Help me with not “keeping up with the Jones’”

[Anonymous]

It’s funny how the DCUM mob will happily spend $4000 on a couch, a depreciating item. The moment that couch leaves the furniture store, it’s worth half the price and will be almost worthless in 5 years. Yet, this mob will scold people for spending that money on nice cars.
I buy my sofas for $300 and keep them for 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny how the DCUM mob will happily spend $4000 on a couch, a depreciating item. The moment that couch leaves the furniture store, it’s worth half the price and will be almost worthless in 5 years. Yet, this mob will scold people for spending that money on nice cars.
I buy my sofas for $300 and keep them for 10 years.

Except cars cost many multiples more. Nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a ridiculous amount of money but I’m the ultimate bargain shopper. I’m happy to know we can outspend the Jones’s but we don’t need to do.

x1000

Kardashian Syndrome, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't keep up with the Jones anymore. You keep up with the Chans.

Ha! Love this! 😆

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny how the DCUM mob will happily spend $4000 on a couch, a depreciating item. The moment that couch leaves the furniture store, it’s worth half the price and will be almost worthless in 5 years. Yet, this mob will scold people for spending that money on nice cars.
I buy my sofas for $300 and keep them for 10 years.

$300! Second-hand, I assume? We spent $3600 on our sofa, but that was several years ago, and I’ve since discovered FB marketplace. There are so many great used furniture pieces being sold. It’s a good place to look before dropping $$$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you save 4K a month after expenses ? That’s a lot. I make a little more 260K and can’t save that. He’ll yea buy that couch.

it actually was lot less during early covid except now we pay a sitter
Take home about $12,200

piti $3200
food $2000
insurance policies(/12) $300
utilities, gas, cells $500
clothes, books, gifts, other shopping $500
other things that come up $500
sitter $1000

We make about the same. Do you have no expenses (in normal times) for camps, kid activities, vacations, 529, Roth IRA? We are very frugal and don't save $4K a month after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny how the DCUM mob will happily spend $4000 on a couch, a depreciating item. The moment that couch leaves the furniture store, it’s worth half the price and will be almost worthless in 5 years. Yet, this mob will scold people for spending that money on nice cars.
I buy my sofas for $300 and keep them for 10 years.

$300! Second-hand, I assume? We spent $3600 on our sofa, but that was several years ago, and I’ve since discovered FB marketplace. There are so many great used furniture pieces being sold. It’s a good place to look before dropping $$$$.

Used couches are pretty gross.

[Anonymous]

First you need to understand that Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, or any of those other chains ARE NOT QUALITY.

yes, all your friends have it because it is literally one step up from Ikea. It is already assembled furniture (in most cases but not always - lots of the furniture in those stores requires assembly so read descriptions carefully), with a heavy coating of plastic veneer that incidentally easily chips and exposes the plain wood underneath leaving what looks like basic plywood exposed, and is delivered to your home. Pottery Barn has the most classic look but the others sell trendy furniture that will look dated in a couple years so that’s something to keep in mind as well.

I am not saying you should not buy it but make sure you get the best deal on it possible. Also Wayfair and Overstock sell some solid wood furniture as well that is already assembled.

In terms of sofas, just buy what is comfortable and has long wearing fabric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you save 4K a month after expenses ? That’s a lot. I make a little more 260K and can’t save that. He’ll yea buy that couch.

it actually was lot less during early covid except now we pay a sitter
Take home about $12,200

piti $3200
food $2000
insurance policies(/12) $300
utilities, gas, cells $500
clothes, books, gifts, other shopping $500
other things that come up $500
sitter $1000

We make about the same. Do you have no expenses (in normal times) for camps, kid activities, vacations, 529, Roth IRA? We are very frugal and don't save $4K a month after that.

We do, but we also don’t have a sitter or as high of a food bill without covid, so we save $1500 there. We don’t save $4k cash when you account for 529 and other savings.... that’s inclusive of savings.
Also if you are in the same income range as us then you don’t qualify for a Roth.

[Anonymous]

Get yourself some Ethan Allen furniture. They'll last a lifetime. I can't afford new items so I scour Craiglist and estate sales for items I'm interested in buying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get yourself some Ethan Allen furniture. They'll last a lifetime. I can't afford new items so I scour Craiglist and estate sales for items I'm interested in buying.

Yea, Ethan Allen is expensive, but good quality solid furniture. For more traditional looking furniture, we also shop for Maitland Smith and Habersham.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny how the DCUM mob will happily spend $4000 on a couch, a depreciating item. The moment that couch leaves the furniture store, it’s worth half the price and will be almost worthless in 5 years. Yet, this mob will scold people for spending that money on nice cars.
I buy my sofas for $300 and keep them for 10 years.

Except cars cost many multiples more. Nice try.

Also $4k for a couch just isn't an unreasonable sum. You're going to sit on that thing for a decade. People spend more than that on a week long vacation, and you sure aren't going to be enjoying THAT for 10 years.

Spend money how you want - I don't care. But I think it's absurd to nickel and dime over a stupid couch. We bought our last couch for $700 at a consignment store but over the years we expect to use it spending $3k more than that wouldn't have made a real difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get yourself some Ethan Allen furniture. They'll last a lifetime. I can't afford new items so I scour Craiglist and estate sales for items I'm interested in buying.

Yea, Ethan Allen is expensive, but good quality solid furniture. For more traditional looking furniture, we also shop for Maitland Smith and Habersham.

Ethan Allen was high quality furniture 20 years ago. Since it’s been bought out it’s the same flimsy, made in China crap but still over priced.

Go with Room and Board for a good quality sofa that will last.

[Anonymous]

Your furniture needs to match your house. I can't justify putting cheap crap in a million dollar house. So if that's keepin' up with the Joneses, so be it. But cheap furniture screams house poor. Buy a house that you can afford to furnish and decorate properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your furniture needs to match your house. I can't justify putting cheap crap in a million dollar house. So if that's keepin' up with the Joneses, so be it. But cheap furniture screams house poor. Buy a house that you can afford to furnish and decorate properly.

OP here. This is a good point. We actually do live in a million dollar house but we’re not cash poor because we bought it a long time ago. So I guess in a way our status does not match our home or our neighborhood.