How do you decide when to spend on big ticket items?

[ilovemygirl]

How do you decide when it's time to stop making due, take the plunge and buy a big ticket item? Especially when it's not really a need but a little bit more than a frivolous want. I'm really struggling with a few things. I could pay for some, maybe all of them in cash when the tax return comes in but that's also money that could be spent on more important things things and/or saved. 

I have been coveting a Vitamix for years. I don't have a food processor and my blender is horrible. I waffle back and forth between it just being waaaaaaay too much money to spend on a glorified blender and thinking that I'd save in the long run by making my own nut milks and smoothies and juices. I do buy all of them on a regular basis. 

A new mattress .. the one we have is a decade old. There's barely any support left in it. I argue we can just make due but dh has serious back issues and wants a new one. I turned it so that he's sleeping on the "better" side if you can call it that but we are both uncomfortable. 

A new camera ... the one we have is about 5 years old. I'm not a photographer but I do want decent photos of my dd too. I have never paid to have professional shots, I've always just taken my own, even for the holiday card so I argue I'm saving money there. Our camera technically still works but it's slow and low quality. Again, it's not a need. I will have pics but they'll be a little fuzzy or out of focus, etc. It's really noticeable against the pics I see others taking. 

So other than not using credit, how do you decide? I was wondering if maybe we should have a rule of one or two big items per year. I don't know .. am I being ridiculous? I know to some these aren't too expensive - they are $400 or so, maybe a little more for the mattress but that's a lot of money to me. 

[hasya]

Mattress! Hands down! If you sleep better, everything else will be better. If your mattress is good, and doesn't cause you back pain, think of all the days you'll enjoy and not groan through, avoid painkillers/chiropractors...

You can get a high resolution camera for about 150 USD these days.

I don't know what a vitamix is, but you can also find cheap food processors in Walmart, I am sure. Ask around/read online reviews like epinions to figure out a good choice. Voila!

[zebra15]

Well here is my take on it.  My mattress was 'good' about 5 years ago. Right now my back has changed for the worse and my mattress is killing me.  If I could swing it that mattress would be gone in a heart beat.  And honestly if I could make up my mind if we were staying here or moving cross country I would probably find a way to get a new one.

The camera- mine died a slow painful death over the past year and I treated myself to a new one (in a cool lime green color) before the holidays. Its heaven, the thing doesnt lock up, shut down, etc.  The best $129.95 I ever spent.

My roommate has a KitchenAid mixer (probably along the lines of the processor you are salivating over) and until I used her KA I never understood the need for such an expensive item.  Now when I get my own place again I MUST have one.  So again, watch for sales, bonus points, rebates etc and get your coveted kitchen item.

I spend when the price is right and I have the cash.  I plan for the purchase and make sure I have the $$ available. I usually order online so I go thru mypoints.com and use my bank card that also gives me oodles of points.

Valentines Day is coming... should be sales on cameras again...

[Stayseeliz]

When something affects your quality of life it's worth spending the money on if you have the cash and it's a good deal. We bought a new matress when I was my pg with my youngest and having back problems. We found a guy who sold matress sets for a fraction of the price. Our set is a king that retails for $2500 new. We got it for $500 because the store had rejected delivery since it had a tiny mark on it.  It pays to shop around.

Cameras are cheap. I agree with that one. Not sure on the Vitamix. I'm one for buying fancy kitchen stuff and never using it!

[gumshoegirl007]

I start by separating the nice to have from the need to have.  In my mind, right now, I'd order the things you want as follows:  mattress, camera, vitamix. 

Sleep is essential for me and it's become even more crucial in this pregnancy.  Sleep is linked to good health and that's also a priority for me.

While a camera is important, if you have something you can make due with, then do so.  We finally purchased a really good DSLR in 2008.  Prior to that we had been using a first generation digital camera that my DW had been gifted in the 90s when she was a teenager!  We shopped around for a great price and then bought one once we had the money saved up.

The vitamix for me would be a nice to have.  I'd love to make smoothies, but I'm happy to make due with my blender!

To be able to make these kinds of purchases, we set aside some money each month into a household budget.  This fund covers everything from the dog's vet visits to routine household maintenance.  If we were to need a big ticket item, we'd make sure that we had the funds here to cover the cost of the purchase.

[BetsyS]

People that have Vitamixes love them.  One of my friends got hers instead of a ring for an engagement present from her now-dh.  LOL.  I don't think they are n the same league as other blenders.  I say, save up for it, and buy it. 

I usually put big purchases on a list, think about them for a while (we don't have a lot of extras, so we spend at birthdays and Christmas), then if I still want them, and we can afford it, go for it.  It's important to be financially responsible (no vitamixes on credit), then it's nice to buy some things you want.

[happy1nluv]

i buy when i find a great deal.  research what you want so you know what to watch for and what a great price is...  haunt sites like slickdeals.net and dealigg ...when you  find it for what you wanna pay, go for it.

i have a blendtec and after having it i couldnt easily live w/o it...it really is worth it esp if you put greens in your smoothies...  but you can even find deals on vitamixs if you look hard enough...

[jeteaa]

Buy a mattress! The camera is nice to have, but you could get one that takes decent photos for under $200. Our local appliance/mattress store offers 12 months same as cash. We do not ever use credit cards, but I feel OK using the store credit. 

[Arduinna]

I vote for the mattress also, you can make smoothies and nut milks in a blender, I've done it.

[Chicky2]

We're in the same boat except it's a mattress, a grain mill, and a milking room for our goats.  Obviously the milking room must come first because we need a nice place to milk our goats when they kid.  Next would be the mattress and new pillows because we are old and starting to hurt from it, lol.  Then the grain mill.  I figure the grain mill will be in a couple of years, honestly, unless I find a nice used one.  The mattress will have to be this year, and hopefully right after the milking room.

We will decide how much we can spend ahead of time (after looking around), and then make sure we have the cash (dh can work a couple of side jobs to pay for it) before we buy.  Nothing on credit here!  Got rid of those!

[Denvergirlie]

Mattress is a need, but do shop around. I bought one off craigslist that had been used in a guest room, so very little use. It's a night and day difference, but would have bought at a store new if I didn't shop around for a month before finding a set from a couple that was downsizing and moving. Tag on mattress said it was made in 2008, and I bought in September of 2010. Good deal for us, but know that some people are icked out about buying a used mattress.

Camera - bought a new one in march 2010 off of Amazon for around $100. Works great and a definate improvement over our old one. Also I used my Amazon gift certificates from Swagbucks to pay for half that, so really only paid $50 or so for it. But also can check out eBay or craigslist, etc.

Vitamix - I'm with you on this one. I have wanted one for years, but never yet justified the cost. I had a blender that was crap... I mean it would not blend an ice cube or frozen fruit to make a smoothie, much less an ice cream shake without waking up wht whole house. I found a kitchen aid one at the thrift stoe for $10, it's basically brand new (plastic protectant cling stuff was still on the buttons). Kitchen Aid blender was much more retail, but my careful shopping was able to find something that at least works. Vitamix is still on my list, but it's way doen there near the bottom now. Can also search for a "new to you" blender on eBay or craigslist, etc. I too can not yet justify the cost of a Vitamix, but I do search on Craigslist and look in thrift store/ garage sales, etc.

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