YNAB You Need A Budget

[wnewswanger]

I work for a manufacturer of solid hardwood furniture with a lifetime guarantee, so I course I will say “Go for the quality.” I must say that I was never sorry when I went for quality, but have been frustrated many times with the short life of what I thought seemed like a good alternative to its more expensive counterpart.

My brother has some info on why to choose quality furniture over inexpensive or imported furniture on his website at http://www.alegacyfurniture.com. He also sells furniture that is crafted by my colleagues at http://www.keystonecollections.com.

I know what I would love to do if I was shopping for furniture, but I also know what YNAB is telling me about my budget!

[tiznogodz]

In the midst of a crisis, one goes for cheap to fulfill their immediate needs. Does one actually need anything? Not only for the time being but end-line of need? I have found out that I can do without for a lot cheaper than doing with? I am finding what I need to be contrary to what I want.

[Austen]

Me and my wife always prefer quality.Quality is most important thing in furniture.
When buying home furniture, here are some things you have to consider:
1. What kind of furniture would you need?

2. Buy pieces of home furniture that are functional.

3. Consider the material the desk will be made of.

4. Having a budget will help you avoid impulse purchases that could mean a long term financial commitment.

5. Choose a chair that is comfortable, adjustable, and easily rolls on all types of floor coverings including carpet.

[akip]

I think it really depends where you are in life and the type of person you are (and what your budget tells you you can afford of course!)

The past 10 years my husband and I have been fairly nomadic, moving every couple of years and "investing" in quality pieces was risky as we never knew if they would "fit" into our new place. (This drove his parents nuts as they ran a solid wood furniture store for years!) Now that we have found our "forever home" we are much more comfortable spending a few more dollars (or seeking out used but quality pieces).

Perhaps the other side of it is age...in my 20's I didn't really know what style I really liked, and preferred to change things up fairly often (Ikea is good for this-less guilt making things "go away".) Now that we have settled in, and have developed a bit more of what I would call "our style" I can source out pieces with some confidence that I will enjoy them for years to come.

We recently purchased new couches and I really wanted to get really good quality ones, however we have an almost 2 year old with another on the way and a good girlfriend warned me that after two rounds of potty training, I may never want those couches in my home again! (Oh the things I never would have thought of!) We ended up deciding to go with the "knock-offs" of the couches we really wanted, and go for the sturdier better quality ones a few years down the line (when I am back at work too...)

The only piece of "furniture" that we never skimp on is a good quality mattress. If you can't get good sleep, it is difficult to succeed at anything else!

Alison

[HouseFenster]

One of the biggest things to consider in my opinion is will you still like the furniture in 5 years? If you are middle-aged and know what your style is and will be for the rest of your life I would recommend the top notch furniture. It will last the rest of your life and look nicer and you don't have to be as careful with it. Also, you don't know if you will be able to replace your furniture when it needs to be done. On the other hand, if you like to redecorate, repaint, move, or just look at something new then you should get the cheaper stuff. Speaking from experience, the cheap furniture will not last as long as you want it to. I have leaned wrong on the arm of a friend’s cheap sofa and it broke. I know that I have leaned on and abused my more expensive sofa much worse and you would never know. It is still as sturdy as a rock.

I hope this helps,
HouseFenster

[SteveInOhio]

My girlfriend and I go toe-to-toe on this one regularly. Well, that's being overly dramatic; it's mostly laughter and eye-rolling as we disagree for the umpty-umpth time...

I'm for quality, she's for lowest price possible for something still functional. She swears by Ikea while I swear AT Ikea.

I stick to my guns with things that get heavy use. Kitchen table, chairs, sofa, bed, etc. are where I make my stand for quality. I'll let it slide for things that are primarily there to be looked at, like an entertainment center since as long as it doesn't collapse, it works. We're both very budget conscious, so most of the time I think we end up buying middle of the road stuff when it's on sale.

We're young and just building our first arsenal of furniture, so we'll see how it goes once the second round of buying happens and we're replacing our first stuff with what I'm hoping will be the best stuff.

[sweetbasil]

I'm surprised no one mentioned my preference - Cheap AND Sturdy. It will take more time, but if you really search you can buy high-end furniture for the same price (or less) as the semi-disposable stuff.

All of our furniture is excellent quality, and it was nearly all bought through Craigslist or Ebay. Our dining table and chairs is by Hickory White. I paid about 25% of retail - it was a floor model and in perfect condition. Buying directly from North Carolina (another good option) would have cost about 50% of retail. We got our gorgeous leather, 8-way hand tied sofas via Craigslist for the price of cheap Ikea sofas.

Quality is always cheaper in the long run, unless you want to change your style frequently. I find that quality, classic pieces really never go out of style, and will survive wear and tear much more gracefully than lesser quality items. Since I have kids, that's a huge plus.

[litterbug]

I'm surprised no one mentioned my preference - Cheap AND Sturdy. It will take more time, but if you really search you can buy high-end furniture for the same price as the semi-disposable stuff.

I've been a nomad too, and it wasn't until I moved into my new place two months ago that I started nesting for the first time ever. Somehow living in an actual neighborhood with grown-up neighbors instead of university grad students on a busy semi-suburban intersection has made me realize that this is it--I'm not a kid anymore, not on a bivouac, and flat-packed or old battered stuff is just depressing now that I want to be comfortable and make my apartment into a peaceful place I can be happy to come home to. That means furniture that's attractive, functional, and durable.

Since then, I've discovered (at age 52!) that what I love is mid-century modern with a little Danish modern thrown in, along with some old retro pieces. I now own a cleverly-made extendable mid-70's teak dining table for $180, mismatching mid-century dining chairs ($30 each), and two extremely cool 1980's teak side-tables/living room storage tables at $100 for the pair. These all solid, well-made pieces, with glowing wood grain and graceful lines, and were purchased through a local TV station's popular classified ads site. Sure, they're used and some came with a few scratches and dings, but they've transformed one of my two living areas into something civilized that I want to spend time in and given me inspiration for the other.

Now if I could just detach myself from the Danish modern sofa with a teak frame and deteriorating leather cushions that I can't afford to reupholster, which is way too big for my space or lifestyle, sell it for the $100 I paid for it 15 years ago, and replace it with a good leather loveseat that would actually be useful...

[Squished]

What about estate auctions? Not estate sales, like garage sales, but real live auctions. My fiance and I attend them regularly and you can get all sorts of stuff for pennies on the dollar, literally. Especially furniture since most of the people that attend them are there for the knick knacks and not the furniture you can get steals on the furniture. (i.e. $100 for a $1000+ piece). Additionally, my fiance and I find them entertaining so we attend them for fun, even if we don't end up buying anything. Last one we went to she got some very large Reed & Barton crystal bowls for $12 each that were brand new in the box, never used. Retail was over $100 each.

[blackdiamond]

The question of quality is often a topic that divides married couples. I don't come from a wealthy family and neither does my wife, but our families had very different ways of handling things. My wife's family purchase a lot more less quality things while my family had fewer better quality things.

When we purchased new couches we got some very good quality items that should last a very long time. Our bedroom set is from IKEA so it shouldn't fall apart immediately, but isn't built for a lifetime. You have to find a balance.

In your case, I would suggest that having a cheap bedroom set is better than none at all, right?

This weekend we purchased my wife a really expensive coat that just might be the most expensive piece of clothing that she's ever owned. I think it's finally exactly what she wants rather than what will work for a good price. I've found that purchasing multiple items at a discounted prices really isn't an advantage in the long term because you'll end up making multiple purposes and not really ever have what you want.

Obviously, you can never spend beyond your means or your savings...

[dtherio]

Or you could do what I am planning on doing - build your own

While I have never built anything large, I grew up working on race cars, passenger cars and doing a lot of little projects with my father's table and circular saws. I have done a lot of remodeling in my house over the years and have good quality table and miter saws.

Hopefully later this year I will be able to replace the carpet in my bedroom and then will start on my goal of building my own bedroom suite - if it turns out like I want it to, the next project will be to start working on living room pieces.

Never underestimate your own abilities. The pride and pleasure you will get out of the labor of your own hands is wonderful.

Dale

[hdsportyguy]

I say why not have both. I look for deals at consignment stores and garage sales (other than for a bed) and a lot of the time I can find a great deal. I've bought a wardrobe that way and got a great deal. In the past I've found some dressers that way as well. I paid next to nothing and got a solid piece. Also craigslist. Let someone else buy the name brand for a grand and use it, then buy it for 50-100. I am also a fan of auctions and estate sales for the same reason. Great quality and often a very low price!

[neatdesign]

Remember that "affordable" is a relative term. So when someone says, "You should get the best you can afford" in some cases that might still result in something of poor quality.

For example, when my husband and I were starting out, we didn't have a lot of money. We bought a sofa for about $600 -- which, for us, was the "best we could afford" at the time. We were optimistic because it was bought brand new and, in our minds, was "expensive" because for us it was a real stretch.

But within a year the thing was falling apart. The seats began to sag so severely that eventually we got backaches from sitting on it. The seams split in a couple of places, and the material was some kind of polyester blend that just radiated heat, causing us to sweat and making it even more uncomfortable!

In my opinion, you're better off researching your options based on quality first, then price. Eventually you'll find something good within your price range, or at least something that you could save up for. I'm also a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" -- which doesn't mean the best = most expensive, but it usually costs more for a reason.

And if something is of high quality, it will (usually) still be of high quality even if you purchase it second-hand. Not so with poorly-made furniture.