Dear All, What do you choose not to buy until you can get high-quality?  For me, it's an umbrella.  After breaking numerous umbrellas in the wind through the years, I finally bought -- I think 3 or 4 years ago -- from Eddie Bauer (with a postcard giving me 10% off), an umbrella with 2 sets of spokes, anti-wind.  It remains in great condition.  Also against the rain, about 10 years ago, I bought Barbour rain boots (high boots made of rubber).  Again, no problems whatsoever in the ensuing decade.  (BTW, a helpful hint, if you have trouble getting rubber boots on, slip a plastic bag of the same height as the boot or a little less inside each boot.  The boots will go on much faster.  I read this iN THE TIGHTWAD GAZETTE years ago.)

 Shoes, I will wait a year to save enough money to buy Birkenstocks.  ; )

I second the shoes! I keep a total of 5 pairs: mostly white colored tennis shoes, black heels, black flip flops, brown sandals, and a pair of good workboots/hiking boots.

I just replaced the boots. I will usually buy what ever I get the better deal on either work or hiking. The last pair were "8 boots, I bought them on clearance in the summer for around $40 in 2002. They finally died. The new pair is "6 ladies workboots with steel toes. I got them for $54 yesterday. I don't really need the steel toes but it was a good deal, and they are sooo comfy!

The other thing I need to buy high quality on are pots and pans. An unnamed household member loves to cook with forks in my nonstick cookware..... this set is only 2 years old and desperately needs to be replaced. I am thinking of getting Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized  Cookware. I am hoping they will last longer....

 Hint: go to the thrift store and buy some single forks.  When you get them home, take a pair of pliers and flip up the tips of the tines(about 1/3 the way up) and pinch over, it will save years on your pots and pans and still give the user the same effect.  : )

Ahhh! You must have one of these people at your place    When I fold up the tines, do I leave them in an L shape or fold them all the way up?

 All the way up and over, you are bending over the tips of the tines about 1/3rd the way.  The tips of the tines are what are essentailly scratching your non stick pans.  Folding over the tines and making them a bit rounder will not prevent the scratching but will prolong the damage from ocurring.  : ) 

Worked with a chef once that would buy knew pans once a month because of the damage he did. ; ) 

 Will do! I was planning on going to Goodwill tomorrow, maybe I can get a couple then!

 High quality to last several years-Shoes, back packs, winter coats, gold-toe socks for everyone, swim suits, and a car at about 100,000 to last the last 4 years- I try to budget in a new set of tires, tranny, and brakes. I try to get the tires someplace that will align them for free. We pay for some private school.

Disposable/consumable- ice cream, fruit, bread, some entertainment, and some medical/dental- we have a fancy dentist, but they fit 7 appointments into 1 1/2 hours.

Buy cheap- most food, seasonal clothes for kids and some for adults, most entertainment is free, some education- dd is at a state university, try to do home repair by ourselves, gifts for Christmas if possible, etc.   

Tracy 

Shoes- my husband gets the best value from Reeboks and we get better value with different name brand ones for our little one.

Jeans- again, my family can be rough on clothes. So I know that we get better value from Levis, Old Navy and a few others. I watch for these at thrift stores and sales.

Bras. I want to make sure they do their job.