So, this was to be the summer when we purchased a new fridge. The one we have has served us well, but it entered this house two owners back and has definitely reached the effective end of its service life.
The glass shelves are still good, though. *heh*
So, we looked around, doing our due diligence, researching options on the web, and selected one from a Big Box home improvement center, the same one where we bought our Whirlpool washer/dryer set and nice Bosch dishwasher last summer. Yes, we would like to have purchased a new fridge last year, but we prioritized things a bit, ran the numbers and decided not to spend the cash that way last year. Instead, we lump summed out of our mortgage.
Now, with more than enough cash on hand, we decided to purchase the fridge we’d selected in July. Then, two days ago, my Wonder Woman noticed that it had gone on sale “through June 27” for $300 off the price we’d decided was our sweet spot. So, we went in to make the purchase and arrange delivery, instead of ordering online (because I needed some plumbing and electrical supplies and because I like making sure the salespeople there get their commission. Makes ’em glad to see me coming *heh*. It was no surprise they had none in stock. No problem as they could order it in. But while we waited for the salesperson to finish up with another customer, we looked around a bit anyway.
Oh. Wait. My Wonder Woman saw a fridge that had been on my own short list but t aprice point we didn’t want to (not couldn’t but didn’t want to) pay. The manufacturer was running a (apparently, “Gotta clear out our inventory!”) special: $610 off, placing it, with nearly 8 cubic feet more storage and a couple of other gewgaws and gimcracks, at juuuust under the one we’d come to purchase.
Got it. The four year extended warranty was also less. Got that. The plumbing kit for the icemaker (to replace the old, old line now semi-installed *heh*) was also less. Heck, with the savings on the bigger fridge with more doodads (features), etc., my additional plumbing and electrical supplies only brought us about even with what we’d been planning to pay for the fridge alone.
Not too shabby.
I love it when a plan comes together. I’m also thankful that “lucky” can still beat “planning” every now and then. 🙂
Usually, I first look to Consumer Reports before buying a large appliance. Usually the same model number isn’t available, because usually everyone else has looked to Consumer Reports too, and instead of making a lot of the good appliances, manufacturers will fill the stores with stuff they can’t otherwise sell. They know you came in wanting that special appliance and you’ll probably leave with a piece of crap that looks just like it, so its win-win. For them.
Cut to internet shopping. One online outlet doesn’t have the thing then there’s usually another online outlet that does. Cheaper than the stores, no tax, and free shipping to boot. At the end of the day its a preference thing.
“At the end of the day its a preference thing.”
Indeed. In fact, the one we ended up purchasing was only edged out in our original purchase intention by a several hundred dollar’s gap in price. Both of about equal ratings and review status. The larger one with more features would just have taken a bit more from our cash fund budgeted for other purchases. Indeed, the smaller, originally less expensive appliance was still larger and much more energy efficient, with a better feature set than the one we’re replacing, and pulling the trigger on the similar quality but larger fridge only became a no-brainer when the price became equal or less.
I suspect there will be more such deals as companies find a sluggish economy has left them with inventory they can’t afford to just warehouse, though. Three different companies’ appliances seemed to mostly be following the “we just HAVE to dump stock, NOW!” pricing model. And not just in one class of appliances.
In other areas of the store, a different problem was evident. Around here, many general construction materials jump off the shelves almost before they are stocked, in large part because of tornadic destruction a month or so ago. I had to give up on the make, type and capacity of a circuit breaker I need, simply because, although it’s a standard stock item, large portions of the electrical supply section, including this make of circuit breaker, were almost bare.
Man. We need a new fridge. Makes we wish we hadn’t already set up repairs to the backyard fence as our chunk of house money this year.
I hear you. It was a close call last year… but paying out the mortgage early was the call we felt was best. Next, new roof, new fencing (actually, I want to replace the fence with a slipform rock wall, but we’ll see on that one. I have the knowledge, skills and experience, but I’m not sure I have the back or knees any more… *heh*), etc. While some things may now be beyond my physical abilities, now, a new roof (with the appropriate safety harness, anchoring points, etc.) wouldn’t be that bad. I kind of with I knew a plumber in the area I felt I could trust, because I want (not need, want) a gas range, too, but until I find a plumber I can trust I’m just not going that route. I never felt comfortable doing gas line work (and was right at the outer edge of my comfort zone the last time I replaced our gas water heater), and I just won’t run a line to the kitchen for that. Nuh-uh.
I am really looking forward to getting four more circuits rationalized on our house wiring in July, though. Every time I rewire/clean up another one of these old circuits I breathe a little easier.
And then there’s the rest of the “kitchen list” to run through this summer: Install stainless steel backsplash for the stove, paint the kitchen cabinets and install new (again) hardware (to be consonant with all the new stainless steel *heh*), new counter top and some lil detail work (already demolished some storage above old fridge to make room for taller new one and installed a new shelf at new height, must replaster that area–before Friday!–etc.), some lil storage stuff in cabinets and drawers, three new drawer glide sets, etc. Just lil, weekend stuff. Oh, before Friday also: 10 years ago, I built a desk extension to the counter where once was “barstool” seating for my Wonder Woman to use as a desk, with room for a horizontal file and two smaller file cabinets underneath. Since it also extended the length of that counter, the new fridge would make passage a tad less than we like, so… “desk” coming out–by Friday. Yes, will likely require a bit of plaster work and paint there, too. Oh, well. I’ll just have to spend less time online, eh? 😉
Lotsa fun stuff to do this summer… mostly inside a cool house (mostly–I’ve decided to give my main desktop a break for the summer and have closed off my computer room) .