To Buy or Not to Buy

[Enuff2Eat]

Amen

how frugal is too frugal it makes my heart break to cough up a couple grand for the new looks... yes, i do believe i am paying for a new look, more or less. It is like someone paying $18,000.00 more for a BMW than a honda accord, just for the "looks"..

well, anyway i like to get some "action" at nite every now and then, more important keeping the marriage alive and eventually broke down and BUY, just kind of dragging my feet.....

btw, anyone object to walmart flat screen tv

 

[ERD50]

check out the vizeo brand at costco

-ERD50

 

[Rambler]

We bought one about a year ago, because DW wanted it. Me? I could care less about TV. DW has been home in the States for the last three weeks, and I'm here in Asia working...haven't turned it on once since she left. This board is much more interesting. If you are asking "what Rambler would do", I would say don't buy it...unless keeping marital accord is more important to you than a couple thousand bucks (our Aquos was nearly 4 grand at the time). Do I enjoy it? Yes, I enjoy it when DW turns it on, but I would have enjoyed other things (like 4k in the portfolio) more, but I do value my marraige and my DW.

Good luck deciding this one...

R

 

[Kronk]

So you don't want it but your wife does. Does she have a birthday coming up any time soon?

Actually, is this an isolated incident, or is this a particular example of her wanting to keep up with the proverbial Joneses? I'd be more likely to capitulate on a one-time thing, but if there's a deeper issue going on here, well, that might need to be ironed out. And now might not be a bad time for that.

 

[Dave J]

I'm still using my $300 TV bought at Wal-Mart over 10 years ago...
and will only buy a new one when it stops working.

This type of frugal lifestyle is one of the reasons I was able to retire
at age 55.


~

I live a frugal lifestyle, retired at 48(now 55) and still managed to buy a 42in flat screen 2 years ago when I had a perfectly good TV,which I passed down to the kids.I feel you have to live a little,even while being frugal.

I do not want to turn into my 79 year old neighbor. He can not spend anything on himself or his wife, even having close to 1 million in assets.I went to help him with his VCR because they just upgraded 2 months ago to basic cable from rabbit ears at his wife's insistence(she wants fox news).The VCR was given to him 20 plus years ago and only gets 2-13 and they tried to record channel 21.I told him he would need to get a new one with a tuner that goes higher.
He will not spend the 100 bucks or less.
Sad thing is his health issues lean towards colon cancer, and he still will not spend anything. His kids,who he complains about spending too much, will enjoy his money when he is gone.

 

[CitricAcid]

So you don't want it but your wife does. Does she have a birthday coming up any time soon?

Actually, is this an isolated incident, or is this a particular example of her wanting to keep up with the proverbial Joneses? I'd be more likely to capitulate on a one-time thing, but if there's a deeper issue going on here, well, that might need to be ironed out. And now might not be a bad time for that.

My thoughts exactly... if it seems like this is just another step in upgrading and buying new stuff, it may be a chance to stick your sword in the sand. If it is a one-time deal, however, it is perfectly fine if it makes both of you happy, just don't make it a common occurence or you may start pushing your ER back one year at a time

 

[Marquette]

My thoughts exactly... if it seems like this is just another step in upgrading and buying new stuff, it may be a chance to stick your sword in the sand.

But if the money argument gets too severe, she won't be letting you stick your sword anywhere for a while.

 

[CitricAcid]

But if the money argument gets too severe, she won't be letting you stick your sword anywhere for a while.

There are tradeoffs, hmmmm... you could use some of the money you saved and go down to the Red Light District

 

[Dave J]

There are tradeoffs, hmmmm... you could use some of the money you saved and go down to the Red Light District

Hmm, big screen or when you get caught, big scream!!!

 

[Jessica08]

Can i repeat my question one more time

to Buy or not to Buy.

How many members here already dumped their old TV for a flat screen, just because u want to??

I will admit, I like to upgrade to new gadgets, but only when I need to. I have had the same television for about ten years, and the only reason I may get an upgraded one is because a family member wants to upgrade theirs to a larger model.
So to answer, I would say buy... but can you wait until Black Friday when prices will be really low?

 

[Zantastic]

If you're not planning to upgrade to HD, I would save your money. As ProspectiveBum pointed out, Standard Definition will look noticeably worse on your flat panel than on your tube TV.

BUT, if you watch much TV and upgrade to HD service, OMG what a difference in viewing experience! I LOVE my 46" LCD with HD! It was expensive, but absolutely worth the $ I spent.

 

[Enuff2Eat]

who said existing in "Peace and Harmony" is FREE?? Are you guys saying to buy peace, it will cost me $2000-$3000 in this case This is the second time Peace have cost me money. The last time to make "peace" with the neighbor costed me a $4000 fence so we don't have to see them...

 

[FANOFJESUS]

We have an entertainment center in the living room with a big and bulky old style 32" TV Toshiba in it. DW says why don't we get rid of it and get the flat screen TV like everyone else, it's so "dirt" cheap.

My mentor said "don't fix anything that is NOT broken". In this case, nothing is broken but... obsolete and old. It's like upgrade your cell phone when there is nothing wrong with the old one.

The new cheap cabinet $300, a new TV 42" is another $1300, don't forget i might needs fancy cables, and other media storage for the dvd players, dvd movies and music, another $300...

to Buy or Not to Buy


Enuff

It would be helpful if we knew you total debt and income. Then we could make a better call.

 

[SLC Tortfeasor]

I bought a beautiful 50" plasma HDTV about a 1.5 years ago, but I have never actually watched TV on it. I just could not bring myself to pay for cable TV, and I knew I would just waste time channel surfing anyway. Instead, we rent DVDs (mostly through Netflix). It works out pretty well for us.

Unfortunately I must admit I do wish I had waited until now to buy. If I had bought the same TV today I could probably pay $1,000 - $1,500 less. Can you believe I paid about $2,400? And that was a bargain -- it was a display model. What can I say? I'm just not that frugal sometimes!

 

[Dave J]

I bought a beautiful 50" plasma HDTV about a 1.5 years ago, but I have never actually watched TV on it. I just could not bring myself to pay for cable TV

Now that is funny!!!I thought I was frugal, but I don't hold a candle to some other folks.

 

[FreeAtLast]

Last year we got a flat screen 65' with all of the trimmings. The thing that I had not considered was the increased electric bill that I would be receiving. That size generates much heat and then your A/C runs much longer to cool.

Had to move out a big wall unit which is still in pieces in the master bedroom. I really don't know if it was worth it.

They will probably be much cheaper and energy effecient in a few years.

 

[bongo2]

Each year, without any sort of planning, we find we will buy a couple of $2,000-or-so items that we want, but don't need. This means we're not as frugal as we could be, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference in our total spending (I have a larger family and spend $10k just on groceries, for example).

A couple years ago one of these items was a plasma TV, and I've been very happy. We don't get cable, but the local companies are kind enough to broadcast fabulus-looking (content is another issue) HD shows for free. Especially PBS. Every once in a while I just turn on the PBS channel and check out whatever's on to see the incredible picture. DVD's do look a little better on the HD set, but those blue-rays are starting to look a little tempting. . .

 

[DallasGuy]

If you're not planning to upgrade to HD, I would save your money. As ProspectiveBum pointed out, Standard Definition will look noticeably worse on your flat panel than on your tube TV.

BUT, if you watch much TV and upgrade to HD service, OMG what a difference in viewing experience! I LOVE my 46" LCD with HD! It was expensive, but absolutely worth the $ I spent.

Many people are under the impression that you need to upgrade to HD service to take advantage of viewing high definition programs on a HD TV. There are many high definition programs that are broadcast over the air and they're free....and there will be more and more of these programs as time goes on. I've seen some high def programs on PBS that blew me away on my 42 inch LG LCD.

If you decide to buy a new high def TV, I'd suggest picking out the features you want (plasma vs. LCD, 720P vs 1080P, size, etc.), determine your price point and then watch for sales. I got a great deal doing that...just waiting until the right deal came along.

 

[aaronc879]

If it's not broken, then there's no reason to replace it. I watch 40+ hours of tv a week and get by just fine on my $300 tv which I will keep until it breaks then replace it with the same thing.

 

[FinanceDude]

who said existing in "Peace and Harmony" is FREE?? Are you guys saying to buy peace, it will cost me $2000-$3000 in this case This is the second time Peace have cost me money. The last time to make "peace" with the neighbor costed me a $4000 fence so we don't have to see them...

Enough discussion.........put your man card away, and make the little misses happy...........it's ok, we all do it............

 

[Dave J]

If it's not broken, then there's no reason to replace it. I watch 40+ hours of tv a week and get by just fine on my $300 tv which I will keep until it breaks then replace it with the same thing.

That is how I have lived for over 35 years, and now that I have more than enough, I will treat myself to something I don't need every once in a while, as a reward for many,many years of living below my means.

I enjoy my big screen TV!