The bitterness of poor quality
A reader sent this to me the other day (Thanks, Emily!), and I love it passionately. So, of course I wanted to share it with you. Isn't it so perfect??
That's exactly why when I buy something, I try to ask myself, "Will this be useful and treasured for years to come?"
Shopping that way is better for the environment, better for the people producing the goods, better for my wallet (in the long run) and truly, better for my quality of life. Life with well-made, non-disposable items is just more lovely.
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Joshua's 365 post: Silhouette
I've seen this quote around on facebook and I love it too. I used to struggle to spend money on anything, always going for the cheapest version, but over time I've realised that it is better to invest in a good quality product that will last a long time. I'm still learning though!
I´m like that too. For instance, I used to buy cheap shoes, that always used to get worn out in a short timeframe, which in the long run cost me a lot of money, always having to buy new shoes. So I decided to quit buying bad quality, cheapass shoes, and go for good quality, even if they were more expensive. that was 2 years ago, and now I have fewer pairs of shoes, they`re good quality, and they all look like new even if they`re well used.
Thank you for the quote and the comment. It brings me back to a time over 7 years ago when I had to purchase all new furniture and household items. I looked for furniture that had a story, a life before and was solid wood. The new items I did buy were from Pier 1 and a sturdy bookcase from IKEA. All, I hope to have for many years to come.
Isn't that the truth! We refuse to buy anything from one manufacturer because of a poor experience with 2 dishwashers from that same manufacturer. We learned our lesson on that purchase, to always read reviews.
For us, it wasn't just the expense, but the not knowing if there would another problem at any moment, kept me on edge each time I started the dishwasher up. Oh, the regrets! Regrets are expensive!
Two big challenges to this are that
1: it can be very dificult to discern what is "quality" these days, and price is just as confusing as a less expensive item can be as good as or better than a more expensive one.
2: in my experience often "quality" items rarely last significantly longer than the "cheap" version to justify the difference in cost, if there is one.
Example: I walk through shoes FAST, seriously, they are trashed in less than a year, just from me wearing them. Well made shoes might last 3 to 6 months longer than the cheap pair, but they cost 3 times as much and often can't be repaired anyways.
Repairs are difficult, even well made items nowadays are not designed to be repaired, only replaced. My KitchenAid food processor is 12 yrs old, I love it and use it almost every day. The base/motor is fine, but the chopping bowl is getting cracks in it and needs to be replaced. But the model styles have changed and the new bowls don't fit the old model anymore. So I may still have to buy a new machine even though I only need one part!
Rebecca, I'd suggest contacting KA to see if they still have parts available or if they know of a company that might. If not, you could try finding a used bowl: freecycle, craigslist, ebay. Or, if you have to, buying a used duplicate model and just using the bowl.
OMGosh I couldn't agree more! When replacing a power tool recently a well-meaning family member was trying to get us to purchase a very low-quality item instead. When I countered that if we purchased that item it wouldn't last, the response was "yes, but they're so cheap that you can just buy another one 2-3 times by the time you equal the price of the higher quality one". Not only do I hate having unreliable cheaply-made items, but the environmental impact of such a mindset is such a negative.
~Taylor-Made Ranch~
Wolfe City, Texas
In the non-consumer advocate reading group, this month's book is Overdressed, The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. This picture works right into it--not only of fashion but household products, etc. I have my pans since I was married (almost 42 yrs ago). They were expensive at the time but I have not had to replace them.
LOVE this too! I'll have to write that quote down! I absolutely LOVE your post on the subject as well. Thanks for the reminder. I purchased the bundle and am loving going through all of the e-books. :)!
It really is getting harder to find quality goods. I bought a lawn mower and a string timmer from a manufacturer that used to be the BEST. Now, they've both failed and can't be repaired. I went online and found so many complaints about the same products/maker. Their products are made cheaply overseas and don't last at all.
My new lawn mower was made in America and it's performing like a champ! It wasn't really all that much more expensive than the usual junk that I see everywhere. I should send them a nice email...
Thank you, Elaine, on behalf of someone whose dad and brother work here in the USA manufacturing lawnmowers and snowblowers!
We have a friend who has a product sold in Walmart stores. This is what Walmart does - They agree to sell the product at a set price, so companies will hire new workers and buy more machinery to keep up with Walmart's demands. Then, a year or two later, Walmart comes back and says if you want to sell here, you have to lower your price, which causes the company to cut some corners. Because they've hired all these people and bought new equipment and buildings, not selling in Walmart stores would bankrupt them. Then Walmart comes back again a year later and demands they lower the price again, so then they start looking outside the US for cheaper labor, etc. Walmart makes this big deal about selling things made in the US, but they're the reason most companies have to leave the US. I remember reading an article about...I think it was Snapper lawn mowers, where the owner of the company refused to meet Walmart's demands, because it would me poor quality, and his mowers are no longer sold in their stores. I wish more companies would take a stand like that. If they did, it would force stores, like Walmart, to have to change their practices. It makes me so sad they money has become the main God in the world.
In addition to the benefits already mentioned (long lasting, better deal over the lifetime of the product, better for the environment), there's a moral aspect as well: mortal hazard.
Cheaply made goods are almost always produced in dangerous conditions, because the manufacturer needs to cut costs beyond the limit. H&M sweaters are typically made in unsafe sweatshops, Dale of Norway sweaters in well regulated and safe ones. (I've seen reports of the former, and seen the factories of the latter.) This is one of the reasons I won't shop at Walmart - their pressure for low prices puts workers in danger, sometimes of their lives.
ITA that cheap clothing is often made in sweatshops, but more expensive clothing often is as well. A case in point - the building in Bangladesh that collapsed last week housed sweatshops making clothes for the Children's Place and Benetton, among others. It is so frustrating trying to find well and ethically made clothing.
Yep-so true. More expensive doesn't always equal care for workers.
Kristen - You need to watch the documentary Vegucated.
Ooh, is it on Netflix?
Yes! It really opened my eyes!
It is really hard to find well made items. We recently redid our bathroom and the first time we used the tub faucet it sprayed water everywhere... we talked to our contractor - I guess all faucets are now plastic sprayed to look like metal, not real metal parts. So even though we would have spent the money, it is hard to find quality goods. You go to stores (even nice stores) and so much stuff is cheaply made! Even Land's End clothes don't hold up like they used to - I bought pants there and seams were tearing putting them on - I checked the reviews and it was a common complaint. It is so hard to find nice ANYTHING nowadays.
But how do you know that things will last for years to come? We have an expensive washer and dryer. At 12 years, they are dying. We got Calphalon bakeware for wedding gift and all of that is getting chipped etc. I don't think the cost of an item is always related to how long it lasts.
That's a really good question that deserves a longer answer. So, I think I'll devote a post to it. 🙂
Appliances are not made to last very long. They are engineered to fail (planned obsolescence). 12 years for a washer & dryer isn't bad at all! I have a 6 year old front load washer (last time EVER) that I've had to replace the door latch on twice. Now the front of the door nearest the hinge is cracking. Yup, it's plastic.
My mother's electric wringer washing machine lasted all during my childhood, then went to my sister-in-law, then to my niece. That thing chugged away for 40 years.
It's not that they *don't* make them like they used to, it's that they *won't* make them like they used to. Grrrr.
I love this! Over the years I've noticed that when I buy something because it's a "deal" versus because I need it or know I will treasure it, I almost always end up sending it to goodwill or giving it away. It's much more satisfying to buy items of quality that last.