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Major Appliance Purchases · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS, what you need to know about family,
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  food, finance, and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized, award-winning podcast is hosted by the University
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  of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Hello, and welcome to Talking FACS, what you need to know about family food, finance, and fitness.
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  I am your host, Mindy McCulley, Extension Specialist for Instructional Support,
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  the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension at the University of Kentucky.
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  We are housed in the Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.
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  When shopping for major appliances, many people will find that it is one of
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  those large ticket expenses that they probably don't spend a lot of time thinking
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  about because it's not something that they do on a regular basis.
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  Jeanne Badgett, our Senior Extension Associate for Clothing,
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  Textiles, and Household Equipment, is here to ensure that when we make these
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  large ticket purchases,
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  we are making informed decisions that will best benefit our family budgets. projects.
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  Welcome, Jeanne. Hi, Mindy. Thanks for having me.
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  Major appliances do definitely make everyday life a little bit easier,
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  but their convenience always comes with a little bit of a price tag.
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  And so what can we do to make this type of investment as wise as possible?
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  Well, before you go purchasing, it's always good to have a plan.
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  So we want to assess our need for And what I mean by that is,
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  do we really need it or is it something we just want?
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  So with major appliances, for example, it's hard to argue that something like
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  a refrigerator is not a necessity.
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  I mean, even if our need for a new appliance like a refrigerator that helps
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  us store food safely is legitimate, we still need to consider our budget before
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  we begin looking at options in the marketplace. place.
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  It makes wise financial sense to know how or agree upon how much we want to
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  spend or are able to spend before we start looking at all the fancy options available out there.
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  Yes, you can certainly spend a whole lot more money than what you need to spend if you want,
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  you know, all the fancy doors that swing out or if you want to have drawers
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  or shelves that you can see through, you know, all kinds of fun things.
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  Yeah, there's all sorts of bells and whistles. But the other thing to consider,
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  and not everybody always thinks about this, but you also want to make sure that
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  the appliance that you're looking for is going to be a good fit for your space.
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  I mean, literally, will it actually fit?
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  So in the case of large appliances like a washer or dryer or a wall oven,
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  we should measure the area we plan to put the appliance in.
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  And this includes measuring any door openings or hallways that the appliance
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  may need to pass through during delivery or installation.
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  Yes. And don't always rely on what the measurements say that they are.
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  Actually take your own tape measure and do this because I got caught by a refrigerator
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  that was just a fourth of an inch wider than what the measurements said that
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  they were. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
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  I just want to smack yourself.
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  And that happens. Yeah. Also on that note too, don't forget about the power
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  source and the type of outlet that's needed.
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  A lot of things will just plug into a regular wall outlet, but some appliances
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  require a special 240-volt outlet, certain dryers, or a three-prong outlet.
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  But regardless of what type of power outlet is needed, avoid using extension
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  cords and outlet adapters for major appliances.
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  So, when it's time to make this purchase.
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  In large cities like Lexington, there are lots and lots of options,
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  but in our smaller communities, we don't have as many options.
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  So where should we go to make these purchases? Is it something that we can even do online?
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  Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. Yes. I mean, using the Internet to do some
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  research at first is good to compare options and just see what's out there.
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  That's also where you might find out about the current features or benefits
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  that certain appliances have, where you can really just start to learn what is available.
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  But it's definitely worth going into stores to see the actual items if possible.
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  I realize that choices may be limited, like you said, depending on where we
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  live in some rural areas.
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  But by shopping in a store, you'll be able to interact with knowledgeable staff
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  that can be more responsive to your needs if possible.
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  And also shopping at a store that specializes in selling appliances is good.
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  Because the sales staff there should know at least a few things about each type
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  of appliance, hopefully.
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  Because sometimes we will go into a store that sells all sorts of things,
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  what we call like a big box retailer.
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  So they sell everything under the sun. And it may be hard to find somebody there
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  that knows a lot about the appliances.
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  But don't fret. If you're talking to a salesperson and they don't really seem
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  to know a whole lot about the product that you're interested in,
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  And it's okay to ask, you know, if there's somebody else working that may know
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  a little bit more about the product.
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  And that's also what's helpful when you do research ahead of time.
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  Sometimes you may realize, hmm, I actually know a little more about this than the salesperson.
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  But hopefully, we'd want to go into a store where the salespeople know as much
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  as possible so they can educate us as well.
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  Well, yes. And I think doing your research is definitely beneficial because
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  you know what you want. For example, if you're buying a washing machine,
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  do you want an agitator or do you not want an agitator? Do you want a front loader or a top loader?
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  And those are things that somebody can't answer for you. You're going to have
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  to know those answers for yourself.
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  Just doing that research is going to help to answer those questions.
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  Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. But really, I think the main thing to understand
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  is really, if you can purchase an appliance locally, it may cost a little bit
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  more going to a smaller retailer that's nearby. But,
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  The personal connection you'll get with the store usually means you'll get better
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  customer service and help with any future repairs.
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  So that's why I would encourage you to shop locally if possible.
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  But I know that sometimes that's not always possible.
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  And typically, in my experience with smaller retailers, they are able to work
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  some deals that the big box stores can't do.
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  They have to go with what the national rates are. and smaller people can work
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  some deals that other people can't do. So keep that in mind.
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  How do we know if we're getting a good deal? Okay, so this is my favorite part
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  is it's all about comparison shopping. That's what you really want to do.
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  Knowing the prices at different stores will help us get a feel for what things
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  currently cost or what they're currently selling for.
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  But before we actually get into the pricing per se and when things go on sale,
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  I do want to mention the importance of making sure that when you are comparing
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  appliances, you're actually comparing the same appliance in different stores.
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  So what I mean by that is, let's say, for example, you're shopping for a new
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  dishwasher and you find one that you like at a certain store or website.
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  Okay, so what you want to do is make a note of that specific model number.
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  So that way, when you check to see if another store has it, you can make sure
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  that you're evaluating the same exact model.
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  Item. Because what happens is manufacturers, they sometimes make different versions
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  of an appliance model with varied levels of quality.
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  And this is to meet needs of different stores that have different price points.
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  So like in the case of a dishwasher, you wouldn't just look at the brand name
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  or the color or the price and compare those.
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  You actually want to look at the specific model number within different stores
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  and make sure they match exactly.
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  That way, you know you're comparing the exact same thing.
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  Sometimes, well, in the case of the dishwasher, if they appear to be the same,
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  but one is a lot cheaper, it could be because it doesn't have the same cleaning
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  cycles or it's not as well insulated.
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  So it might be louder or like with a washer, the washers may look the same on
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  the outside, but maybe one has a different capacity.
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  So one is going to wash more and that might be why it's more expensive.
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  So you definitely want to make sure you look at the, there'll usually be like
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  a list of specifications or exactly exactly what those features are and what
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  the description are, what's special about it.
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  Does it have any extra parts with it?
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  And compare those features and consider the benefits to determine what's right for your budget.
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  Right. Yeah. My son actually had this experience because he thought he was getting
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  the exact same dishwasher that I have because I really liked to my dishwasher.
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  And when it arrived, he found out he got the same model, sort of,
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  except he has a plastic tub and I have a stainless steel tub.
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  That's why his was so much cheaper than mine.
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  Exactly. Yeah. That's the perfect example. Another one to go on that too is
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  this isn't a real major appliance, but like a countertop appliance,
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  some things, different microwaves or different stand mixers,
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  you'll see, oh, the one at the discount retailer is a lot cheaper.
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  Well, that's because it might not have the same wattage or power.
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  So you really have to look at the model number and then also the description of what it is.
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  So, yeah. When we see these big sales on major ponds, as you know,
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  the President's Day sale or the Labor Day sale, is that a good deal usually? Yeah, actually.
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  It is. It's common for appliances to go on sale around the same time frame as
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  major holidays or big three-day weekends.
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  But something that not everybody realizes is that most of those major appliance
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  sales, like you mentioned, like President's Day and that sort of thing,
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  those sales and rebates are actually manufacturer-driven, which means the store
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  isn't really setting the price.
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  The manufacturer is. So in that case, the discounts are going to be the the
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  same everywhere, but, you know, even online.
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  Now, if you're really set on getting a discount, what you should do is take
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  a look at several brands and models.
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  Just be willing to consider other options because sometimes you might find significant
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  savings looking at a floor model or last year's model may be less expensive
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  because it lacks features that may not really matter to you.
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  Okay. That's always a good route to go.
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  Let's say that we finally narrowed down our choice and we think we know which
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  appliance we want, are there other costs or things that we need to consider
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  before we sign on the bottom line?
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  Yes, yes. So before making your final choice, definitely consider the operating
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  costs and maintenance costs, meaning how much it costs to run the item.
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  Most major appliances will have an energy guide label.
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  It's a yellow label displayed somewhere on the item or box to let let you know
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  what it actually does cost to run it.
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  I think it's per year based on the average usage.
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  And also, because of what it takes to design and build a true energy-efficient
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  appliance, sometimes those real energy-efficient appliances may cost more upfront,
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  but they will save you money over time with lower utility bills.
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  But definitely, take a look at that to see how much does one cost to run,
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  and then you might make your choice accordingly.
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  Also, don't forget that in addition to whatever appliance you get,
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  you want to keep it clean.
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  I mean, I would say it's good to clean your things, but also those things may
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  require maintenance or you might have to replace certain things like a filter
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  or bulbs or rubber gaskets on certain things.
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  So just remember to think about the kind of upkeep that a certain appliance
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  will have in order for you to keep it running efficiently.
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  Exactly. And like my dishwasher that I mentioned previously,
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  my old dishwasher did not have the removable filter that I have to wash out each month.
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  My new dishwasher has. And so paying attention to things that our newer appliances
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  have that our older appliances might not have had.
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  Exactly. It's important to make sure that we are maintaining them properly.
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  Yeah. And then another thing some people may not think about too is delivery
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  fees or installation fees.
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  Or if you have an old appliance that you would want hauled away,
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  some stores will include all that in the actual price or they may have a separate
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  delivery or installation fee.
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  So when you add that into it, that may impact your final price and then you
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  can decide accordingly from there.
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  Well, and I can also mention here that if you are getting rid of an appliance
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  that's not broken down, if it still works...
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  Look into Restores or Goodwill or Salvation Army, because they will often come
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  pick up your appliance if it's still working.
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  And then you also can have that as a tax write-off, as a donation.
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  So not only do you not have to pay for the haul-away fee, but you also can use it as a tax write-off.
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  So keep that in mind if you are getting rid of an appliance that is still working,
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  that you might be able to save some money there. Oh, yeah. Yeah,
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  that's really true. I'm glad you mentioned that, Mindy.
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  Which also, that reminds me, too, for those appliances that aren't working and
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  that you can dispose of yourself,
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  some counties will have an appliance disposal program or electronic disposal
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  where you take them to your county dump, I guess. Yeah.
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  So you need to dispose of it a certain way.
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  And then also with refrigerators, if you were to put a refrigerator out on the
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  curb to be picked up for trash disposal, you're supposed to take the doors off of the refrigerator.
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  A little fun fact about that. Yes. And I think that we actually might have some
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  counties are going through their cleanup, spring cleanup, like right now.
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  And so go to your county government and find out if when the county cleanup
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  week is, because it might be coming up very soon.
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  You might be able to get rid of some of those appliances without having to haul them away yourself.
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  It might be that they'll come and pick them up at your. Yeah.
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  Okay. So what about extended warranties? Are those something that we should invest in?
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  Well, before we actually talk specifically about extended warranties,
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  I just want to mention that any major appliance should come with a basic warranty.
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  And it's good to read this before you purchase an item just so you know it's covered.
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  And it's your right to have access to that written warranty before you purchase something.
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  And I say that because if you ask to read a warranty, but it's only in the sealed box.
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  The store might tell you they can't open the box to get the warranty until you purchase it.
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  Well, that's not proper business. They're still required to show you a copy.
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  Before you make the purchase. Didn't know if you knew that.
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  Yeah. Yeah. So appliances should perform as advertised.
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  And the warranty, the basic warranty should clearly define what you can do if it breaks.
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  But with the extended warranty or a service plan, that's something you pay extra
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  for that will have different features depending on the store.
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  But the extended warranty, before you pay to purchase it or a special service
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  plan, just be sure to to know what it covers because there's a chance that the
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  regular warranty is really all you need.
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  Or if you happen to use a special credit card for the purchase,
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  sometimes that credit card company may include warranty coverage also.
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  So I'd say in most cases, it's better to skip the extended warranty and just
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  instead set a little money aside for potential repairs.
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  But do what works for your situation because if it's an appliance that is going
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  to get a lot of use and depending depending on your season of life,
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  if you will, if you've got a lot of rough people at home that just kind of use
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  things and you know it's going to break and it would make more economic sense
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  for you to get an extended warranty, then fine.
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  But just definitely make sure
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  you know exactly what it covers and figure out if it's really worth it.
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  So, yeah. Yes, definitely weigh your own situation.
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  But oftentimes they are just an extra piece of money that you don't need to spend.
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  Yes, yes. Jeannie, thanks so much for taking the time to share with us today.
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  Oh, sure. Yeah, I was happy to do it.
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  As always, it's a pleasure to speak with you. And I know that this information
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  is going to be useful for our listeners.
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  Yeah, thank you. Thanks for having me. If you're just tuning in,
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