Wants vs Needs: How do you decide whether to purchase something on your want list?

[JohnDB]

sewing machines are cheap now days, as no one sews like the women of yesteryear. I'm sure someone is willing to give you one. "if its free, its for me" is a good mentality with wisdom.

Brother 2s can run $10K depending on the model....
They have LCD screens big enough to watch a movie on while sewing.
They are also very complicated to program to run a stitch. But they also can embroider whatever is on file. And that can include Disney characters.

A leather sewing machine starts at $1K for a cheapie which won't do much or last long. (Temu) But good ones run a minimum of $5K. Leather goods still bring in the bucks.

But a base line sewing machine....no button hole attachment and extremely limited sewing stitches available to use....nope not expensive. But the second you want to do something more than elastic waisted pants or flap bags....you are gonna want more.

However....the used market is full of machines. Everything from blind stitch to embroidering machines and of course surgers and straight lock stitch machines.
BUT
Be careful....sewing machines are complicated and easy to damage. Unless you know something about the machine do not plunk your money down on it. There's a ton of knock off brands that are just as good as name brands but many more that aren't.

Yes. Obviously I know how to sew. Patterns are expensive these days. Usually I make my own if I want something. Clothing? That's definitely a pattern purchase.
But I can make bespoke clothing articles custom tailored to fit with high end fabrics for a fraction of purchase prices. Sometimes even off the rack prices depending upon the piece.

Wedding gowns? I refuse to go anywhere near one....well I actually refuse to go near the intended bride or her family or her bridesmaids. So....there's that.

 

[Rockerduck]

Brother 2s can run $10K depending on the model....
They have LCD screens big enough to watch a movie on while sewing.
They are also very complicated to program to run a stitch. But they also can embroider whatever is on file. And that can include Disney characters.

A leather sewing machine starts at $1K for a cheapie which won't do much or last long. (Temu) But good ones run a minimum of $5K. Leather goods still bring in the bucks.

But a base line sewing machine....no button hole attachment and extremely limited sewing stitches available to use....nope not expensive. But the second you want to do something more than elastic waisted pants or flap bags....you are gonna want more.

However....the used market is full of machines. Everything from blind stitch to embroidering machines and of course surgers and straight lock stitch machines.
BUT
Be careful....sewing machines are complicated and easy to damage. Unless you know something about the machine do not plunk your money down on it. There's a ton of knock off brands that are just as good as name brands but many more that aren't.

Around here they are cheap, heavy and every grandmother had one. They can't give them away at estate and yard sales that I go to. I know you can get one free.

 

[Wynona]

Brother 2s can run $10K depending on the model....
They have LCD screens big enough to watch a movie on while sewing.
They are also very complicated to program to run a stitch. But they also can embroider whatever is on file. And that can include Disney characters.

A leather sewing machine starts at $1K for a cheapie which won't do much or last long. (Temu) But good ones run a minimum of $5K. Leather goods still bring in the bucks.

But a base line sewing machine....no button hole attachment and extremely limited sewing stitches available to use....nope not expensive. But the second you want to do something more than elastic waisted pants or flap bags....you are gonna want more.

However....the used market is full of machines. Everything from blind stitch to embroidering machines and of course surgers and straight lock stitch machines.
BUT
Be careful....sewing machines are complicated and easy to damage. Unless you know something about the machine do not plunk your money down on it. There's a ton of knock off brands that are just as good as name brands but many more that aren't.

Yes. Obviously I know how to sew. Patterns are expensive these days. Usually I make my own if I want something. Clothing? That's definitely a pattern purchase.
But I can make bespoke clothing articles custom tailored to fit with high end fabrics for a fraction of purchase prices. Sometimes even off the rack prices depending upon the piece.

Wedding gowns? I refuse to go anywhere near one....well I actually refuse to go near the intended bride or her family or her bridesmaids. So....there's that.

Fabric is expensive but I hear hand made clothing lasts a lot longer . I also heard if you can learn to alter clothes from thrift stores, that saves money in both the short run and the long run.

 

[Rockerduck]

Fabric is expensive but I hear hand made clothing lasts a lot longer . I also heard if you can learn to alter clothes from thrift stores, that saves money in both the short run and the long run.

Check Goodwill stores, my wife is there every day. People drop off reams of fabric.

 

[JohnDB]

Back to the topic....

Around here they are cheap, heavy and every grandmother had one. They can't give them away at estate and yard sales that I go to. I know you can get one free.

They are likely just base line models with straight stitches. The accessories are the pricey part. Button hole and various other cartridge attachments get expensive in a hurry. The oil isn't too bad but most need a gallon just to operate if they've been sitting any length of time.

The bobbins? It's the thread that gets expensive. You need every color in the color wheel made in every material. It's annoying to load a bobbin and then restart.
Some are much easier today with the newer tensioning systems to load a thread. I got an old one that is definitely not easy to load with thread. I had my mother do it for me so I could see. She literally couldnt tell me but could do it from muscle memory...but then my EX-wife pulled it out....yeah....there's a reason she is an ex.

 

[JohnDB]

Check Goodwill stores, my wife is there every day. People drop off reams of fabric.

Not the nice wools. Chintz patterns and calicoes mostly. A few checks. Of course hounds tooth patterns as well.

If you are going to go to the trouble of making something you need good tools and do it right....do it so it will last. Don't just patch make something....go for it. Go slow and think things through. Especially when you are using expensive materials.

When I make leather goods you don't want to even know the cost per yard. I buy it by the Sq foot or by the hide section. (Certain sections cost more than others) and not all leathers are cow. You can buy many different animal types...

But suffice it to say you must be careful with each and every step. Think it through completely twice before cutting once or putting a hole in it. Or even dying it.

Bad part of a larger piece good can cost a few hundred dollars....not to mention the time spent.

But....the quality and speciality of the finished good is unmatched and not found for sale anywhere else.

 

[DuckieLady]

Be careful....sewing machines are complicated and easy to damage. Unless you know something about the machine do not plunk your money down on it

On that note, never spin the wheel for the tension towards yourself on most machines. Always away from you.

Otherwise you might get really frustrated with a bunch of stuck thread tangled in bunched up fabric and it's a pain.

 

[Behold]

What are some guidelines you use when deciding to buy something you don't really need?

Reader,

Here is how to know when to say no, to an expensive purchase....

If you have to have it, no matter what.. no matter what you have to do.. no matter the sacrifice or personal cost.... When you can't stop thinking about how to get it, how to work it out so that you can end up with it....

When you are deep into that type of carnal obsession.. .then that is the one to stop, asap.

 

[JohnDB]

Now really back....
I have too many hobbies. I'm a recovering chef....meaning lots of gadgets and pans.

Sewing, leather craft, upholstery, and then yard stuff, gardening stuff, and....

Might need to cut back somewhere....but I really don't know what.

 

[Jay Ross]

It is great to own a stove if you can cook, otherwise all you produce is burned water or similar disasters with the food.

If you cannot cook, then find someone who does know how to cook, and eat at their place.

With any piece of useful equipment that we can own it is best to take lessons and always practice so that you can make good use of the purchased items otherwise all you own is a piece of junk.

It does require effort on our part to make good use of what we purchase. Maintenance is the last thing that we put into practice and so we quietly put the purchased items into a cupboard or the attic so that they are out of sight and can be forgotten.

Oh! I had one of those items once but never was able to master how to use it correctly, or so the conversation will go.

...............................

 

[JohnDB]

It is great to own a stove if you can cook, otherwise all you produce is burned water or similar disasters with the food.

If you cannot cook, then find someone who does know how to cook, and eat at their place.

With any piece of useful equipment that we can own it is best to take lessons and always practice so that you can make good use of the purchased items otherwise all you own is a piece of junk.

It does require effort on our part to make good use of what we purchase. Maintenance is the last thing that we put into practice and so we quietly put the purchased items into a cupboard or the attic so that they are out of sight and can be forgotten.

Oh! I had one of those items once but never was able to master how to use it correctly, or so the conversation will go.

...............................

I've used cheap pots and pans for most of my adult life.
Then a few years back my wife (thank God for her) bought me a nice pot....just one.
It was such a dream to cook in it....totally different experience. Absolutely wonderful for making caramel or thick sauces or soups without scorching anything. (It's a real struggle in cheap ones) I didn't know the difference until I got the nice one. She got me another the following year. So nice! I make risotto and other things in that one.

Good tools make a difference for someone with talent....but for my wife? Nope...she has "issues" in the kitchen. (Gonna be extra nice in my explanation) It infuriates her that she does...but with a gourmet chef for a husband does it really matter? She also gets no practice cooking either. I do all of it anyway.

She is the spoiled rotten wife of a grumpy old man....
Kinda cliche...but oh well.

 

[DuckieLady]

I've used cheap pots and pans for most of my adult life.
Then a few years back my wife (thank God for her) bought me a nice pot....just one.
It was such a dream to cook in it....totally different experience. Absolutely wonderful for making caramel or thick sauces or soups without scorching anything. (It's a real struggle in cheap ones) I didn't know the difference until I got the nice one. She got me another the following year. So nice! I make risotto and other things in that one.

Good tools make a difference for someone with talent....but for my wife? Nope...she has "issues" in the kitchen. (Gonna be extra nice in my explanation) It infuriates her that she does...but with a gourmet chef for a husband does it really matter? She also gets no practice cooking either. I do all of it anyway.

She is the spoiled rotten wife of a grumpy old man....
Kinda cliche...but oh well.

Former baker (I changed my position) to baker, a dutch oven was one of the best "expensive" purchases I could make.

We threw out all of our Teflon and most of our plastic cookware for health reasons, and now we have one ceramic pan and one dutch oven.

But if I leave the lid on for 30 minutes and take it off towards the end for another 15-20, we end up with a perfectly soft bread with a perfectly crispy crust.

We use it for other things, too, but I prefer using the Instant Pot/Instant Fryer because it saves time.

I read once that hobby people cannot be minimalists. In some way, I think that's true.

 

[Lambano]

I read once that hobby people cannot be minimalists.

There is definitely some truth to that. For golfers, if you're not buying the latest driver that guarantees you'll hit the ball 30 yards deeper into the woods or the latest guaranteed-never-to-miss putter, your relatives are giving you some cool-but-useless golf gadgets for Christmas.

With shooters (like my wife), you have the all the different pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns; umpteen different calibers of ammo; holsters, gun safes, cleaning kits, eye and ear protection, scopes, sights, tools, targets, magazines (both the paper kind and the kind that hold bullets), plus all the cool-but-useless gadgets.

 

[DuckieLady]

I realized I didn't actually answer the question. I kind of use a formula of questions.

1. Does it serve a purpose?
2. How long will it last?
3. Will it reduce spending?
4. Does it produce more?
5. Is it practical?


Certain things like air fryer, dutch oven, hand crank wringer, compost were all worth it. My youngest will steal roasted broccoli when it used to make her gag, I can bake perfect artisan bread, clothes get dry faster, the compost cuts back on waste and will fertilize the plants.

We have an electric fireplace. That fireplace will heat up a floor at 5 cents an hour so much we turn it off. We felt like we should get another one for the other floor instead of using the central heat to cut back on the power bill. When we got the bill and looked at the graph charts, it looks like it will pay off in a couple months.