In the Debt folder we got to chatting about appliances. I thought this topic was worth a thread of it's own. When you must buy a large appliance (stove, fridge, washer, ect), do you choose new or used? Do you pay cash or finance the purchase?

 I have, at various times, done all of the above. I think a lot of it depends on one's circumstances. If you have to finance a new appliance, you might be better off buying used, then start saving toward the next one.

I think the most money saving way is to buy new and pay cash, but we can't always do that.
 

 I think the best avenue on new or used depends on situations. But I agree that cash is best.

 I said in another thread that we have never bought a new large appliance. I have access to people who can repair appliances and access to used ones with good prices. Over seventeen years we have bought the following:

• Free: fridge, freezer, washer
• $150- Stove
• $150- washer and dryer set
• $75- dryer. It did break before we even had it a year and the man we bought it from took it back as a trade in on another which he then had us pay $25 for the difference.

 If I couldn't find good deals, I would be more inclined to buy new with the expectation of spending less in the long run.

When we moved here, there was no stove, washer, or dryer and the realtor that sold my house said i had to leave my microwave behind (long nasty story). So I needed everything except the fridge. i took some cash left from the sale of our home and bought all those appliances at the same local dealer, that gave me a good deal for getting that many things from him rather than shopping the big box stores in town. He delivered them and installed them the same day! A year and a half later the refrigerator died, so I went back to the same store and got the same great service. However, I did not have the $650 at the time to pay cash, so i financed it on a 0% card for 6 months.

That's good service, Michelle.

We may have been able to save money by buying our appliances at Best Buy or ABC Warehouse or such, but then we would have had to get it home ourselves and have dh install evrything. With a propane stove, that can be tricky to get all the pilots burning proper. It was worth it to buy it locally and have everything DONE by the time dh got home from work.

I understand that. Getting big stuff home can be an issue unless you have a large enough vehicle. And then you'd still be doing it one piece a time.

One of the things we looked for when we changed homes was appliances. So far we have done ok with that.

yeah, i knew what I was getting myself into, but the rest of the property was so-o-o worth it lol........

That was actually the first time I bought any appliances at all, except when i got married we need a washer and dryer set and my dad got us that....they had to stay behind at the other house too, along with our huge 26 cu ft freezer GRRR, but luckily this house had one in the basement that size that no one could get out so it stayed there! OHH I forgot, we got that other freezer after we were married because it was a scratch and dent ( and gouge)  and missing a door handle and some shelving so we got it dirt cheap from an appliance place that couldn't return it.....

Now that's another thought...is it safe to buy scratch and dent appliances?

I'm more inclined to think that appliance purchases should be new ... although, we did buy our dryer from a co-worker who was upgrading. It works better than our last one, was much newer, and she gave us a good deal. However, what I didn't think of then, but would be a major consideration today, is if the appliance has the energy star on it.