Why it's expensive to be poor. Poorest people buy cheapest and often it's crap that breaks down. Can't afford Mercedes but my Corolla could last rest of my life.
When I was a kid, back when Sears was a good place to shop, my parents would save the Sears catalog for 1 year. When they needed something big, like a TV, washer, vacuum, etc. they would look up the previous year's Sears Best and buy that in the current year. Sure, there was a newer Sears best, but the previous year's Sears best was still damn good and now it was considerably cheaper. I've used that same trick for many purchases as an adult and the internet makes it really easy. Need a new TV, computer monitor, router, printer, etc, google the 2024 best lists of those items. You'll get a great item for a much better price because now there are newer models that are considered best.
I always buy the last years model when it comes to electronics or appliances. That’s the way to go. I also do open box from Best Buy whenever I can. Have had nothing but good luck with that.
I would argue that quality wise, Toyota is a better quality brand in the last 25 years than Mercedes. Brand often implies luxury or status, or in the case of cars often cutting edge tech and features. It is easy to judge the long term quality of cars by the 2nd hand market. You will find out that often the cost of a 15 years old Toyota is the same or higher that a Mercedes of the same vintage in the same size class... That should tell you something. (*) Btw, I am not saying there is no justification to purchase a brand like a Mercedes for the features and or the driving experience, but quality wise, it's hard to argue against Toyota. Personally, if you want a bit more luxury and features, I find Lexus (a Toyota brand) the right kind of compromise. Excellent build quality (much better than the Germans) and what I give away in features / driving experience / "status" are not important for the role these cars fill in my life. We own a 2006 GX470 with tons of miles, other than some highschool parking prangs (was kids hs car), and whatever it got from our trips to the desert (it's our over landing car), still as tight as a drum and not expensive to maintain. This weekend we drove to Big Bear Lake, did a 20 miles offroad trip on roads that were finally opened after the winter, a bit of snow, a lot of mud, a lot of dirt, some water crossings, some rocky terrain - and that old girl just keep on chugging - and is super comfortable on the 4 hours trip home on the highway in 100+ deg weather... (*) Just for fun, I googled cars for sale near me, for a Lexus like ours vs. a Mercedes of the same vintage with about the same amount of miles. Here is a Mercedes GLE450 from 2007 with 76K miles - https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/listi...z0IUhYnopA_45RKFwFYmcQxeBsDLyEaAml4EALw_wcB#/ Asking price - $9950, this car sold for $55K new in 2007 Here is a Lexus GX470 from 2006 with 83K miles: https://www.autolist.com/listings/J...FqZSX-gKDarSq-zfu9Y35PKWVqX7rrX0aAgwhEALw_wcB asking price - $24990, original MSRP in 2006 - $47K The market clearly recognizes that the Lexus (Toyota) is a much better product, quality wise, than the Mercedes.
I have done this with golf clubs for years. I just recently got a Cobra driver that was highly recommended in 2023 for a fraction of what the newest top rated driver would cost.
I’m not a big consumer. That being said, I tend to buy things that I envision lasting for a long time. Depends on what it is, like others have said. I’d rather get something I really like that will last than something that will break easily.
Pirates prefer to plunder pricey and permanent goods, but the one exception is women. Cheap and disposable is the only variety that is compatible with the lifestyle. barfo
