I am re-running this post today, because
- I’m beyond ready to get back into the swing of blogging, but not to tackle writing an entirely new post.
- Sadly, when I dropped by the most awesome eyewear shop to get my glasses adjusted, I discovered they are gone. A victim of the economy, supposedly. Yet, in the back of my little know-it-all mind, I wonder if there’s a connection with the fact that they had no online presence. Nor interest in obtaining one. Had they taken me up on my offer to blog them, at least when someone googled, “________, Spokane” something positive would have come up.
- On a happier note, the first retailer I mentioned in this post has sold their shop to someone who is planning on offering even more classes, etc.
I’ll be back next week.
Freshly off my hunt for the new (reading/computer) glasses, I had lunch with a friend, a small retail shop operator. If her shop didn’t exist, people would have no one local to help them understand what to buy or to teach them skills in this particular arena.
Similarly, there is no eyewear shop locally that surpasses the one I ordered through in both stylish selection and the knowledge necessary to fit a pair of glasses on a person’s face and into their lifestyle.
When I found the frames I wanted, I made my buying decision without asking the price. Price wasn’t the point. I had received help that is almost unheard of these days, with a level of expertise that has virtually disappeared. What is the peace of mind of being done shopping and the confidence that my choice supports my goals worth to me?
I suppose I may be stepping on some well-manicured toes when I say that it would not only be unethical but absolutely foolish of me to have written down the style number of those frames and gone home and bought them online more cheaply. If our local retailers provide a service, we should be compensating them for that service. If we don’t, we may come to find that service unavailable at any price. Or we will be forced to replace their service with highly paid consultants.
Thinking about what I value enough to pay for above the lowest possible price reminds me of the idea, from the 1993 book The Overworked American by Juliet Schor,
So my question to you is this: for you, what values trump frugality?
Not only does service trump frugality, but quality does as well (in my book).
There are plenty of things that are cheap but still not worth buying, aren’t there?
From a retailer, service (which includes honesty, reliability and return policy) is key for me.
From a product, in most cases I am not looking for anything throw-away, so Becky’s point about quality is well made.
I’ll look forward to seeing you in the new glasses!
Hosting people without anxiety trumps frugality for me and therefore i have a housecleaner – does that count? I am gone 12 hours every week day – the time I am home w/ my family is not spent cleaning and I can (generally) open my doors to anyone at any time without worrying too much about it’s appearance.
I can see that. And time with the family and friends, in the peaceful atmosphere of a clean house, is of a VERY high value. I totally think a housekeeper a worthwhile investment!
I’ve already written a lot about this very thing over at Frugal Hacks. Do I still get to answer?? 😉
“Expensive” good food is something that is so cheap when you look at the long terms price of the food itself and health care costs that come as a result of poor food choices. That is one of the only places we splurge without guilt.
Quality is another. After 6 cheap irons, you couldn’t get me to give up my $250 steam generator iron for almost anything. I know that the time it saves me is priceless.
If I’ve been genuinely helped locally, I will buy local even if it costs more. If I’ve gone somewhere, looked all over and only as I was leaving asked if I needed any help, I don’t feel the least bit guilty about buying cheaper elsewhere.
Janel, I loved what you wrote at Frugal Hacks! I totally agree about the food, although I do what I can to keep the “investment” down. 😉
And on quality: just think of the time SHOPPING that is saved when you don’t have to constantly replace stuff!
I worked in retail for some time (not much, but an eternity when looking back) and I think that what bugs me the most is respect (in some ways your so-called “expertise”) and proper treatment. Just like you, I would completely forget about paying extra money and/or spending extra time when looking for something in particular if given the proper (professional) attention. People just don’t respect people anymore. They do things just because it’s commercial, just because it helps them with sales figures. So either I get left alone, which, when come to think of it as an alternative for professionalism, it’s the perfect choice if I can’t get quality assistance.
I see nothing “unethiical” about price comparison shopping for the frames, by searching for the brand and model online. The markup on eyewear can be massive. Would you buy a car without comparing prices from various dealers?
And as you point out, price is not the sole criterion. If you do find a wide price differential, the customer service and expertise you so appreciate is the second criterion, and may take priority over price.
The Overworked American is a terrific book.
I think charity trumps frugality…I guess what I mean is that charity contributions seem to be on the down side since the recession began. My husband and I have always tried to contribute whatever we can, no matter how poor. i think of charity as frugality, if that makes sense. I tend to be more frugal with our spending when I think about where that money could do more good than another pair of pants in my wardrobe. And yet, when we tallied our charitable donations for last year, I think that no one should applauding my charity spending. We hope to do better this year.
I don’t know if this counts, but good food, good books and good sheets have always been a priority. I guess I consider this “mental health”, and in general, health wins over frugality . I should really borrow from the library though.
So many things trump frugality.
Quality – of living, of service, of food, of life – I was brought up with very frugal parents, and I found that being frugal to the exception of everything else, also took away options to be spontaneous and often took away fun.
There is no joy in it if it’s done to the extreme. Yes I love to snaffle a bargain, it makes me feel like I’ve beaten the odds, but I’ve also come to appreciate that price is not the most important factor. Rather than settle for the cheapest, I settle for the best I can afford, that best makes me happier than the cheap option most of the time as I’m not always wishing that I’d spent that bit of extra money and resenting having been so frugal.