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copyright ©1999-2006 |
good for
the money where not to
skimp when you're decking out the digs by
Yee-Fan Sun | 1 2
continued from page 2 Sofa | If you’re buying a sofa new, be very very wary of prices that seem too good to be true. Second only to the bed as the piece of furniture in your nest that’s likely to see the most use and abuse, a sofa needs to be made well to serve you properly. This is why I’m of the opinion that when budget constraints dictate penny-pinching, it is much, much better to buy a solidly-constructed secondhand sofa than a crazy-cheap new one. A sofa that’s still standing and relatively comfortable after a decade -- heck maybe more -- of use will probably serve you just dandy for quite a few years more. That very pretty but shoddily made one you bought at your favorite low-end furniture store, on the other hand, may not even survive the move from truck through your front door; assuming it does make it into your abode, it won’t be long before you’re looking at frayed upholstery, saggy cushions and a frame that creaks and groans each time you take a seat. Yes, if you haven’t already got the picture, the basic rule of thumb with furnishings is this: the more time you plan to use said item, the more it behooves you to curb your stingy instincts. Energy-efficient bulbs | Compact fluorescent bulbs cost a whole lot more than your standard run-of-the-mill incandescents, no doubt about it. But they’re also much, much more efficient, generating the same amount of light for only a quarter or so of the energy. This means that in the long run, you’ll save a good amount of money on your electric bills by investing in these pricier bulbs. Moreover, these babies last something like 10 times as long. Choose one made by any of the big-name bulb manufacturers (no-name budget versions have a tendency to yield an unattractive color cast, and poop out sooner to boot), and you’ll be doing a big favor to both your wallet, and the environment as well. Drill | In general, quality tools are always a worthwhile investment, but if you’re going to buy just one decent tool now that you’re living in your very own quasi-adult pad, make it an electric drill. Yes yes; I know: if you have no intentions of ever doing anything more serious than hanging pictures or assembling your IKEA furniture, you might be inclined to scrimp and get the very cheapest drill you can get your grubby little hands on. Been there; done that: the boy and I too once bought the Black-and-Decker cordless cheapie. That drill lasted us maybe a year before we had to chuck it in favor of one that didn’t crap out midway through trying to hang shelves; yeah, that second drill cost more, but we’d have saved ourselves money and the hassle of a second drill shopping trip if we’d only bought the better drill to begin with. Cheap drills, see, are generally pretty wimpy in the power department; they might do okay for getting holes into drywall, but try them with any more resistant material, and you’re out of luck. Moreoever, bottom-end drills tend to lack the very handy variable speed function; going too frugal with a cordless drill, meanwhile, may well mean getting batteries that die before you can get your drilling job done, or that go completely kaput within just a year, requiring you to run out and plunk down more money for an inevitably pricey replacement. That $200 heavy-duty pro drill is probably overkill, but get a good mid-price, medium-duty drill and it’ll give you no-fuss drilling satisfaction for years to come. Paint
| Cheap paint will require you to slather on
many more coats to get a good even cover; moreover, it won’t
stand up as well to wear-and-tear. You’ll waste a lot of time
having to wait to do coat after coat, and in a couple of years
time, that paint will probably be peeling and chipping and all
around not-pretty to boot. Besides, let’s face it: even when
you’re shelling out the extra bit for non-bottom-shelf paint, painting is
one of the more budget-friendly decorating projects you can undertake.
So don’t let your tightwad instincts get the better of you: leave
the cheap paint be, and spring for the nicer stuff. o check
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