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Why does everything cost so much money???
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 9:44 am
I really need to upgrade our living situation. Besides the actual cost of rent, I'm looking for quality pieces of furniture that will last more than 5 seconds and won't break the bank. Nothing fancy. Why is it that even the junk (which I don't want to buy!) is so expensive, let alone things with a bit more quality?
As an aside, how is it that two adults who both work full-time, living in a very cheap, tiny apartment, with no kids yet, and don't take extravagant vacations twice a year, are barely getting by???
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Rubies




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 9:45 am
Inflation
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hodeez




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 9:46 am
The price of democracy apparently
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LittleDucky




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 10:44 am
Where do you live? Rent in NYC is much higher than most of the country.

Taxes. Think about state, local, and federal taxes. Sales tax, income tax... the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes.

Think about your budget. What do you spend on? Eating out? Ready made food? Discretionary spending? Gifts, vacations, entertainment. Uber vs bus vs car costs?
Any way you can cut back on anything? Shop by sales, coupon, bulk shopping and freeze...? Shutting off lights, unplugging small appliances when not using like toasters, and changing the thermostat can all help with those bills.

Does either of your employers cover health insurance or is that something you pay out of pocket. Been there, done that. Health insurance being covered is no joke.

Plus inflation really is eating into budgets these days. Everything costs more.

Now for furniture I dont have great recommendations. Have you tried second hand? Older pieces might not look the prettiest but they tend to last longer. We got our first table from a furniture place and it didnt last a few years but our second hand table is still in excellent condition and is very sturdy.

What sort of things are breaking so easily?
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naomi2




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 10:44 am
Second hand furniture might be a good choice for you. New can be junk but if it's old and good quality it can lay forever
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amother
Vermilion


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 10:46 am
You can thank Biden and his policies for inflation and the rising costs of everything.
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#BestBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 11:23 am
amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:
You can thank Biden and his policies for inflation and the rising costs of everything.


This.

We had low inflation when Trump was Prez.
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 12:11 pm
LittleDucky wrote:
Where do you live? Rent in NYC is much higher than most of the country.

Taxes. Think about state, local, and federal taxes. Sales tax, income tax... the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes.

Think about your budget. What do you spend on? Eating out? Ready made food? Discretionary spending? Gifts, vacations, entertainment. Uber vs bus vs car costs?
Any way you can cut back on anything? Shop by sales, coupon, bulk shopping and freeze...? Shutting off lights, unplugging small appliances when not using like toasters, and changing the thermostat can all help with those bills.

Does either of your employers cover health insurance or is that something you pay out of pocket. Been there, done that. Health insurance being covered is no joke.

Plus inflation really is eating into budgets these days. Everything costs more.

Now for furniture I dont have great recommendations. Have you tried second hand? Older pieces might not look the prettiest but they tend to last longer. We got our first table from a furniture place and it didnt last a few years but our second hand table is still in excellent condition and is very sturdy.

What sort of things are breaking so easily?

This is really good advice, and I want to respond, but no time now.
See you after Shabbos!
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amother
Papayawhip


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 12:30 pm
Firstly yes everything costs a lot. Secondly because furniture isnt expensive doesnt mean it wont last. I have ikea and target pieces that I have for 10 years in perfect condition and the quailty isnt bad. And when I got married I bought a buffet second hand was nice did the job and then when I was done with it I sold it. It doesnt pay to spend $$$ if its not going to be long term. For example a dining room table and chairs in you dont have space for something that you would put into a home dont invest in that. If you let us know what you need maybe we can help find links.
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naturalmom5




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 12:35 pm
My husband found quality pieces of furniture on the street 20 years ago

Its still in good condition
It all depends on how entitled you are
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zigi




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 12:59 pm
Ask for furniture that is on the showroom or ask the store if they have anything for a good price. Some things in ikea can last a long time too
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amother
Magenta


 

Post Fri, Jan 14 2022, 1:06 pm
Being alive is expensive, sadly.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 10:15 am
There's a reason there's an old Yiddish proverb that says "Cheap things cost dearly."

I agree that a second hand store, or even an antique shop is your best bet. Furniture can be refinished or painted. Dining room chair seats can be recovered easily. You can learn how to do all of this in just a couple of quick YouTube videos.

Larger pieces like sofas will have to be professionally reupholstered, but it will be worth it if the frame and springs are all solid.

People thought I was crazy for bringing all my stuff in a lift when I made Aliyah. "Why don't you just buy new in Israel?" My furniture is from my great-grandmother. My sofa and matching arm chairs are around 115 years old. They've only needed to be reupholstered twice, and that was more from redecorating than for a need to repair them. The frames are all carved out of solid walnut. Same with my china cabinet and linen press.

It's not as quick and easy as shopping at Ikea or a showroom, but if you like things with a real sense of solidity and history, you can't go wrong by doing a little shopping around.

BTW, if you are in the US, Craigslist is a good resource. Also check your neighborhood Facebook and WhatsApp groups for "Buy Nothing", "Freecycle", and "Buy, Sell, Swap" forums. I've gotten some amazing things that way. (It's also a good way to get rid of things that are cluttering up your house.)
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 11:17 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
I really need to upgrade our living situation. Besides the actual cost of rent, I'm looking for quality pieces of furniture that will last more than 5 seconds and won't break the bank. Nothing fancy. Why is it that even the junk (which I don't want to buy!) is so expensive, let alone things with a bit more quality?
As an aside, how is it that two adults who both work full-time, living in a very cheap, tiny apartment, with no kids yet, and don't take extravagant vacations twice a year, are barely getting by???

Some things are okay to buy cheaply (Ikea is good for all sorts of bookshelves and small end tables, for example).

Other items (dining room furniture, sofas) are probably better purchased at stores offering higher quality goods, although if you don't have kids yet, you can probably get away with a less expensive Ikea sofa for now (that might be preferable if you plan to move in the near future).

You don't need to upgrade all your furniture at once, of course.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 1:49 pm
I wouldn't recommend ikea bookcases if you can afford better. Had too many bad exeriences with them. Better to go onto freecycle and 2nd hand websites and keep an eye out for good deals. If you have a car and can pick stuff up this is a great way to get things.
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amother
Leaf


 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 2:44 pm
I love second hand stores. You can get some really nice solid wood furniture for a fraction of the price. We bought our table second hand and it's still going strong years later, whilst some of the other furniture that we bought new, didn't last.
We got our couches from a store that sold ex-display showroom furniture and they were excellent couches for half the price they would have cost.
I think though everything has gone up. We wanted to buy an extra couch for the playroom and everything is like double what we paid a few years ago.

You might find it helpful to break down your incomings and outgoings and see exactly what you are buying and where you could cut down. Setting a precise budget helps to keep you grounded. Like if you know you have 500 to spend a month on groceries, 200 for extras and so on. Then you're more careful with spending as you're more aware of the money. It's very easy with credit cards to just swipe and pay without thinking too deeply about how much money you've just spent.
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amother
Bluebell


 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 4:00 pm
Call Brooklyn baby. 7183775437
They have very good quality pieces of furniture for under 1000. I don't remember exactly but you will be happy with the quality of the dresser and they are very nice to deal with.
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amother
Poinsettia


 

Post Sat, Jan 15 2022, 9:08 pm
I agree that sometimes used is a good way to go. I'd hesitate to buy anything fabric or upholstered that's used, but anything you can wipe down and clean throughly, it's a good option.
I've had luck on Facebook Marketplace and on Freecycle sites.
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amother
Bellflower


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 5:40 am
Another vote for second hand. I have often bought high quality items, in excellent condition, that I could never afford if they were new. They have lasted for years (some were even practically new when I bought them, but still cost less than half of buying new).
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amother
Dill


 

Post Sun, Jan 16 2022, 6:03 am
Depending on where you live, there are many gemachs which can help with second hand furniture and things for your household.

Consider moving to another area where the rent is not so high.

Consider getting food from Tomchei Shabbos or other food box program for a while until you can get on your feet so to speak and save some money.

Look into how to save money in buying food. If you have access to the internet try finding ways other people save money from blogs and what they use as resources, google penny pinchers; thrifty shopping, frugel recipes and hacks, etc.

Try not to borrow money or use credit cards which will in the end cost way more because of the interest rate added to your spending.

Consider going to a gemach for clothing.

There are resources, depending on your income, for getting free medical. or very low cost, and it will help with copays when seeing a physician.

Here in Lakewood, we buy at Aldi's, Walmart, and Lidl's, and try to buy meats and dairy when they are on sale at the heimish stores.

If you have a smart phone, you can get apps that will help with finding low gas prices in areas that you drive. I have a BP app for getting discounts at my BP gas station which saves 5 to 10 cents every gallon.

Try not going out to eat, that uses alot of money which can be used frugally for essentials at the store.

Find out where other friends are buying for items that you need. If you need something high priced, ask around where it is the best place to shop.

For furniture, you can also try Habitat.org for finding a Reclaim Habitat for Humanity for furniture in your area.

Craigslist also lists curbside furniture people give away under "free" in the for sale section. You can also find great deals on Facebook Marketplace--lots of new and used stuff.

Also, check out your neighborhood local heimish magazines, which often show sales at stores.

Stay away from coffee shops for your lattes and whatnot, if you are into that and opt to make coffee at home to save money.

Different times of year have different sales for household items...see link:


https://money.usnews.com/money.....-year
or

Link for Yearly Bargains Calendar
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