It's Cheap Because It's CHEAP!

I have discovered that when moving there is often a fair bit of shopping involved with getting settled. I am not a big shopper. I honestly think that in my old house and old routine I was okay with heading to the shops maybe once a week and it was usually for groceries. But all that changed when we bought this house and it feels like I am always looking for the next opportunity to head out. My 'To Buy' list is the longest it has ever been, especially for this DIY Diva who'd rather create what I need than hand over hard earned money for the convenience of having someone else do it. This DIY mentality can only get you so far. I can make a lot of things but a couch is not one of them!

It all started with living room furniture to replace the aged couch that should have been in the dump years ago. Of course that's a big thing but there are plenty of little things that I was not expecting. Like waste baskets for the extra bathroom, entrance mats for doorways and a vacuum (a few rooms have carpets now).

A normal person would be excited at the prospect of shopping around looking for that perfect 'whatever' to go with the paint in the bathroom. But I'm not normal so it's no surprise that I haven't been too excited about hitting the shops.

I think part of my trepidation is the fact that I stress about every dollar, nay every penny. Why waste a dime on something that is a short term solution or minor luxury? I have also developed this obsession with steering clear of cheap stuff. I know as a frugal person I should be looking for the cheap stuff but it's cheap for a reason. It's cheap because it's CHEAP. Instead I am on the look out for the best deal, or in other words, the most bang for my buck and sometimes that means buying something a little more high end with a better warranty and a longer life span.

But of course this way of shopping prolongs the already excruciating process. Instead of one overly busy store now I must got to two or three or more to make sure the thing I saw at the first store was really the best 'bang for my buck'. This leaves little time for the still unpacked boxes or the mountain of empty boxes hibernating in the garage waiting to be recycled.

It feels like I am not getting much done but I think I have resigned myself to the fact that this is the way it has to be for now. Like sucking it up and eating my gruel, I must use more than just impulse to get what I need. If that takes more time and effort so be it. It will save me the aggravation of replacing a broken item in a year or so when a cheap impulse purchase comes around to bite me in the butt.