We often get calls requesting the “cheapest” price marking tool, tagging tool, fasteners, etc. While we don’t carry the “cheapest” (read “poorly made”) store supplies and equipment on the market, we do offer lower cost options along with the highest quality offerings.
Having said that, you should know that we usually don’t sell the lowest cost alternatives to our customers. Why? Because after we talk to them about what they really want, we usually hear them say VALUE. Though it may seem like all store equipment and supplies are the same, they vary wildly on things like durability and ease of use. Not to mention appropriateness to a particular application.
And consider this: Since your expectation for a “cheap” item isn’t very good in the first place, Buyer’s Remorse sets in almost immediately after buying “cheap.” You hope that the product does the job good enough to get by, but you basically already know that it’s not going to work as well or may fail faster than you’d like to see.
A “cheap” purchase can quickly turn into several “cheap” purchases that far exceed the cost of one frugal purchase. In addition, the experience can be fairly exasperating as the tool and its supplies never work as well as anticipated.
In this economy we all have to watch what we spend, just make sure that you are considering value. Over the next few months we’ll get more specific by outlining what factors are important to making frugal rather than “cheap” choices for various types of store equipment and store supplies. So stay tuned.
Now, let me leave you with a few words for the wise from some other frugal folks:
David Weliver of MoneyUnder30.com: “In a nutshell, I would define being frugal as protecting your hard-earned money by looking for ways to save on the things you need and want and getting the highest value from everything you buy.”
Julia Scott of BargainBabe: “Being frugal feels good. Being cheap leaves a bad taste in your mouth (and it ain’t the wine)!”
