Are You the Queen of Cheap or Frugal?
Saturday, September 26th, 2009My name is Rachael Coe. I am a stay at home mom to an almost 2 year old little girl, Gracie, and a little boy, Gabriel, born July 25th of this year. My journey of saving money in every area when my husband was laid off for 9 months. It was a tough time that we do not regret in anyway. We learned to live frugally in order that I continue to stay at home. My husband is now the Assistant Pastor in our local church and living frugally is still something that we must practice.
My husband calls me “Queen of Cheap”, I like to think of myself as frugal. He says I am a crazy woman when a good deal comes along, I like to think that I am a perfectly sane woman just taking advantage of a price too good to resist.
In my quest to find the greatest deals and to save my family money on everything we buy, I have learned an important truth – sometimes what looks like a “good deal” isn’t always a good deal. I’m not talking about the many scams that are out there or the products that you buy that you shouldn’t accept if they were free instead what I am talking about is the concept of you get what you pay for.
I have learned that I can save money in my groceries and little everyday items but when it comes to bigger items and clothing, I get what I pay for. Not all things are made alike especially items that you will use every day. I have learned to look for quality over price on the items that I want to last a long time. For instance, when buying nursing wear, I want something that will last through all kinds of stains, hold up to my baby’s tugging on the material while I nurse, and be comfortable for all the time wear. The cheaper the fabric on a piece of clothing the less likely it will last through these times.
I have learned many things by purchasing items based on price rather than quality:
1) Item was hard to use so I stopped using it.
2) It stained, fell apart or broke quickly so I had to replace it.
3) Did not fulfill its purpose very well.
4) Disliked the look and quality quickly.
All of the things showed me that rather than saving money, I had wasted money. I quickly learned to use a series of questions when determining whether to buy quality over price.
1) How long do I want it to last? If it is a baby item, do I want it to last through more than one child?
2) Will I use it every day?
3) Is it a practical item and will it make my life easier if I go with better quality?
4) If this item breaks, will I be apt to replace it?
If I want the item to last a while and answer yes to any of the other questions, then I begin reading reviews and talking on forums and communities what others have to say about that product. I head to online stores that carry good quality brands like Due Maternity, and begin to look around. I look for quality, durability, appearance, and price. Once I have determined the product that I want, I often wait for a sale or look for a coupon code. If I can, I combine the coupon code with a sale for the best deal.
At Due Maternity you can be sure that brands like Mayreau Mia Maternity are priced reasonably and also that the quality is worth it! Stylish and affordable are staples of a true frugalista.
Next time, you go to purchase an item that you would like to last a long time – reevaluate the product you are about to buy. Are being the Queen of Cheap or are you being frugal?
