What was your best purchase for 2010?

**gottadance** · 01-02-2011, 11:17 AM

~The baby's crib. Our cherry sleigh style drop-side crib was recalled. So I sent in the hardware and forms and got a voucher for a free crib. I chose a white convertible style this time. We paid $4 OOP for tax. It's a nice looking crib and the baby loves it. My older two never liked that sleigh crib like Fairfax likes hers. Very happy with that $4 purchase!~

Excellent investment - safety for the baby. Drop side cribs are going out of production.

**gottadance** · 01-02-2011, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by brenda67

My best purchase's for 2010 is definately my 8 by 12 Greenhouse...My Peach & Plum trees plus several berry bushes that will provide fresh fruit for my famly for many years to come..

My Chicken's that I love like my own kid's whom give us a nourishing present everyday..

The treadmill that will hopefully help me lose the extra weight..

Green house - whoohooo! And trees and bushes! Yay! Chickens, too? Wow, you and I think alike! Treadmill - great investment - I have had mine more than 10 years and love it and use it regularly.

**gottadance** · 01-02-2011, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Ramona

My first slow cooker, I mentioned it in another thread. Bought at discount at amazon.com through ebates.com. I won't say I love it but I do have a crush on it.

Yes, I love my new, larger slow cooker too - I didn't buy it - got it as a Xmas present, but very excited to have a nicer one.

**joyofsix** · 01-02-2011, 11:24 AM

My electric throw. I can tolerate sitting down with the family now because my bones don't hurt from the cold.

**gottadance** · 01-02-2011, 11:31 AM

Sorry for all of the posts, but wanted to make comments on all of these great purchases!

My best purchase by far was my new vinyl flooring in my rec room. I previously had this 1990s light gray carpet that was not only out of date, but so hard to keep clean with two cats and two bunnies. It always looked dirty and was a pain in the butt. I waited and saved a long time to get the flooring and it looks like real hardwood and is so easy to clean. I'll have it for years and it makes my day-to-day life so much better. Every time I'd walk into my rec room and see that stained carpet it was a reminder that I couldn't afford new flooring and how much I hated it. Now - happiness! Here's a pic - I'm currently staining the paneling behind the stairs to make it a richer color that matches the floors. The cat was free.

**madjen** · 01-02-2011, 11:49 AM

I guess it would have to be a hot water heater and new kitchen sink since I can't live without those 2 items on a daily basis!

**craftypam** · 01-02-2011, 12:16 PM

My best purchases were a new to us 2006 Pontiac Torrent. I looked a long time and got a good amount for our older (lots of problems car) and a good price for the newer one with low mileage.
I got airline tickets to Cancun $200 cheaper than last year with no layovers.
I got a new garbage disposal recommended by cp (list $230) for
$107 on amazon; shipping included.

**Gotonenerveleft** · 01-02-2011, 03:31 PM

I was thinking that I didn't have any big purchases for 2010 and that my best one was a Scentsy burner. It is so nice to have a scented house without worrying about the flame of a candle. I got a second one for a Christmas present.

Then I read Gottadance's post about new flooring and remembered that we got new flooring in our formal living room. We don't go in there very often so I completely forgot about it. It looks so pretty that it is the best purchase of 2010....sorry Scentsy.

**DJ1972** · 01-02-2011, 03:51 PM

My nook, love the free books! I also got rid of a book shelf and books after I purchased it, so less "stuff" in my house!

**Libby** · 01-02-2011, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by ladykemma2

can you post sepearately about the roomba, model , make? i want to buy one. thanks.

I believe its the irobot Roomba 550 model we have however I think that was a special model made for sale at Costco only. There are other similar ones on the irobot website. Right now, we're manually running it twice daily here b/c we find that it has better suction then my old upright vac. (Not sure if my old vac is just not good or if its b/c its old and slowly dying.)

The Roomba can be scheduled to run anytime you wish...runs for about an hour to an hour and a half each time. It un-docks itself and returns to the base when its battery is low so its literally no maintenance. All you have to do is empty the dirt its sucked up and ensure it doesn't get trapped in places or fall down the stairs etc. And in my case, clean out the brushes of 'hair' weekly - it comes with special tools to make it easy. (I have long hair)

Supposedly its trained not to 'eat' wires but they have to be a certain size before it won't try to inhale them. There's a sensor so this model supposedly won't fall down the stairs but as a precaution, we put a 2x4 across the top of the stairs. It also comes with 2 virtual walls so you can set 'borders' (walls) to not cross but they don't always work. We find ours seems to have a tude every now and then and butts its way outta the 'zone' we set.

For the quality of vacuuming it does and the ease of the automated programmed schedule - I think its worth it. I can turn it on while I'm doing other things in the house. Its pricey and totally un-frugal but quite handy! You should try browsing their site to see which model would best suit your needs then google the model for reviews. We chose by features. My dad has the basic model that was 'cheap' or 'on sale' but you literally have to turn it on and off when you're done with it. His likes to 'die' under the bed

Its totally a no frills model.

Hope that helps!

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 01-02-2011, 08:45 PM

I'd have to say our loveseat. Our old loveseat "died" (it was a recliner kind and the hinge thingy broke! Like not-repairable, broke!) and for four months I sat in an old rocker my mom loaned me and Dh sat in an camp chair! Not comfortable and our together time has always been cuddling on the couch...

So, we finally got a leather loveseat for $700 at one of the local store's outlets (org. a $2300 loveseat!). It is SO comfortable and looks SO pretty! I'm thrilled!

**Telephus44** · 01-03-2011, 11:13 AM

Technically my MIL paid for some of it, but our mini upstairs bathroom remodel - that included moving the washer and dryer from the basement to the upstairs bathroom. Soooo happy with it!

And secondly, my wardrobe. I spent a lot of the beginning of the year just purging things that were too small, too tight, too baggy, wrong color, etc. I spent the second half of the year buying a lot of replacement things. I finally have a "uniform" that looks good on me. About once a week someone at work will tell me that my outfit looks nice. I have some awesome looking clothes, and even if they weren't totally frugal, they make me happy.