Tonight I looked at my refrigerator and stove. The General Electric symbol displays proudly. I wondered why the the General Electric label stood out to me. I am not opposed to things like stainless or smart panels, but part of trying to achieve financial independence to use basic brands. Part of minimalism and frugality to me is to avoid luxury brands. GE isn’t a luxury brand. To me, it represents a basic product that works well. Perhaps Whirlpool and Highpoint mean the same thing to other consumers.
Now, cheapest isn’t always the most frugal. Glass shelves in the refrigerator help clean up messes. A delicate cycle saves on the dry cleaning bill. It is with battle scars we learn frugal isn’t always cheap. I bet you have a similar journey. There seems go be a cost point of basic brands with typical functionality. Frequently, models with more bells and whistles are not always the most reliable. The total cost of ownership for higher end models may end up costing you more in the long run.
