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Sorry, but going as cheap as I can on my house is not the way to live.
My house is my haven, not a temple to miserliness.
I want to be surrounded by things that make me feel good, relax.
I do not worry about resale value. I do not want to replace cheap things routinely.
Here's the thing: you don't have to go cheap as possible, but sometimes things that are cheap work just as well as things that are expensive. For example - formica vs granite or vinyl vs porcelain. In some homes, the lower cost options simply aren't an option.
Back to posting BS about how "frugal" you are, I see. What happened to the other persona you were using a few months ago, Glenn Miller? Is this a description of your house in Cali you supposedly share with your mom and aunt or the one in the South that you supposedly share with your girlfriend?
FYI. This poster is a troll who uses various screen names, usually an entertainment figure from the past, to claim impossible financial scenarios (Glenn Miller) and (Eddie Haskell).
I have no idea who Glenn Miller is. I've never posted under any other screen name. Nice attempt at character assassination though.
This is the exact reason why I DO like nice things. You cannot take them when you die, so while I spend time living, I want to enjoy as many of the finer things in life that I can.
I can understand frugal living if you have to because you cannot afford any other lifestyle, but to live that way by choice is mind boggling. If I can afford that juicy steak as opposed to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I'm going to choose the steak. If I can afford that BMW with all the bells and whistles over a 10 year old Corolla, I'm getting the BMW.
Live life to the fullest within your means and enjoy everything as much as possible, because when you are on your deathbed, you should have 0 regrets and no "I wish I would have...'s".
It's all about what one cares for. Functionally, a lot of cheaper things work just as well as more expensive things. For example, my grandparents bought a home in the 40s and with little to no updates and it served them well for over 50 years (and still going). It's sort of like the person that isn't really into cars, but loves their Toyota Corolla - why? Because it cranks up every time, gets them where they need to be, doesn't cost much and is great on gas. A person that loves spending time with cars would simply dismiss their Corolla (humble home) as a piece of junk.
I definitely would choose experiences over stuff, but that isn't what the OP is talking about. If my kitchen was in great shape and I had to choose between a new kitchen counter or a trip to Europe, I would definitely choose the trip to Europe.
My point is that if my kitchen counter is falling apart, would I get the crappiest piece of counter to replace it with? It could possibly second hand which doesn't fit right and has holes in it (the frugal approach) or replace it with a nice countertop of my choosing which will last and look great for many years to come. I would spend the extra money on the nice countertop that looks great.
Now, if you are talking about choosing between replacing the countertop with a crappy second hand one that is ugly and will fall apart in a year or taking a vacation, I would choose the countertop.
Well, for many humble homes, you can march down to Lowes and pick up fairly nice looking and durable laminate countertops for $300-400. I'm not sure if something like this would look right in a $1M home. You can also put that laminate countertop on a set of builders grade cabinets that cost $1500. For flooring you can buy a nice looking/durable piece of sheet vinyl for $600. BAM - you have the main pieces of a kitchen for $2500.
Part of "frugality" is also knowing and understanding the real estate market in your area. If you have an average house in a neighborhood where homes sell for $100k, then a quality vinyl or engineered floors and laminate counter tops are probably the way to go. Modest materials for a modest house.
And that's why I'm asking if anyone else is like me and enjoys modest homes that are perfectly fine with modest materials. I could afford more, but I like modest, functional and the extra freedom provided by having more money in my pocket. Modest homes are overlooked and underappreciated.
Although I agree with this in principle, the troll errr....I mean...OP was bringing up the specific topic of going cheap regardless of resale or trend considerations.
Name calling is childish. And you're wrong.
Quote:
Same OP btw, who comments here about poor drywall repairs being OK as a sign a freedom but elsewhere comments how painting one room requires him to do hundreds of repairs...
When one buys a modest/older home - almost NOTHING will be perfect. So while I try to do things as perfect as I can, I accept that I will never make an older home look brand new. However, this is ok with me - a few dents, nicks, dings are just character for a modest home. In many more expensive homes, anything but perfection sticks out like a sore thumb.
So he introduced the concept of cheapness as well as frugality.
And that's because cheap is subjective. Perhaps I should have phrased it as: do you like having the option of doing things others consider "cheap" (in a bad way)? An example may be putting down $0.90/sq ft laminate flooring. Some may consider this a hideous atrocity, but in a humble home it can look quite nice and last 15+ years.
I respectfully disagree. As I read it, the original post was rife with examples of justifying being cheap/frugal. Saying that certain types of houses beget that treatment seemed to me a twisted rationalization.
You CAN be cheap/frugal in certain types of houses. How is that hard to understand? If one has a $100k home in a working class 'hood - they can go cheap and put down a vinyl rug or $0.90 laminate and no one will think "ewww". They can also put down $20/sq ft tile if it's what they want. The point is that they have the option of going with the cheaper option and having it fit the home. The person living in the $900k home needs to be more discerning - that vinyl rug may stick out like a sore thumb in their home.
Saying that other houses wouldn't... like the $300,000 places being used as examples
ignoring the examples actually offered by the OP: working class, affordable, humble, etc
As I read it... the suggestion was about buying down market or less than you can afford
and by that avoiding that peer pressure to update and remodel to impress others
(or even just your own ego)
As I red it.. he struck a nerve.
BINGO BINGO BINGO. I really didn't think it was as hard to understand as some posters are making it.
I can definitely apply to concept to a car - if you have an "beater" you don't worry about door dings, little fender benders, driving it around dirty, spilling soda etc. When you have a new car you sweat it at least until you get that first "ding" out of the way, then you start to relax a little! So maybe you have your "dream home" but you also have a vacation home that is kind of your shack on the lake - small, bare comforts that you can relax in.
Your car example is spot on. Some people simply drive an older car because they like it and just don't care about buying a new car - a side bonus is that when their older car gets a scratch, they can have it repaired or even try to touch it up themselves (in housing terms - patching a large hole yourself or buying dinnerware at Walmart). The guy with a $100k BMW would be a fool to get near his car with touch up paint.
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Nice attempt at character assassination though.
