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Old 11-19-2018, 09:47 AM   #41
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Case by case. Furniture and cabinets are not the same as electronics. With electronics, I no longer rely on longevity. Last fall I bought on sale a 65" Proscan 4K TV for $700 rather than one of several other models that were $1500 - $3000.

If it fails in 5 or 6 years I'm only out $700 rather than $3000...and the difference in features and picture quality is negligible. Even if it still works in 7 years I'll probably give it away and buy as new one that's bigger or has some features I want.
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Old 11-19-2018, 09:57 AM   #42
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Nice. However I never would have never owned a 2003 Taurus or particleboard cabinets in the first place. Buy quality and keep it forever. I should have qualified this in my post.
Thanks.
Also, the street sweeper does not do that good of a job. And I value the exercise.
The old-timers in Milwaukee used to sweep up the alleys behind the house. I recall the former mayor, John Norquist, nabbing a fleeing burglar or other miscreant while he was out tidying up his alley.

Norq stood about 6-foot-6 ... people used to mistake him for NBA star Jack Sikma when Sikma was playing for the Bucks. The county exec at the time weighed about 400 pounds. "Milwaukee," the joke went, "home of big-and-tall government."
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Old 11-19-2018, 10:54 AM   #43
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Case by case. Furniture and cabinets are not the same as electronics. With electronics, I no longer rely on longevity. Last fall I bought on sale a 65" Proscan 4K TV for $700 rather than one of several other models that were $1500 - $3000.

If it fails in 5 or 6 years I'm only out $700 rather than $3000...and the difference in features and picture quality is negligible. Even if it still works in 7 years I'll probably give it away and buy as new one that's bigger or has some features I want.
About 5 yrs ago I bought a 55" plasma for $600 (they are supposed to be bad after 5 years).

Now I'm itching to replace it with a 75" 4K, but delaying as I have no use for what would become the old one...
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Old 11-19-2018, 11:07 AM   #44
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I get my miles out of furniture. The sofa gets replaced when holes appear not before.


Ammm how does your wife feel about the holes in your furniture? I’m sure she’s really appreciative of her new kitchen.

I like quality things especially leather furniture and very well made wooden furniture. I have a very small house and I don’t require many pieces of furniture. The furniture that I have now, I hope will last for many many years. I do have a slight problem with pride.
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Old 11-19-2018, 11:14 AM   #45
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I own a home so I can live in it. I use things. I dont tip toe around my house. Things wear out. Ive always taken care of things but I also use those things.

Like others said...sometimes people do not have the pocket to purchase expensive items right off the bat and keep them for life. Thats not a bad thing. If you can take care of something that is less quality...you can take care of something that is really good quality. nuff said
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Old 11-19-2018, 12:58 PM   #46
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Like others said...sometimes people do not have the pocket to purchase expensive items right off the bat and keep them for life.
Another factor may be kids and pets. My friend put down 0.99¢ laminate flooring in his house when his kids were 2 and 4. 15 years later he put down $8 hardwood.
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Old 11-19-2018, 01:52 PM   #47
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Case by case. Furniture and cabinets are not the same as electronics. With electronics, I no longer rely on longevity. Last fall I bought on sale a 65" Proscan 4K TV for $700 rather than one of several other models that were $1500 - $3000.

If it fails in 5 or 6 years I'm only out $700 rather than $3000...and the difference in features and picture quality is negligible. Even if it still works in 7 years I'll probably give it away and buy as new one that's bigger or has some features I want.

I don't bother with "nice" electronics and home appliances either. Just buy the cheapest stuff that suits the job. Hope to get 10 years out, but if I only get 5 years, then at least it was cheap. The replacement, when needed, will be nicer and often cheaper, with nearly the latest tech.

As for cars, we we've bought hondas and toyotas for decades. Not super cheap, but we drive them forever.
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Old 11-19-2018, 01:59 PM   #48
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About 5 yrs ago I bought a 55" plasma for $600 (they are supposed to be bad after 5 years).

Now I'm itching to replace it with a 75" 4K, but delaying as I have no use for what would become the old one...
Yes, it can work against you. About 10-12 years ago I bought a 47" Vizio for our home... at the time it was highly rated by Consumer Reports. Obviously, tvs have changed a lot over the last 10 years. At our winter home we have a nice two year old 65" LG that we really like... but that damn 47" Vizio at home just won't die... picture is as good as the day we bought it.
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Old 11-19-2018, 02:09 PM   #49
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And I rarely replace anything that’s still working, no matter how out is date it might be.
DW has a perfectly good iPad that is now about 5 years old. Still works but it can no longer be updated with newer versions of our apps because the OS is too old, and we cannot update the OS because the hardware is too old. Forced obsolescence. Grrrr.

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Old 11-19-2018, 02:48 PM   #50
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^^^^ You would think that they would be smart enough to design the hardware to fail about the same time that the OS can no longer be updated so their forced obsolescence would be less noticeable.
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Old 11-19-2018, 06:17 PM   #51
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For electronics we don’t buy the most expensive as they don’t last anyways. Our furniture is all solid wood. I still have my antique dining room table and chairs that I bought 35 years ago. For stuffed furniture we buy medium quality. After 10 years I am sick of my couch even if it still looks okay. Our cars are 2008 and 10 with 50k/miles and 85k. Will have those for a long time .
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Old 11-19-2018, 06:20 PM   #52
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I paid big bucks for my LG OLED screen and it rocks!
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Old 11-27-2018, 05:02 PM   #53
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This group is a pretty conservative bunch in my estimation. Never the less I would like an opinion regarding owning "things" and minimal waste in our lives. For example when putting away our lawn furniture my DS exclaimed that we should get the record for lawn stuff lasting over 25 years. Likewise our inside furniture, kitchen (all white which I guess is back in fashion) other than a new faucet and 50 knobs is over 25 years old. DW's Lexus is 14 years old and spotless. We clean the street and gutters in front of out house. Old time German approach to belongings and an attitude of preservation.
I feel that this basic attitude contributes greatly to success, rather than discussions about AA, SWR and when to take SS. Thoughts?

Very funny because about 3 years ago we got rid of our still in great condition 41 year old Redwood outdoor furniture we received for my bridal shower! And- ready? We replaced it with NOTHING! Because we rarely entertain or sit on our deck and if we want to we take out our 2 camping chairs! LOL!
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Old 11-27-2018, 06:05 PM   #54
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1) I buy a lot of books and CDs (sometimes downloads though).

2) Bought a new Silverado Z-71 last October for the hikes using gnarly roads. I'm hoping it lasts 10-15 years (I only put 11000 miles on it this year, mostly long trips to Seattle/Cali). We'll see. Inspired by Robbie Blow the Dough thread.


3) I spent a lot on speakers which I've had 12 years and 10 years (in the man cave; these are Jamo bi-amped towers--side bi-amped woofers--with a matching middle speaker but I got them on clearance for....... 299$--the surrounds went to my youngest DS). The former electrostatics replaced my beloved JBL-100Ts (35 years old), which I gave to my son the winemaker after reconing--but they looked rough. I buy the other components as high as I can but on sale (high end Sony and Yamaha reciever). I'm still using my Stanton turntable (15 years), but am likely to replace it next year, finally. The replacement stylus pops. I have two pairs of >300$ headphones, one Sennheiser 590s that I've had 20 years, but replaced the cables twice. I might buy an electrostatic from Massdrop however; it's been a dream for 45 years.


Otherwise, I'm pretty much a value purchaser (cost/quality tradeoff).

I'm using my son's 60" LCD TV in the mancave here; it wasn't compatible with his receiver's HDMI (but it works fine for me and my Yamaha receiver down here). The Panasonic plasma TV upstairs (used by DW) is almost 15 years old, but I'm holding my breath for OLED big screens to go down below 2k or 1.5k; then a new one will go up on the wall.
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Old 11-27-2018, 06:33 PM   #55
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I paid big bucks for my LG OLED screen and it rocks!
The 65" at Costco? DH and I have been ogling it, but haven't pulled the trigger because we have 3 good, large, flat screens . Maybe next Christmas (we're giving ourselves the XS Max this year).
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Old 11-27-2018, 10:26 PM   #56
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^^^ yeah... why can't those older flat screens just die so we can justify getting the latest and greatest... I have one that just won't die.
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Old 11-28-2018, 04:33 AM   #57
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^^^ yeah... why can't those older flat screens just die so we can justify getting the latest and greatest... I have one that just won't die.
I'm in the same predicament. I'm justifying buying the latest and greatest with the fact that I may die before the old one does and if that happened I would really regret waiting.
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Old 11-28-2018, 04:53 AM   #58
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My problem with a new screen is most of the cable content is HD and my current screen handles that fine. Also, new TVs seem to have really cut back on speakers, expecting people to add a sound bar or home theater setup.
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Old 11-28-2018, 05:19 AM   #59
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My problem with a new screen is most of the cable content is HD and my current screen handles that fine. Also, new TVs seem to have really cut back on speakers, expecting people to add a sound bar or home theater setup.
I can't believe you'd let those insignificant details get in the way of buying a new TV with a screen so large you have to step into the next room and watch it through the doorway.
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Old 11-28-2018, 05:39 AM   #60
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A little different "take" on the subject that involves a look to the future.

We bought our "villa" in 2004, just a few years old. At the time, we bought all new furniture. In the past 14 years, we haven't had to replace anything of consequence.

We no longer entertain at home, as our social life usually centers on our Liberty Village CCRC "campus", so the decor becomes what we're comfortable with, and not to follow trends. Wear and tear is minimal.

The plan is to keep expenses low, and when the time comes for us to move into some part of our community... apartments, assisted living etc., we'll have the interior redone and updated... paint, carpeting (that's important for senior housing) and anything that shows wear. Experience shows that resale prices in the community are much higher for homes that don't need work. At this point, we look at the home value as part of our long term planning. Our cars, 96 Cadillac and 98 Town Car, look great, run great, and at a total of 3,000 mi./yr... and should last forever.

We won't do anything to update our Woodhaven lakefront getaway, as it will sell as-is for much more than we paid for it in 1989.

I guess the takeaway from all of this, is that we're happy with what we have today, and aren't too concerned about keeping up with the neighborhood. Just a continuation of our frugal lifestyle. It's peace of mind, knowing that we're good for the long term... safely calculated through our early 90's. Just imagine... by then, it will mean 40 years of retirement.
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