Pay Too Much for everything

#1

Post by tchalla » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 7:36 AM UTC

Pay Too Much for everything
allentucker.com

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#2

Post by shellox » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 8:42 AM UTC

Have you ever considered that not everybody can afford to pay "too much"? A lot of people have an income, which is enough to live, but they can't afford anything special.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#3

Post by mathgladiator » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 8:57 AM UTC

I've found this to be very true in many ways when buying 'quality'. Buy 'quality' and not 'crap', and you will always be happier and the OP's statements are all true.

I think price is a poor estimator for quality since marketers know that price alone can signal quality, so it stands we need something beyond price.

How do we determine if something is quality when price is unreliable.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#4

Post by heretohelp » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:06 AM UTC

mathgladiator wrote: post #3

I've found this to be very true in many ways when buying 'quality'. Buy 'quality' and not 'crap', and you will always be happier and the OP's statements are all true. I think price is a poor estimator for quality since marketers know that price alone can signal quality, so it stands we need something beyond price. How do we determine if something is quality when price is unreliable.

Taste and data.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#5

Post by saturn » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:07 AM UTC

> My favorite pair of jeans gets worn 10 times more often than my other jeans. If I did away with the other jeans, I could afford to buy more of those things I really love.

This took me embarrassingly long to realise. Instead of buying clothes because they were pretty nice and on sale, buy only what you absolutely love, and pay full price. Instead of having "favourite underwear", get rid of everything that's not your favourite and make sure you only own favourites.

Yeah, it costs more at first. But over time you build up a wardrobe of high quality clothes you love. Quality over quantity, indeed.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#6

Post by fsniper » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:10 AM UTC

But there is a "new - well not very new exactly -" economical trend to build products that have an end of life carved on them. So buying expensive stuff does not mean having long lasting products anymore. It was an old time story.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#7

Post by wanderr » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:16 AM UTC

On the other hand, I've noticed, and others have observed as well, that generally more expensive items are more likely to have poor reviews on Amazon, for example. The most likely explanation is that higher prices lead to higher expectations, which are often hard to meet.

Another point I'd like to make is that cheap stuff can be totally awesome, especially if you don't need or want it to last a lifetime. Example: IKEA. My girlfriend changed her mind about the furniture she wanted in her apartment several times over the few years she was there, and was able to update the look to be exactly what she wanted for very little money. Compare that to the armoire I payed an ass load of money for that will surely last a lifetime, but doesn't really fit anywhere in my current home.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#8

Post by nmridul » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:17 AM UTC

mathgladiator wrote: post #3

I've found this to be very true in many ways when buying 'quality'. Buy 'quality' and not 'crap', and you will always be happier and the OP's statements are all true. I think price is a poor estimator for quality since marketers know that price alone can signal quality, so it stands we need something beyond price. How do we determine if something is quality when price is unreliable.

Sometimes the brand is an indicator of quality. At times, even in the same brand the quality varies across the make/model. Ask around and that is the only way.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#9

Post by terhechte » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:22 AM UTC

The russians have a saying for this: "I'm too poor to buy cheap". Really says everything about it.

Re: Pay Too Much for everything

#10

Post by treerock » Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 9:33 AM UTC

mathgladiator wrote: post #3

I've found this to be very true in many ways when buying 'quality'. Buy 'quality' and not 'crap', and you will always be happier and the OP's statements are all true. I think price is a poor estimator for quality since marketers know that price alone can signal quality, so it stands we need something beyond price. How do we determine if something is quality when price is unreliable.

Totally agree. I'll happily spend more if I know I'm getting something that is better quality. But figuring out whether those £150 hiking boots are any better than the £30 ones (to use a recent personal example) is very difficult. It generally takes experience. Lacking that I try to find advice from a trustworthy source. The internet has helped massively in that regard.