Cheap Appliances
We are always on the lookout for cheap appliances. Many of us don’t have much cash to spare, and when something breaks, you have no choice but to replace it. There is an art to finding cheap kitchen appliances, and those who have mastered it can save some serious money. Here is a guide to help you get the best products for your money.
Rule #1: Shop around for cheap home appliances
It is no secret that the same exact product may vary in price tremendously, depending on where you buy it. Stores know that once you are there, chances are you won’t remember how much things were at other places. They also know that once people purchase a cheap appliance, it is usually too much of a pain to return it and buy it again somewhere else. If you know you need something, check online to get a good idea of prices, even if you are going to buy it at a store. You can spare yourself from getting gouged this way.
Rule #2: Wait for cheap household appliances to go on sale
If you can wait for a few weeks, you can usually get a better deal. How many times have you purchased a cheap kitchen appliance, only to find out that the same store you bought it from had it on sale a couple weeks later? Big stores often deeply discount a few items to lure customers into the store because they know that once you are there, you will most likely buy a bunch of other stuff as well that isn’t on sale. They love to discount cheap electrical appliances made in China. I once got a waffle maker for $4.99 from one of these stores, and it is still working fine 6 years later.
Rule #3: Consider buying a used appliance
For heavily used appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, electric coffee makers, and microwaves, you probably want to go with a new one. Most houses have quite a few other appliances tucked away in the cupboard or closet that rarely see the light of day. My waffle maker is a good example. It works fine, but it only gets a workout once a month if it is lucky. Sometimes a cheap kitchen appliance is tempting to buy, but in reality you won’t really use it much.
There was a time when I wanted one of those automatic bread maker machines. They cost over $100 new at the store, which is pretty steep for something like that. A couple weeks later, I saw one on sale for $2 at a yard sale. I use it once in a while, but I usually find that it is cheaper to just buy bread at the store than to make it myself! There are a lot of kitchen appliances that are cool to have around, but really don’t get much use. A while ago, I went through a”juice” phase and got a second hand Jack LaLanne juicer that was awesome. I don’t use it so much anymore, but am happy I didn’t have to dish out a lot of money for it. Let someone else spend the big bucks to buy it new, and then get it from them for a few bucks at a garage sale!
Rule #4: Consider fixing it yourself
These days, it is often less expensive to buy a new item than to try to fix it yourself. The exception to this rule is washing machines, dryers, and other high priced units. You can easily find cheap appliance parts online at the manufacturers website and then try to fix it yourself if you have the time and/or ability. Last year I replaced the belt on my dryer, and it was actually quite easy. Most people would have just scrapped it and bought a new one. I fixed mine pretty quickly and it only cost $19.
I have to admit that it saddens me to see our landfills overflow with cheap home appliance debris. Manufacturers actually design their products so they will break after a few years, and the majority of these products end up in the trash can. They want their stuff to work long enough for you to have a good impression of the company, but not so long that you won’t need to buy another one from them! Decades ago people used to buy things for their homes that were handmade and are almost indestructible. Appliances for cheap prices just weren’t available then. Times have surely changed, and it is quite rare to find a quality, hand made appliance that will last decades these days.
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