Cost vs Quality

In a recent post I discussed the process of getting the best deal possible when making large purchases.  When you are making an important purchase it is crucial not only to consider the cost of the item but also the quality.  Quality will oftentimes outweigh the element of cost when you are finalizing your decision.

While we were considering the purchase of a new mattress we knew that we could get a cheap one for a couple of hundred dollars, but we also knew that we wouldn’t be happy with our purchase if we decided to go that route.  The quality of the matress was more important to us than the price so we focused our attention on finding a product that would meet our needs rather than simply getting what was cheap.

Buying quality items, while initially may be more expensive, over the long haul there is a good possibility that you will actually save yourself money.  The better quality, the longer something will last and the more use you will get out of it.  One of the biggest factors for wanting to buy the Tempurpedic mattress was its warranty.  They have a 20 year warranty rather than the standard 10 years which most other mattresses come with.  While we ultimately decided to go with another product, the fact that it was offering a warranty which was twice as long as all of the other mattresses was an important thing to consider.

There are some things where quality doesn’t beat cost, and that is with kitchen supplies.  I love cooking, though I need much improvement.  I would love to have a set of copper pots and pans from Williams & Sonoma.  Every time I go into the store I have to visit that section and drool.  They are beautiful.  Then as I am turning them over in my hands I notice the price sticker and do my best to put it down before I drop it.  I’m sure that on some planet a frying pan is worth $239.95, but not in my world.

What it boils down to is value.  In the end, you get what you paid for.  Sometimes spending a bit more on an item is the wiser financial decision, and other times it isn’t.  That’s why researching your purchase is such an important thing to do.  You are able to make a sound decision based on facts.  You wouldn’t buy a car just because you liked the color…would you?  You wouldn’t, right?