And, you know, buying high quality does not neccessarily mean you have to pay through the nose up front.

My daughter just bought a beatiful oak dining room table and six chairs that her boss was getting rid of for fifty bucks. She is just starting out and it looks so nice in her apartment. I bought some hand made bookshelves for the kids when they were little, for five bucks, and those things have held up very well.  This is a good time to hit clearance racks for winter coats for next year, if you are in need of one.

 Oh, and when we re-do houses, I buy mid to upper range carpeting and the nice, inlaid flooring OR the ceramic tile flooring. They last much better and are easier to maintain. When I had little kids and was remodeling, I told them that I wanted the floor surface to withstand a big wheel, LOL.   I think if you are going to put a lot of time and money into something, you do not want to redo it very soon. Cheap carpeting is worth less than what you pay for it, IMO.