Maintaining a household can be quite expensive in the long run. Even if you built the house from the ground up and all the items inside the house are brand new, constant use will subject them to wear and tear so you’d have to replace them eventually.
Remodeling, appliances malfunctioning or simply getting tired of looking at the same colored walls will force you to spend money. When doing so, you might think that the simplest solution is to choose something that is relatively inexpensive.
Although there are many household items that you should definitely save money on, there are also things which are worth splurging on. Read on to find out how you can tell when to scrimp and when to splurge when buying items for your house.
Splurging vs. Saving: How Do You Choose?
Here, we will be counting down the top ten items inside the house which are worth spending money on. But before that, let’s take a quick look at how you can decide between splurging and saving. Let’s take the everyday items in the house as an example. When you go to the supermarket to buy supplies like toilet paper, you might be tempted to buy the cheapest brand that you can find.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but if you are a wise buyer, you will see that there are many other brands with better quality where you only need to add a few cents or a dollar. The three-ply bathroom tissue brand may be more expensive than the two-ply variant but if you buy them in bulk, you can still save money.
When purchasing edible items like seafood, it definitely pays to buy them fresh so you can avoid stomach problems or even food poisoning. The same thing holds true for other food supplies and kitchen staples that you need to feed your family.
Next, how do you know which items are worth splurging on? A good rule of thumb to follow is to choose quality over cost when buying items that you will use for a long time.
If you’re buying a trendy lamp to update your bedroom décor, for instance, you can simply look for one at a bargain store or even the flea market. But if you need to replace big ticket items in your house like the sofa, kitchen cabinets or major appliances, they are worth splurging on.
In the end, choosing between splurging and saving is all a matter of answering whether the extra cost will be worth it in the long run. In the case of most big ticket appliances and items inside the house which will be used for a long time, you will find that the extra dollars you will spend are well worth it.
Top 10 Household Items Worth Spending Money On
Now that you already have a basic idea about how to choose between splurging and saving money when buying items for the house, here is a list of the top ten items which are worth spending money on:
1. Bed Sheets
If you think that only royalty deserves to have 1500-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, think again. Remember that you spend one-third of your life sleeping so you have to be comfortable while getting some shuteye. It recharges you for another day at work, so you deserve to have a hotel-quality bedroom.
The good news is that there’s really a balance between practicality and luxury that you can arrive at when buying sheets. As long as you don’t go below the 300 to 400 thread count, the sheets should be comfortable.
However, the 1500-thread count does last longer and feels amazing to the touch. But as long as you invest in high-quality fibers, even if the thread count does not reach this high number, you would still be investing in excellent-quality sheets.
2. Coffeemaker
If you’re a regular coffee drinker, you definitely should invest in a reliable machine. Buying fancy lattes from coffee chains or regularly replacing cheap coffee brewers will cost you in the long run.
A good quality machine will last for a long time, not to mention the fact that it will give you a cup of Joe that has that fully brewed, perfect flavor. High-end coffeemakers have higher boiling points and more efficient water filtration systems, making the investment well worth it in the end.
3. Kitchen Items
If you love to cook, investing in high-quality cookware is well worth it in the end. This is according to Bankrate, who says that high-end cookware, knives and other kitchen utensils make cooking more efficient.
The site even recommends looking out for products with a lifetime warranty because they make your time in the kitchen much more efficient. Also, the cost of buying the more expensive kitchen items will be worth every cent. If you can’t afford to buy an entire set, purchase them one at a time, but do invest in quality.
4. Light Bulbs
If you don’t have that much money to spend on the store, it really is tempting to reach for the cheapest light bulbs that you can find. This is a temptation that you should try to resist, simply because cheap lights burn out more quickly so you’d end up having to buy them again.
Go for compact fluorescent lamps which use only 1/5 of the power of regular light bulbs. They may be a bit more expensive but they actually last six to ten times longer. Not only that, but they also help turn your home into a more eco-friendly one. More importantly, you will save money on energy without sacrificing on the brightness of the light bulbs.
5. Mattress
As mentioned earlier, you spend one-third of your life sleeping so it’s really important to invest in a good quality mattress. Having a lumpy, uncomfortable bed would not do at all if you’d like to get a good night’s sleep to recharge for the next day.
Don’t scrimp on a few dollars for a cheaper mattress – invest in good quality ones along with nice beddings. If you have to scrimp, do it for the other items inside your bedroom including the nightstands, decorative pillows, reading lamps and other decorative items that simply have a purpose of tying up the look of a room together.
6. Vacuum Cleaner
If you have a big house, you’d thank yourself for investing in a good quality vacuum cleaner. The ones on the lower end of the price spectrum may emit allergens and microbes into the air while you are operating it.
This does not bode well when you’re making sure that the quality of indoor air that you have is healthy for all your family members, especially if there are elderly family members or kids inside the house.
Before buying a vacuum cleaner, check on the online reviews so that you can make a comparison of the different models, brands, prices and features.
7. Paint
If your walls need a bit of sprucing up, it pays to invest in good quality paint. They last longer, coat surfaces better even with just a couple of strokes of the brush, and they look better when finished.
Cheaper paints dilute with more solvents, thereby requiring more coats when painting a surface. It ends up being more expensive in the long run if you will use three coats of cheap paint than just one or two coats of better quality paint.
You can also use brush or roller to paint the walls, and the results look professional even if you went with a DIY solution.
8. Programmable Thermostat
Heating and cooling costs inside the house takes up about 50% of your overall utility bills. If you would like to save money on energy, simply invest in a good quality programmable thermostat. Using it, you will save around 10% on energy costs, according to the US Department of Energy.
With this savings, buying a programmable thermostat for over $130 seem to be a very wise investment! These more expensive programmable thermostats are easier to setup, although you will still enjoy the same energy savings for cheaper brands – as long as they are set up manually and properly.
9. Sofa
Are you moving into a new house or did you have the property built from the ground up? If you picture yourself moving out after just two or three years, you don’t have to invest in super pricey sofa sets – cheap couches will do. However, if you do plan to stay in the same residence for a good number of years, the investment on a good quality sofa will be well worth it in the end.
10. Tools/Power Tools
Finally, if you love tinkering around with stuff or if you frequently redecorate your house, you should think about investing in tools and power tools. Good quality ones can be lent to friends who will use it once or twice – it can even be rented out to neighbors for a small fee! Good quality tools and power tools will last for a good number of years, and will do the job perfectly.
As you can see, there are many household items which are worth splurging on. Other items that you can add to the list are big ticket appliances such as television sets, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, etc. If you have these appliances which are ten years or older, they would simply use up a lot of energy as compared to a newer model. When buying one, make sure to invest in models which have a high Energy Star rating.