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What dollar amount do you consider a large purchase?

Calliecake

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I know everyone has a different dollar amount they consider to be a large amount for a purchase. Just curious what Pricescopers consider that dollar amount to be. By large purchases I'm not including homes or automobiles.
 
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Queenie60

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Depends what the item is - for jewelry, anything over $3,000 is a large purchase. Furniture - any amount over $2,000 or so. We recently upgraded our audio/video system and spent $22,000 - I considered that a large purchase. Next week we will be upgrading our security system which will be about $4,000 - I consider that to be a large purchase. It varies - depending if it's a need or a want.
 

iluvshinythings

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I think a large purchase is anything that costs more than a week's salary.
 

tyty333

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Oh gosh, I come from the other extreme...I think anything $500 or up is a large purchase. I dont make $500 or up purchases very often so to me that's a large purchase. I must be cheap :-o .
 

stracci2000

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tyty333|1466808907|4047816 said:
Oh gosh, I come from the other extreme...I think anything $500 or up is a large purchase. I dont make $500 or up purchases very often so to me that's a large purchase. I must be cheap :-o .

I agree.
$500.00 is a big deal to me.
 

lovedogs

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stracci2000|1466822127|4047970 said:
tyty333|1466808907|4047816 said:
Oh gosh, I come from the other extreme...I think anything $500 or up is a large purchase. I dont make $500 or up purchases very often so to me that's a large purchase. I must be cheap :-o .

I agree.
$500.00 is a big deal to me.

I'm similar--anything over 500 I consider large. I "window shop" for jewelry often and of course spend time on PS, but don't have the cash flow to make 500+ purchases often.
 

marcy

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I would also say $1000. Anything over that is something I contemplate for a long time whether it's a want or a need and should I really spend the money.
 

YadaYadaYada

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My first thought was anything over $1,000.
 

LLJsmom

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Actually, I think I must be really cheap. I think about things forever. Really. How often am I going to wear it? Will I still love it next week, month, year... How many different things can it go with. This goes for anything really. So to answer the question, usually $500 or over is large to me, for anything. But even if it's $20, I go through all those questions before I plop down money. And I always look for a return option. I am very hesitant about buying if I cannot bring it back.
 

PintoBean

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Hmmm if I have to pay interest on it.
 

sonnyjane

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I think if it's more than $300 I feel obligated to tell my husband I bought something haha.
 

packrat

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LLJsmom|1466824964|4048017 said:
Actually, I think I must be really cheap. I think about things forever. Really. How often am I going to wear it? Will I still love it next week, month, year... How many different things can it go with. This goes for anything really. So to answer the question, usually $500 or over is large to me, for anything. But even if it's $20, I go through all those questions before I plop down money. And I always look for a return option. I am very hesitant about buying if I cannot bring it back.


hahahahaha ask Monnie how long it took me to find a winter coat, and how many FB messages I sent her about it. I got it on sale for like $120 and was sweating, paying for it.

"Large", for us I think $250+, depending what it is, what it's for. $250 on a tv, not the same as $250 on a pair of shoes.
 

sonnyjane

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I'll add that clearly my number is different than my husband's! Last month I came home and saw a new tool chest in the garage. When I asked about it, DH said he got a good deal on it as it was $700 off the original price. This begged the question... What was it to START?!?! I didn't ask because I didn't want to know. We don't share finances so our play money is ours to do with as we like.
 

Snowdrop13

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Queenie60|1466801431|4047750 said:
Depends what the item is - for jewelry, anything over $3,000 is a large purchase. Furniture - any amount over $2,000 or so. We recently upgraded our audio/video system and spent $22,000 - I considered that a large purchase. Next week we will be upgrading our security system which will be about $4,000 - I consider that to be a large purchase. It varies - depending if it's a need or a want.

This...... I like to get value for money too! I'll happily spend $1000 on a nice piece of jewellery, especially if it's preloved and a "bargain". I wouldn't spend that on a handbag or shoes, for instance.
 

arkieb1

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I also think it depends what it is too, I also think many people will go wow that's a lot of money to spend on a sound system or a alarm system or a handbag, or a pair of shoes, jewellery, or a set of saucepans if you like to cook or whatever, so it probably also depends what you are "into" as well.
 

missy

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Depends on what it is. For bling I have a higher tolerance of $ amount and I would say if it is over 2K I will discuss it with my dh.

For most other things anything over 1K gives me pause. But again it really depends on what we are talking about. I am much less likely to spend 1K on a handbag where if it is a pretty piece of bling I am more likely to pull the trigger.

What any disposable income purchase comes down to for me is PPW. Price per wear. So if we are talking boots that cost near 1K if I am wearing them every week when it is cooler out that is a smart purchase because PPW is cheap. And if we are talking an ER that I am wearing every single day well over the course of a decade again that works out to be a more reasonable purchase than let's say a wedding dress that I am wearing just once in my lifetime. Just as an example.

So it is not totally dependent on absolute cost but PPW for me. As long as we can afford the absolute cost of course. ;))
 

Loves Vintage

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Ha! I must be really cheap, but I think $100 or more is a large purchase, on anything.
 

missy

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Loves Vintage|1466855940|4048139 said:
Ha! I must be really cheap, but I think $100 or more is a large purchase, on anything.

No I don't think you are cheap because it also depends what stage you are in life and how old you are and what you have done and been through if that makes sense. 20 years ago I would have had a different answer.
 

Niel

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stracci2000|1466822127|4047970 said:
tyty333|1466808907|4047816 said:
Oh gosh, I come from the other extreme...I think anything $500 or up is a large purchase. I dont make $500 or up purchases very often so to me that's a large purchase. I must be cheap :-o .

I agree.
$500.00 is a big deal to me.

What's funny is i am about everything but jewelry. I can drop 700 on jewelry and be like "awesome, great deal me!" But if it's anything other than jewelry i start to get uncomfortable after $300 for most things. Then, like, things I just don't like to spend money on I'm like "50 dollars?! "
 

diamondringlover

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anything over a $100 I usually discuss with hubby...but it depend on what it is..I did not discuss the Lexus I just bought 2 weeks ago with him lol....he knew I was feed up with my car and was going car shopping..but whatever.
 

anne_h

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For me, $3k USD is where I start thinking twice, for jewelry. As in, making sure it makes sense and fits my longer-term plans.

The thresholds are lower for other things, like household items and vacations. They are just not as valuable or interesting to me.

I agree with missy, it's all relative and also depends on life stage. Earlier in my career, my answer would have been much different!

DH and I keep our finances separate, so we can spend or save our disposable income as we wish. This is after paying living expenses, kid stuff and retirement investing. So far so good! <Insert plug for MBA, it really helped me grow my career and earning power.>

Anne
 

momhappy

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I agree with the fact that it could really depend on a number of factors. I think if a dollar amount makes you think twice or if you'd feel uncomfortable about an amount without discussing with a significant other, then that's probably what I would consider a large purchase.
 

kenny

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It's hard for me to answer this question.
There is lots of stuff that influences my perception of what constitutes a 'large' purchase.

The main thing is how the item fits into the continuum from a necessity to a luxury.
I would not see $1,000 spent on homeowner's insurance, required by your mortgage lender, as a large purchase.
But the same $1,000 spent on a pair of shoes seems like a large purchase.
 

lovedogs

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Niel|1466856640|4048142 said:
stracci2000|1466822127|4047970 said:
tyty333|1466808907|4047816 said:
Oh gosh, I come from the other extreme...I think anything $500 or up is a large purchase. I dont make $500 or up purchases very often so to me that's a large purchase. I must be cheap :-o .

I agree.
$500.00 is a big deal to me.

What's funny is i am about everything but jewelry. I can drop 700 on jewelry and be like "awesome, great deal me!" But if it's anything other than jewelry i start to get uncomfortable after $300 for most things. Then, like, things I just don't like to spend money on I'm like "50 dollars?! "

haha I totally agree. It definitely depends on what I'm buying. I'm really hesitant to spend anything over $100 on an item of clothing, shoes, etc, since I feel like I could always find it for less and don't care about brand name things. But for jewelry I tend to think of 300-500 as a lot, and think very carefully about purchases in that range. DH and I are planning to renovate our kitchen soon, and the cost of that is terrifying to me (around 3K). But for things like furniture, I kind of accept that finding things under 1K is relatively rare, so when we moved I was more willing to accept high costs.
 

Sky56

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Anything over $100
 

dk168

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Over 300 USD, as that's my normal monthly budget for non-essential items.

DK :))
 

ckrickett

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depends on the item and why.

Like random purchases for entertainment 300-500 is where we start to go HMMMMM
for technology and electronics $1000
For Items as gifts (birthday or christmas) I usually don't blink an eye if the total spent is over $1500 but I do try to keep it reasonable (I don't try to spend that much or more, rather I have an idea of what I want to get as gift, if its less then HUZZAH)
 
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