5 and 8 ring untrue to me. I'd not buy things that could rust and put my child on them. But, the rest, yep.

#3 and 4 would not be on MY list and I think #6 is optional based on personal choice but I agree with the rest.

I disagree with #4. I like my gadgets to be new and not previously used even if they've been refurbished. It's a personal quirk of mine.

I feel the same way about #10, specific to power tools. Power tools can get some hard use and not knowing how they were previously used/treated, I'd prefer new.

Not having any children, I have no opinion about #5 or #8.

I'd add clothing in general to #3. New clothing is ridiculously marked up and can be purchased for pennies on the dollar from thrifts or consignment stores. Often the clothing in these places is still new with the original tags attached.

Depends on the furniture, with bedbugs and fleas, lice. I wouldn't buy used upholstered furniture.

Here’s my issue. In a “perfect” world I definitely would buy 1 - 12 used.

But we don’t. I learned years ago that most people are getting rid of something for a reason. Especially cars. So much you can’t see or predict.

I wouldn’t buy a used mattress but would buy used furniture.

I’m iffy on electronics. Both my Kitchen Aid dishwasher and Whirlpool Duet were rederbished and I got a great deal on them and haven’t had a problem. But I’ve had problems with referbished cellphones.

I’ve had a brand new home and a used home. The brand new home was a lot of work. It was fun at the time. But I’ve been in a used home for 20 years now and it was so nice having everything already landscaped. Of course with the used home we had to replace furnace, AC, windows, hot water heater & all appliances. But we got a good deal on the house and it was in our favorite retirement neighborhood.

Nicole specified that the items on the list should be purchased new to save money. There are many other reasons besides money one might buy something new or used.

For instance, it is my opinion that most new cars will probably need repairs in their first years less often than used cars. That is not always true but it is a general opinion I have. I've had some harrowing side-of-the-road breakdowns so I decided that this last car I purchased was going to be bought new.

We don't buy #3 designer jeans but for me, none of the others would be on an "always" list. A few might be on a "sometimes" or "depends" list, but the majority would be on a "never" list.

Nope, I will never buy another used car. I had too much trouble in the past. As long as I'm working and can afford a new car, I will buy one. When I retire, then I'll move close to a bus line. As far as kids bikes go, we are done buying new ones. I'm tired of buying the grandkids new bikes and find out a few months later someone took them. Now, they have a program where they live that if do a community service they can pick out a new used bike. Perfect for them. Or they can buy one for 20 bucks.

I should've posted this earlier, but someone has to buy them new. Or others couldn't buy used. There will always be someone to buy it new. Which works out for those of us who buy used (for financial, economic, or personal reasons). I don't think it's wrong to buy new/used, just different.

I still love upcycled clothes. Combines two great things in one. Less landfill, and you get to put your design spin on what you make.

Elmer? I could have sworn you wear designer jeans that are very flashy with fancy rinestones on them. Now I’m sad.

I remember house shopping one time, and resale homes were more expensive than new built.

I'm the youngest of 6. After a lifetime of hand me downs, I buy new everything,except my house. And if I had the time,I would have had that built new as well.

SO surprised me one day. He traded one of his many cars to get me a used SUV,since i drive a tiny corolla,and he wanted me to have an extra vehicle and one that I could haul things around in. He is a truck driver and if something happened to my corolla,I can't drive any if his vehicles, (they are either race cars, HUGE dually trucks, or stick shifts,none of which im comfortable driving)and he may not be around to help me or take me to work. The sweetness of that gesture made up for my misgivings about it being used. But when I get another car,it will be brand new.

Used clothes and furniture ick me out. "Designer" clothes are one of the biggest cons out there.

It's been a long time since we bought a new car from a dealer. We've bought last year's models with under 2K miles on them -- certified by the dealer w/6 year warranties.

I might buy case goods used; nothing upholstered.

Out of the loop on designer jeans and tech 'gadgets'. DH just bought a flip phone for $75; we're dumping our land line. Both our cells will be on DS's family plan -- costs $15/month for each.

I can see three elaborate swing sets from our home that are *never* used; must be millions of dollars tied up in those (and basketball hoops) all over this town. Kids outgrow stuff like bikes and other paraphernalia. They tire of the trumpet, etc.

Men can rent wedding gear. I have always bought formal wear.

We don't buy books; use our library.

Exercise equipment? You mean the stuff gathering dust in most homes?

A used house can be a better buy for a first-time homeowner because they just come with a lot of things you have to add to a new home all at once, right off the bat. Our teardown came with mature landscaping in a mature neighborhood, then we added an all-new home that was exactly what we wanted -- no compromises, and zero replacement costs for 12 years.

New houses cost more per square foot today due to the price of building materials. The *land* can be another story!

Yes, we have bought used cars, and still, have them. But, I also drive a brand new leased car.

I will not buy used clothing. I am a really good shopper and buy everything on sale.

Although I can certainly afford full-price. For me, it's the point of not paying full price.

I am not interested in used tools, tech equipment, furniture, kids playsets, instruments (although we did once buy a used clarinet for my DD), exercise equipment

I have never lived in a brand new home. All, have had previous owners but we renovate to our own taste.

I have bought a used book from a bookstore, but for the most part, I order books I am interested in my local library. I'm notified when they are in.

I get my books on the Kindle. So they’re not really new or used. But cheaper than buying outright.

I agree on the exercise equipment. I have a treadmill and stationary bike in the basement I never use. Sad.

I do like buying used coats at the thrift shop because a nice new coat is too expensive if you ask me.

As far as adding items to the list, I have had very good luck buying second hand pots, pans and casserole dishes. I have a nice set of cast iron, skillets and a Dutch oven, all were purchased second hand.

I wonder if buying a used electric car makes much sense? I ask because in my area there are tons of electric and hybrid cars and my understanding is that batteries do not improve with age. Will this drastically reduce the stock of used cars in the future?

The used house question is an interesting one. I think of houses as renovated or not- and yes, a fully renovated house commands quite a premium where I live. You are paying for the time and hassle of getting that job done- the mark up is huge.

I don't like rules when they can be avoided

what we personally do

1) cars-yes we buy used

2) furniture-both. high preference to used. uphosltery-on the fence..will depend,

3) designer jeans-new. even new online can differ-same model, name..but slightly changed content of fabric-that's it..not worth it. So no, I do buy used clothes (with great success) but jeans won't be on that list

4) I'm so not into gadgets I can't answer this question. Even the laptop is actually old from DH's work. no smartphone, no tablet..what else can be considered a gadget? camera, I'd buy new..unless I'm an amazing photographer and know what I'm after

5) didn't check this one)) never happenned yet

6)wedding..yeah..was too poor at that time..I rented it))

now I'd buy new. I mean formal things..it's just too individual to guess it right second hand. As somebody who does buy second hand,

7) Books-both. College books-old please. If possible. Library-of course..they just don't have everything I want. Here at least. But I love libraries use them all my life with great pleasure. It's not either this or that.

8) I believe we bought used

9) well..that's non that applicable..:) I'm not musical. I'm that black sheep in the family.

10) Used. with exceptions.

11) never tried to buy one

12) it will depend. I prefer old homes. I did live in new construction too.

I'd never buy upholstered furniture used. Bed bugs have made a come back in the thrift stores. I will buy very old 100% cotton made in the USA sheets because they can be boil washed to kill critters along with stripping funk.

Designer clothes wouldn't even look designer on this old carcass.

I'd buy kids clothes because again I can wash in high temps, but I never find anything worth my buck. The boys school clothes must be stain free and not all faded out. I only find pants with worn faded knees and shirts that the neckline is all stretched out.

New car...what's that.

We will not be buying any used cars with the Texas flood-outs washed into that car market. Plus the people that needed to replace those flooded cars are probably seriously working a dent into the best options in that market. We buy new and keep them for hundreds of thousands of miles instead.

I actually prefer older furniture in most cases, but the bed bug problem does make me wary. Plus, how does the "we should ALL" work if what you need is not available used, or if you want many coordinating things? The used offers here are hundreds of misses for every "hit", so it is no way to try to furnish a house without a prohibitive amount of time and effort.

Someone has not considered the swing sets in practicality. What is saved after you consider the time spent finding the size, options and condition you want available for an acceptable price, dismantling, removal of concrete, marking of parts and bagging of small pieces, hauling, and rebuilding? I'd save myself from those frustrations and open the big new box of the set I want and construct from there.

Used bikes are fine. As are instruments, especially since the older ones can be of better quality and have a nicer sound. Tools depends upon the type, as does tech. Used books-sure, if I can find what I want and they don't smell of cigarette smoke. Exercise equipment depends upon the weight, and stairs.

As for homes, there are often legitimate reasons for choosing the new construction route.

I have had many new cars and trucks, but we mostly buy them used now. We prefer one owner vehicles. We call them disposable cars. We drive them for a year or so and sell them....often for more than we paid for them or close.

I am not into gadgets...but this lap top was used....$115 at a pawn shop. I have also bought used desk top and lap top on ebay...both for around $150 each. Worked great.

I wouldn't buy a used mattress or couch. I have bought all the rest of my furniture used. My outdoor furniture....patio...used.

My clothes...used. Shoes...used. My sheets, blankets, etc.....used. I buy new underwear and socks.

Books...used.

I love dishes and good quality cookware and utensils. I have never bought any new. Never would.

Cars? No - I prefer to lease my car. Furniture? Do antiques count? In the past, I had no hesitation about buying used upholstered furniture (although most of mine came from family), but I would not take a change today due to all the bed bug problems. I don't wear jeans of any kind. Books? Absolutely! Tech? If it's an Apple factory re-furb with full warranty, why on earth not? Tuxedo? Yes - they never show any wear - men put on weight and they no longer fit and were worn 3 times before. Power tools, no; hand tools, yes. Houses, absolutely! The rest on the list, absolutely no.

My SUV was used. 14K miles, cost half of what a new one would be. But I didn't get 2 sunroofs, heated seats, the temp in the rear view mirror or a cd player. So there was a trade off buying someone else's picks, in their vehicle. The price difference tho....wow....don't think I'd buy a new one. :0)

There are pro's and con's to everything.

I don't mind used items particularly if someone gives it to me. It's going to have to be a really good deal for me to buy it used. If I'm the original owner, it is under warranty and/or I know how I will treat it. I will get to use it for the full life of the product. I don't necessarily disagree with the list, but don't agree that used is always the best bang for the buck either.

1) Cars - my current one is "pre-owned". So, yes.

2) Furniture - I have a mix, including a lot of inherited "brown" furniture from my parents and grandparents. Simply be selective and say NO to stuff that isn't suitable, and enjoy the rest. I also have picked up a few items at tag sales, and a bookcase was recently recycled to me from a friend. Though you really should say NO to used mattresses in any case.

3) Designer Jeans - NO. Well, I mean, I don't think I'd ever find designer jeans that will fit a 6 foot woman properly, so I won't begin to go there. Besides, I'm really not very "designer" anyway.

4) Tech gadgets - NO.

5) Swing sets - not applicable.

6) Formal wear & wedding - well, sure, since I'm not apt to be picking up formal wear on my ownsome, and if on the off chance it really does fit....

7) Books & college textbooks - college textbooks, if within the last few years, fine. I did have some of my dad's old chemistry textbooks from the 1940's and I don't think this is what they had in mind.... Other books, YES. I frequent library book sales (until now, when I've had to go cold turkey on getting MORE books...)

8) Kids bicycles - Not applicable. They don't make kid sized my size.

9) Musical instruments - Depends on the instrument. No one is going to complain about a Stradivarius violin.

10) Tools - Yes.

11) Exercise equipment - yes.

12) Homes - I am living in a used one, now, until I move. Other than the kitchen, it was good getting this used. I can't say as much for the condo I lived in prior to this. I am glad that a year and a half ago this current home got a new range... they were telling me when they installed the new one that the old one was connected when the house was built (1968 or 69) and was installed in such a way as to be a fire hazard. So... properly vetted used homes are fine. (This is not something your typical building inspector will discover...)

Anything you get that you can recycle, you are doing the planet a big favor. Making use of something that already exists saves resources and reduces pollution. What irritates me is getting something nice, treating it well and when you need to repair a part, you can't get the part / battery / accessory and they say too bad, here buy this new model when your thing is not that old. Expensive new tech stuff is the worst.

I buy used books sometimes, and used homes of course. I'm torn on cars as used are far more affordable but I really like having a new car. I will drive it for a long time.

I buy a lot of what I need on eBay. Some of it is used and some of it is unused, but old stock. I'm not in the market for most of the items on the OP's list.

I've been trying to borrow Ebooks from the library rather than buying them, but I get impatient sometimes because it takes forever for the library to acquire new books and then you have to wait in line to read them.

I bought my car new, but it is now 10 years old and our other car is 21 years old, so I think we've overcome any loss from a new car's immediate depreciation.

I can't imagine ever buying a new house because they don't exist in the neighborhoods I like unless you go through the tear down process which I would never do.

Tech, I buy new, but I use it until it bricks.

Interesting list. I buy used cars. The depreciation just driving off the lot is ridiculous. A car with low mileage, gently used is easy to find and just as good as BRAND NEW.

Tech is the one thing I have never purchased used, nor have I even considered it. I guess because I use mine until they DIE. Tech seems fraught with bug possibilities and I do not want someone else's.

#1 on my list was all things baby, for and about kids. They move through all of it soooo fast to put a major investment into their STUFF was just not necessary. "Gently" used, passed down, borrowed was just too easy to find. Shopping garage sales in fact was sooo cheap I had to purposefully limit myself. Consumerism is not something I wanted to pass down and I found my first born DROWNING in toys--because they were so cheap....too much is too much no matter how little was spent.

Everything else I would agree with (well no way would I ever by designer jeans) and add to it: home decor, holiday decor,dishes,garden plants & accessories,picture frames,Art,game room necessities,small appliances, basically ANYTHING I come across that I have wanted but not had the desire to spend retail.

1) Cars - only "fun" or "vintage" cars. I've been burned WAY too many times with buying used. New, only - for me.

2) Furniture - Nope.

3) Designer Jeans - On the rare occasion I buy "designer" jeans, I get them on Poshmark, so - yes.

4) Tech gadgets - No way.

5) Swing sets - N/A

6) Formal wear & wedding - Goodwill or RentTheRunway for me.

7) Books & college textbooks - Absolutely. But I always ended up with a professor that required the newest edition of a textbook, so...

8) Kids bicycles - N/A - but I never would have bought a used bike for my child.

9) Musical instruments - It depends on the instrument, the condition, and the likelihood that it would become a "passing interest."

10) Tools - Nope.

11) Exercise equipment - No.

12) Homes - Sure!

#7... college text books... absolutely! last time i needed to buy a college text it was for Algebra. NEW was close to $200!! YIKES! USED was $125-150! Yikes! decided tyo go "shopping". college book store wouldn't tell me ISBN number?? was able to get title, author(a) and edition.

went to www.half.com... part of Ebay, i think. i found the book easily. NOTE: difference between editions is often nothing more than changes in illustration or page numbering. book i bought had description something like this... front & back covers missing, all pages intact, notes in margins throughout, owner got an A in the class... SOLD!! think book was under $10... shipping was about $25... still a total steal. oh, i only got a B in the course!

"owner got an A in the class"-that's hilarious. we all should learn from this seller how to describe our stuff lol

They're opening a new idea in our city, called the Lending Library.

So often people use something just a couple of times, or once for a project. How many times do people have a saw that they store but seldom use?

People can donate any items they're not using, and for $40/year people can borrow the item up to a week. We were given a used drill one year for Christmas but no bits, and have had no need for it. I'm giving it to this Library.

OTOH, it would be a GREAT idea for me to borrow a pressure cooker for a week, and see if I'd ever buy one, such as the InstaPot.

We bought our current car used 2.5 years ago. Low mileage and loaded with feature we love. So much cheaper than buying it new. With a good warranty, it's done us well.

I feel the need to clarify..what jeans are considered "designer" ones?

Furniture and clothing are a "no" for me. I am too squeamish. I bought used cars when I was in my 20's and I did well with them. Just luck I guess.

I guess they specified designer jeans because they're so expensive. In my case, Gloria Vanderbilt is as high as I go in jean designers, but I buy them all used anyway. Most of my clothes come from thrift shops.

I've had some excellent cars over the years, and with one exception they were all late-model used. The exception was a higher-end SUV in which an inferior metal was used to construct the frame. When it fell apart it nearly cost me my life. That was my first and last brand new car. My current summer car was four years old when I bought it in 1992. Love my "cop car."

There's a fine line between antiques and used furniture. A lot of older furniture is better quality than stuff being produced today unless you're prepared to spend megabucks. Looking around me, I'm sitting at a 96" desk I bought used for $150. The dining table was an old library table. My favorite piece of furniture is a poplar step-back cupboard made in 1888.

With a little tweaking (not familiar with current swing sets, nor tools, and I would never buy used upholstered furniture, for example), I agree with the whole list.

Jasdip, that sounds like a good idea, but are they planning to make any profit from this? Even with 5000 members @ $40. before expenses, I don't see how it would be practical. What am I missing?

I bought a used Baker couch on ebay for 500.00. That's a 10,000.00 couch. That was about 10 years ago when I had never heard of bedbugs. I bought my lexus used, with 7000 miles on it. Saved 15,000.00. I love thrift shopping for clothing. Our local thrift store, Savers, has many new items even shoes. I think stores donate their off season items. I have gotten some unbelievable steals.

I did read recently that buying a used car really doesn't make sense if you are going to drive the car for years, which we do. We bought the kids a new Honda civic in 2007, and still have the car.

Tech gadgets? No way would I buy used.

1) Cars - When we were looking for a truck to pull the Horse Trailer, we looked at many different used offerings, and were finding many that were a couple of years old, with as much as 80000 miles for just a couple thousand dollars less than new ones that were much better on the lot.

2) Furniture - Most new furniture is particle board and plastic, its relatively easy to get higher quality at a lower price with used.

3) Designer Jeans - Are "Levi's" designers? A better way to save money is to not buy "Designer Jeans" ever.

4) Tech gadgets - I don't buy much in the way of "Tech Gadgets". Our TV was bought new maybe 10 years ago. My computers were obtained from places I worked that were selling everything after closing down.

5) Swing sets - N/A

6) Formal wear & wedding - I'm tall and slim with extra long arms, so finding something used that fits is highly unlikely. So I own a Tux that I've used 3 or 4 times. my wife has bought a couple of formal dresses used, and in one case while wearing one to an event, she happened to run into the person that had consigned the dress.

7) Books & college textbooks - For books in general, better than buying used, get it from a Library or borrow it from a friend. In college I usually bought Used, when possible but as others point out they frequently release new editions to prevent you from doing this. In one case I did get a previous edition and compared it to a classmates current edition, and it was exactly identical page for page.

8) Kids bicycles - I bought a used mountain bike for my wife a couple of years ago. I had to have the brakes fixed, and replaced the seat and handle bars for comfort, but even with that it ended up less than $150. I can't see any reason to avoid used.

9) Musical instruments - I've never bought one. My brother and his wife sold a used cello and got enough for a down payment for their house.

10) Tools - About 50/50 although I don't buy them often cause they last quite a while.

11) Exercise equipment - No. I have bought used skis and ski boots.

12) Homes - Actually our current home is better (environmentally) than used. Its recycled. It existed as two separate structures elsewhere on the property. When VDOT forced the previous owners to sell a portion of the property, they moved the two halves to its current location on the property.

We've always bought cars second hand and driven them for years and years and years. Maybe we've just been lucky?

Yes to most things although the swing set and kid's bicycles not apply to me anymore. No to small electronics.

Yes to most things. Our first few cars were used economy models, which enabled us to save money and get ahead so that we've bought new cars since, and never had to finance them. We still sometimes laugh when going up hills, "your ol' toyota would have creeping by now..."

Tools, homes, hard furniture -- so many times, vintage was built using better materials than available today, so of course I'd look at used as well as new.

Clothes of any kind -- thrift shops rule! Well, except for socks and underwear.

Mattresses and upholstered furniture - a calculated risk that I'd rather not take. When we carried our extra mattress downstairs, the bottom got a small tear. Thrift store said Virginia Dept of Health Inspectors would shut them down if they accepted a mattress with any hole whatsoever, because the mandated bug treatment wouldn't work correctly. So we ended up giving it directly to a neighbor, who I guess looked at us and decided we weren't likely to have bed bugs.

Thanks, Nicole ... I haven't read Kiplinger in recent years, but earlier developed substantial respect for their wisdom.

Last new car I bought (last year's model) was over 40 years ago.

When one buys a new car, the passenger window's open, and there are about 100 $50.00 bills sitting on the passenger seat ... and they've flown out the window on the (recently new) car's arrival at the (new) owner's driveway.

I've been fortunate - a member of my congregation about 45 years ago owned a body shop and dealt in cars, so when I needed one, he'd find a good one for me, usually at an advantageous price.

The most recent, an '05 model, bought about 5 years ago, which I thought might well be me last, was being sold by one of his friends.

I visited that long-term friend a couple of years ago, in palliative care, as he was dying of cancer.

It appears that my car needs major emission repairs (a couple of thousand bucks, at least) and needs to pass emission tests before the end of January ... and the clutch is slipping a bit, another thousand or so.

As I feel that we need to take care for the environment seriously, and digging ore, smelting, shaping, adding (precious petroleum-based plastic parts) to build a car add heavily to pollutants, global warming and other undesirable climate change issues ...

... but repairing old vehicles is mainly labour costs, at low environmental cost ...

... I'm wondering whether I should invest in the repairs needed for my current vehicle, partly as my contribution to slowing the polluting, warming, etc.: something of a quandary.

I'm sleeping in old aunt's bed, eating at her and uncle's table, sitting on their chairs to watch their TV ... so, yes, I'll make use of used goods.

I've bought used clothing on occasion: Salvation Army, GoodWill, Value Village, etc. (A local social service agency have such only for giving to the indigent, so don't go there.

I'll walk, or lift a sledge-hammer in the garage, rather than paying major coin for exercise equipment, we got used bikes, toys etc. for our kids (now both over 50 - and no grandkids - but daughter recently married).

Bought a used saxophone when in high school - nothing similar since. Usually buy new tools - but would buy used if available.

Married in Korea, street clothes, bride brought new wedding dress. Bought a new suit to squire daughter up the aisle (first marriage).

Other than that ... I'm in a library now, and they're willing to lend me books, will even bring them in from other branches. Have a library of my own (that I seldom read) and there are a few hundred books on shelves from uncle/aunt's time: hard to believe that they died 17 and 15 years ago.

I've bought new, and got used, computer-related stuff ... and resent that those materials have such a short lifespan, when they could build them to last far longer.

Same with fridges - mine just died, and landlord's shopping for one that'll come in the door. Many of the ones built 50 years ago, a few years after they began building them, lasted for 40 years - ones built recently last about ten years.

I've told that story multiple times in recent years, and at that point in the story, about a quarter of the listeners enter the conversation, and about a quarter of them say the same three words ...

"If ...

... you're ...

... LUCKY!"

As I lived for a number of years in employer-owned housing, and have lived in about 22 places, I've never owned a home ... but wouldn't want to buy new (built largely of chip-board, in recent years: our forebears would have not only disdained such ... they'd have probably refused to live in them).

Hope you all are having a lovely weekend ... when one's retired ... every day is weekend!

ole joyfuelled

I'd disagree with:

1) Cars. We had two and I decided to go down to one. I've always made compromises on what we've bought, but I love cars. I SERIOUSLY love cars! I figured this is the last new car I will probably ever buy, so why should I compromise unnecessarily?

I made my list of "must haves" and "nice but not a deal breaker". Then I spent over a year reading, researching, and test driving. Finally bought it in May 2017. Gifted the two old cars away, and have been driving with a grin on my face ever since. Love the advanced safety features and power. This car is a joy to drive on our travels.

2) Furniture. I agree, wouldn't buy a used mattress but no objection to used furniture. BUT, I have a small LR and needed some very specific, modular pieces that I could move around for flexible seating. So we bought a new loveseat and giant ottoman. All the used modulars I've seen are the huge '80's and '90's overstuffed monsters - that's what I was getting rid of!

3) Designer Jeans. Hate jeans, never wear them.

4) Tech gadgets. You must be kidding! I don't seek out "name" tech toys but it is false economy to buy most used tech. Our desktops are built by a local shop, top of the line. They last 15+ years as download devices. My current desktop works as our network server with a RAID array; not superfast any longer but fine for anything except HD graphic videos, which I don't care about.

Our laptops and tablets are name brands. Especially for smaller/thinner devices, their batteries are usually sealed and don't have long life. You want good performance, you need to buy it new.

Yes, you can get one of the old Kindles for almost nothing. But if you've ever read on a Paperwhite Kindle, you'll know why almost everyone who originally bought a Kindle, upgraded to the Paperwhite. It is Nirvana for readers. I have impaired vision; reading on a phone gives me a headache, LOL.

5) Swing sets. No kids, no issue.

6) Formal wear & wedding. Really? People still need these for anything except a prom? Weddings - well, maybe. One couple out of the last 15 weddings we've attended, did the formal thing.

7) Books & college textbooks. SOMETIMES this will save you money. These days of e-books - not always.

8) Kids bicycles. Again, no kids.

9) Musical instruments. I'm a listener, so streaming is the way to go.

10) Tools. No way. But my tools are just basic ones, used for light home maintenance. I am not going to buy somebody's used Black & Decker jigsaw.

11) Exercise equipment. Yes, you absolutely can save $$$ on Craigslist. Personally, I'm a believer in gardening and walking.

12) Homes. I'm 50-50 about this. Old or new, sooner or later you are going to have to spend on home maintenance. If new, you have (hopefully) a maintenance-free interim; but you have no real way of telling if or where your builder/contractor cut corners until something goes wrong.

If old - in our area the number of older homes that are truly turnkey, fully remodeled, good-as-new-right-down-to-the-roofing-nails, is so infinitesimally small a proportion, as to be realistically non-existent. If you find one, be prepared for a bidding war. 30+ offers are common out here; many mid-priced homes needing moderate remodeling will often have pending offers before the agent can even get the listing onto the MLS.

Much of the existing SFH stock where we live is aging and needs remodeling. We are not talking simple cosmetics here; this means sewer systems, wasteful gas space heaters or floor furnaces wrapped in asbestos, aluminum wiring, soggy basements, no insulation or bolted foundations. In a high-labor market, remodeling is a six-figure budget cost - and that amount, on top of an already high RE price, is out of reach for even prospective homeowners already making $150+K.

Irma, here's the article about the "Library of Things" lending library.

Lending Library

Thanks, Jasdip. Hope it works out well as it sure would be handy.

I disagree with #4 and #10 with qualifications. Used tech gadgets can be a bargain or a flop. These things may be for sale because they don't work well, or owner dissatisfaction.

Used tools are often a bargain if they are low tech and one can visually see its state of wear and if it will serve his purpose. One has to be careful of tools that have motors, heating elements, controls, or is finely adjusted for measurement purposes. Repair parts may not be available for devices prone to failure or are inoperable. Meters, oscilloscopes, and other instruments may be out of calibration or will not hold calibration. This is a case of "it depends". However, there is one instance where a half worn condition will not affect the purchase and that is collecting antique tools.

Most of the cars I have bought have been used, and most of the time, if I do not require perfection, these have been bargains. My last auto purchase was not up to my expectations. It must have someone else's lemon. The engine ran, but did not perform as well as it should have at cruising speeds. It took awhile to sort it out. Oil consumption was not terrible but the manufacturer agreed it was too much and replaced the pistons and rings free of charge. After we found that the catalytic converter was closing up when it got hot and replaced it, the engine ran like new. The cat for this car was not cheap and it took away about half of the bargain. After squeezing the lemon out this auto, it was ok. Again, buying a used car is a crap shoot; it depends.

We have only bought a new car once. In the first three years we replaced the transmission, the airconditioning, the windshield wiper motor, the rear differential - the warranty covered most of the costs. We have never had these kinds of issues with used cars.

I buy house accessories at consignment stores but that's because I like nice quality accessories and can get them at a good price vs the usual crap at Winners.

The only used clothing I will buy are jackets and they go straight to the drycleaners before I will wear them.

We've only bought one SF dwelling in our married life and it was pre-owned. We gutted it a few years ago and upgraded all the hidden stuff, wiring, plumbing, insulation and then put it back together.

Used furniture we have bought one which is our antique kitchen table but most of our furniture was hand me down and free so yes, it was pre-owned