Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Share

Email

Comments

You know buying used can save money, but is it worth it? Will you have to settle for lower quality goods? Not always. In fact, sometimes buying used means you can afford much higher quality items that you couldn’t if they were new.

Let’s look at five examples where buying used doesn’t mean sacrificing quality or sacrificing too much of your bank account.

Used and Vintage Clothing

There are people out there who won’t wear clothing beyond a single season, always wanting to be at the forefront of fashion. But their expensive tastes can be your savings. When you buy used or vintage clothing, you might be able to slip into designer pieces that were previously priced far out of your budget.

Buying used clothing is also a way to engage in more ethical fashion. Re-using perfectly good clothing for a few years or purchasing higher-quality clothing can help conserve resources and lessen the environmental impact of clothing production. If sustainability is important to you, this is one way to support more eco-friendly fashion choices.

Open-Box Products / Returns

If you’re in the market for an expensive appliance or gadget, consider purchasing open-box and returned items. Just because stores mark these products down and can’t sell them as new doesn’t always mean they’re damaged or lower in quality. Sometimes products are returned because someone simply changed their mind about them. If you want to score deals on open-box and returned products, a good place to start is Amazon’s Warehouse Deals.

Cars

Vehicles are something else where you might be able to afford a higher-quality product used than new. For example, instead of spending your whole budget on a lower-end new car that will lose value as soon as it leaves the lot, you might be able to afford a gently-used luxury model.

As an added bonus when buying used, you might also be able to save on auto insurance over the cost to insure a top of the line new model.

Houses

Real estate is another area where buying used often isn’t a bad thing. Sure, you won’t get to customize every little detail of your home the way you would with a new house—at least not right away. But you also know what you’re getting design-wise and don’t have to wait for a new home to be built to your specifications.

Books

Unless you’re a “purist” book lover who tries to keep every book unblemished, used books are usually as good as new ones, just with slightly more wear and tear. There’s something to be said for well-loved books making the rounds—whether they’re valuable rare books, popular reads, or even used textbooks.

If you ever find yourself struggling to find a good deal on a new item you want, consider buying used. Older items have often been well tested, well cared for, and often have a lot of life left in them. Treat yourself to luxuries you didn’t think you could afford.