy 10x $50 shoes in 10 yrs , VS wearing the same $500 shoes for 10 yrs.

  • retiredfeline on 21/03/2018 - 14:25
    +16

    Spend for only as much quality as needed for the particular use.

    • J23SD on 21/03/2018 - 19:26
      +1

      I agree with this, when it comes to fashion I usually like to cycle through quickly so I never spend much on clothing, I would rather buy 5 $10 shirts that last 6 months each than something more expensive that lasts 1-2 years. But when it comes to cookware I would rather buy something of good quality that lasts a while. It totally depends on what item. By the way, the $8 metal straws I bought 6 months ago have saved me at least $10 and a dolphin or two. ;)

      • jjjaar on 22/03/2018 - 07:42
        +2

        See I'll buy the 5 $10 shirts and make them last 1-2 years…

        • J23SD on 22/03/2018 - 15:58

          I own plenty of shirts which I got cheap that have lasted 2+ years, granted they loose there colour and end up being used for sports and around the house still rather buy cheap and cycle through with clothing. And if you can't manage to get a $10 and make it last for two years are you really a true Oz bargainer? ;)

  • dasher86 on 21/03/2018 - 14:26
    +2

    It really depends on the item.
    For your example 10 pairs of $50 shoes for one pair or RM Williams and assuming they last you 10 years.
    You can have 10 different styles and mix and match with wardrobe etc.
    Now with RM Williams you have a better product that could last more than 10 years + ongoing maintenance costs but one pair of shoes. However they're RM Williams as a brand.
    Now this doesn't apply to everything, but what is the expected life of the high quality product versus expected life of low quality products, and also any special features/ better features of the high quality product.

  • GG57 on 21/03/2018 - 14:28
    +1

    It really depends on the product.

    In your shoes example, the higher $ shoes will most likely last longer and should provide value for money in the longer term. On the other hand, you need to be happy to stay with that style of shoe for the longer term to achieve the value. Conversely you could buy $50 shoes every year (as phunkydude suggests) and keep up with the latest fashion trends. Your choice.

    If I need to do something in the garden or whatever, I consider how often I need to do this thing / use the relative tool. That will decide if I buy a higher $ item (for frequent use) or a lower $ item (for single / low quantity use).

    • blawler05 on 22/03/2018 - 08:26

      People who wear RM Williams dont seem to care about Fashion/Trends :-D

      • dasvenson on 22/03/2018 - 12:11

        That's changing a bit since it changed ownership a few years ago.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2018 - 14:28
    +4

    Depends on usage, mechanical vs non moving, warranty conditions…

    Generally, I buy higher quality because I can afford it and I hate throwing things away. It's a self imposed deterrent to buying too much crap.

  • stirlo on 21/03/2018 - 14:33
    +1

    The problem is of course determining if a product is "higher quality" accurately.

    There's plenty of products for sale in the marketplace which sell for more but are just the same junk you get elsewhere.

    Just the other day I was looking for a trailer lock and found these two…
    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/SCA-Trailer-Couplin…
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hitch-Pin-Lock-Tow-Bar-Ball-Secu…

    Should I have assumed the Supercheap auto one was higher quality because it cost more? Or assume that Supercheap auto is just robbing me blind with a 256% markup?

  • whooah1979 on 21/03/2018 - 14:35

    New gloves every month.

  • scrimshaw on 21/03/2018 - 14:39
    +3

    These two threads might be of some use.

    AskOzb: What's something that you used to be a cheaparse on, until you tried high quality and now you can't go back?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/238354

    AskOzb: What's something you used to buy high quality of, until you tried lower quality and decided it wasn't worth it?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/240860

  • Clear on 21/03/2018 - 14:52

    For clothing (shoes especially) I will always buy quality even if it's cheaper as I want something to last. Nothing worse being on the job and having your shoes fall apart. Underwear always has to be high quality. Bonds these days are uncomfortable while Aussiebum are super comfortable.

    Sometimes I will cheap out at ASOS or The Iconic as occasionally there are some gems in the mix.

  • ausdday on 21/03/2018 - 14:57
    +2

    As an ozbargainer, I will go for Spend less on Higher Quality. And it's absolutely possible here in Australia. You don't have to sacrifice quality over price. You do have to sacrifice time though. Not useful if you are in need on latest fashion all the time.

  • Ryanek on 21/03/2018 - 14:57
    +2

    Generally…

    Toilet Paper - spend less
    Mattress - spend more
    Haircuts - spend less
    Tyres - spend more
    Petrol - spend less
    Wife - spend more

    • dogboy on 21/03/2018 - 15:11

      If anything, spend more on TP and less on wife!

      • ausdday on 21/03/2018 - 15:22

        Good for ya … Hand-some

      • Ryanek on 21/03/2018 - 15:24

        Wet the toilet paper before use and they're all soft.

        • tre180 on 21/03/2018 - 15:57
          +3

          Wet the wife before use and they're all soft too

    • Shiny Mew on 21/03/2018 - 17:49

      Can't agree with you re haircuts. A good haircut can make you look (and therefore feel) so much better, and that improvement feeds into many other areas of your life. A good hairdresser deserves a good income but, as in most industries, it's not always the case (frustratingly) that price correlates with quality.

      • Quantumcat on 21/03/2018 - 19:23

        If you're not a hipster there's no need to spend a lot on a men's cut. I do my boyfriend's hair - short back and sides, slightly longer top, trim hairline on back of neck. One $80 trimmer has now done like a hundred haircuts. It's so easy he can do his own if I'm not around. Seems ridiculous to spend $40+ on a single haircut if you only have a simple style. Female cuts - yeah you probably want a professional - but if you have a very simple style (long hair just needing a trim) just go to Just Cuts and spend $20…

        • Shiny Mew on 21/03/2018 - 20:47

          I'm necessarily pretty fussy with my hair given that I have a double crown and need someone who knows exactly what they're doing to make my face appear taller and more square (ie more masculine) whilst also taking attention away from my receding hairline. The cheapest person I've found who can regularly pull that off charges $35. My friend gets a similar cut but, luckily for him, has a chiselled jaw, no hair loss whatsoever and a simpler hair growth pattern.

      • Ryanek on 22/03/2018 - 10:31

        My sister pays $250 dollars for a trim and dry. She loco ese.

    • RacardaOZ16 on 22/03/2018 - 10:16

      Have you tried the 'home brand' TP while having a diarrhoea??? Trust me, you wont want to have sand paper style of TP near you when that happens!

  • Godric on 21/03/2018 - 14:58
    +2

    jaffle makers - spend more

  • PVA on 21/03/2018 - 15:05

    Depends on the item.

    Fashion changes so you don't want to wear the same shirt and suit for ten years do you. Same with shoes, the same look for ten years is not great.

  • Sage on 21/03/2018 - 15:19

    Just get everything the cheapest possible. Most things don't break.

  • Kenb0 on 21/03/2018 - 15:20
    +4

    Seems like a good time for a relevant quote:

    The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
    Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

    But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

    This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
    Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms

  • Smigit on 21/03/2018 - 15:21

    Depends on the product. And how much you care. It’s not just a longevity thing too, the more expensive item may provide a better experience over the life of the product even if it’s not strictly cost neutral in terms of lifespan.

    On the issue of shoes but I have very small feet so my options are pretty limited. At best I’m probably getting shoes for closer to $100 or so. RM Williams retail for $550ish but you can get them for low to mid $300’s on sale or at a factory outlet easily enough. For me that tips the equation into a 1/3 ratio vs the 1/10 in this example at which point the RM Williams aren’t too bad. In particular the $100 shoes I had been buying from multiple companies were generally lasting 10-12 months. I’m relatively confident in my case I’ll come out ahead with the RMs, and along the way I have a nicer pair of shoes as well.

    In the end the RMs aren’t cheap, but they’re worth it for me. It also saves me time having to shop for shoes annually.

  • altomic on 21/03/2018 - 15:23

    I wear $3.50 kmart canvas black sneakers.

    my current pair have been going strong for over 1 year. I wear them every day.

    I did buy some innersoles for them during my trip to Japan in June last year (100yen shop)

    they are comfortable (with the innersoles), light weight and have lasted extremely well.

    I don't see the need in spending 20 times the price for something that does the same job.

  • RtN on 21/03/2018 - 15:35
    +1

    I generally buy higher quality things that I take care and can be used often (but try not to baby it too much). I feel like some girls spend lots on handbags and baby it so much it can't touch anything, feel like that takes away from the enjoyment of owning a product.

    There are a few ways you can make your shoes last a really long time, goodyear welted shoes can generally be re-soled.

    1. You shouldn't be wearing the same leather shoes everyday. They need to be rotated (1 day off is more than likely fine), I also put shoe trees after about 30-a few hours (depending on when I remember) minutes of letting them air off after taking them off.

    2. You need to change the heel rubbers before they hit the heel wood (or whatever it is made from) to make it last longer.

    3. Treat your leather with some conditioners every couple of months at least, and please for the love of god do not use kiwi wax all over the shoe, shoe tip is fine.

    Following the above steps all my Church's, Loakes, RM Williams are still going strong for 5 years+ without needing to be replaced. These are classic items though, leather shoes that are in a classic style. It won't be out of fashion for a long while if ever. I am pretty sure my toe-cap oxfords will never go out of style for a suit.

    I used to hoard cheaper sale items a lot but realised I seldom the use of those items, I still fall for it nowadays but less so.

    A few things that I purchase because of it's quality and have lasted ages are:

    • Church's Shoes
    • Loakes 1880 and shoemaker range
    • RM Williams
    • Braun (Oral B) Pro powered toothbrush (made in Germany) was only like $90 but going strong +6 years.
    • Wool suits, not dry cleaned too often.
    • Sheridan Towels/Socks etc not dried in the sun but in shade.
    • Shimano sealed fishing reels
    • Sennheiser HD600/HD25-1 II headphones

    Can't think of much else atm.

  • Seraphin7 on 21/03/2018 - 16:03
    +4

    As a general rule, I've found mid-range items to provide the best bang for buck.

    To use your business shoe example, I've found I get best value when I spend about $150 - $200 on a pair. I'm talking more or less full freight prices here, so I'm obviously on the look out for discounts.

    I've bought cheaper ones ($100 or less). These either fall apart or just degrade more quickly than others to the point where you just don't want to wear them any more.

    I've bought more expensive ones (anywhere up to about the $400 mark) and just haven't got the mileage out of them to justify the cost. I've even found some of these will give out quite quickly, even more rapidly than the $150 jobs.

    My lesson then is that if you are looking at value, anything that markets itself as a "premium" or "luxury" product probably isn't where you want to be. If you want "luxury" then by all means, but not if you want value. Equally, budget offerings are great as a stop gap, but usually have some shortcoming that shows itself pretty quickly.

    While not a perfect rule for all circumstances, I've found it's worked pretty well for me over the years.

  • mysterytal on 21/03/2018 - 16:13
    -4

    Spend less and buy more often. Yes I know it's not good for the environment but well…I don't care. My wallet needs looking after first and foremost. Of course the price matters but in the example given I would not spend $500 on a pair of shoes when a $50 pair will do but might not last as long. I'd rather own 2 pairs of cheaper shoes and alternate between the two.

    I own a cheaper brand of mobile phone one from Huawei. It's lasted quite well so far. Well worth savings hundreds over an iPhone or Samsung. It has almost the same specifications.

    Just looking around I own a lot of cheaper versions of things. Doesn't bother me at all.

  • pennypincher98 on 21/03/2018 - 17:24

    Depends on the product. Normally spend more and get a higher quality product. Exceptions to this are when 'quality' is ambiguous such as daily essentials (milk, flour etc)

    Most technology - if I'm buying long term: something that will do what I am asking and then slightly more just as future proofing. If I am using short term or only for a day, cheapest thing available without going to too much hassle.
    Phone & Headphones - spend more and get a higher quality product definitely. Probably the 2 areas of my life I overindulge in, but if the asking price is right, I'll buy regardless of what a cheaper product can do.

    Most impressed awards go to:
    a) iPad 3 from 2012. Battery has not deteriorated much in almost 6 years. It's stuck on iOS 9 and is now kind of unusable to run many apps but all the native ones still work well.
    b) Random earphones I got out a vending machine 12 months ago. Cost only $10 and the sound was actually quite good. Came also with a mic and control for play/pause etc. Also a 1 year warranty on them.
    c) Bunnings Umbrella. No explanation needed here :)

    Would I buy another of either of these? No, but it's nice to see they have good quality and longevity.

  • Shiny Mew on 21/03/2018 - 17:46

    High quality once. More sustainable and generally means local production and/or a living wage is being paid to the makers. It's a no brainer.

    • ozbjunkie on 27/03/2018 - 02:10

      Yes I like your justification. I hate wasting money, but I hate the idea of landfill almost as much, sometimes even more.

  • tonyjzx on 21/03/2018 - 18:22

    I evaluate on a case by case basis.

    I cant afford RM Williams but you're comparing really great boots with Kmart brand.

    Thing is some people like the designers brands for that 'intangible'.

    Put it this way, do you buy a $20k Corolla or a $80k BMW?

    If you can afford a BMW and the upkeep then I cannot recommend 4 x Corollas instead!

    Also it gets to the point that you can gamble on crap. eg. I have a slew of sneakers from Nike Air Force to $3.50 Kmart specials.

    If I'm stuffing around I just wear the Kmarts and I throw them out if they wear out. Who cares?

    It gets to the point I dont want to wear really nice stuff as I dont want to wear them out.

  • Ocker on 21/03/2018 - 19:09
    -1

    People always seem to forget that quality and comfort comes with a price. Sure, you can buy shoes at KMart from China for $20, but will they offer the comfort, support and longevity of a more expensive pair? No way.
    Yes, I buy Bally shoes for work at about $500 a pair, and suits from Zegna for about $3,000 or so.
    Why - because I can.
    Clothes maketh the man.

    • tonyjzx on 21/03/2018 - 20:59

      to that I say: choose your weapon

      if I'm casual and largely sitting down at work at a PC, i can use my $3.50 kmart shoes

      if I'm about to go on construction site, I use my steel cap Olivers

      if I'm about to walk a fair bit I might use my Adidas or Nikes

      i'm not about trying to get one item to be everything

  • HeWhoKnows on 22/03/2018 - 08:55

    Depends on the item

  • Slippage on 22/03/2018 - 09:01

    Really depends on the item, I skimp out on certain things, so i can splurge on others.

    For example buy in house groceries (zero loyalty, cheapest I can get), so I can buy the 80" 4k HDR Bravia.

  • Oz8argain on 22/03/2018 - 10:03

    add an option for depends

  • petry on 22/03/2018 - 12:13
    -1

    Surveys crap

  • lostn on 22/03/2018 - 17:03

    depends.

    For earphones I buy cheap many times. They will eventually die no matter what quality they are. May as well throw away $3 Pistons every few months.

    If it was a bed or chair, it definitely needs to be comfortable. Can't compromise on posture or health.

    Clothes, I'm less picky about.

    Something you use a lot like shoes, I don't skimp on quality. Something I use occasionally, I want to spend as little as possible.

  • ozbjunkie on 27/03/2018 - 02:12

    Cheap out on tinned veges, socks, undies, basically disposables and consumables. oh, and my shitebox car.

    Expensive on shoes, matresses, chairs, things I use all day, everyday, all the time. Oh and whiskey.

    Bang for buck on most electronics, but I guess price utility curves differ individually based on income.

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