MrZ has always wanted to make sure we buy all new appliances in the kitchen before we sell the house at the 5-year mark. I’ve always insisted that if he wants to do that, let’s do it a few years before that mark so I can enjoy new appliances for awhile. Our fridge (a whopping 15 cubic feet) is old and on it’s last leg. The stove and dishwasher are not new, but were still in good shape. MrZ decided last week that it was time. Time to make the jump.
And what happened no less than 3 days after he made that decision? The in-good-shape dishwasher died. AWESOME.
We went last weekend to shop around. I did this kicking and screaming the entire time. I have no interest in being part of this process. I have learned that shopping for things for the home with my husband is a bad idea. We usually disagree and most of the time go with his choice. This always angers me because I feel short-changed. BUT - it is always the way we should go because the few times we’ve gone with my choice, I end up hating it later. This makes me even angrier. I suck at interior design type things.
But I went because he insisted. And it was not fun. The spot our fridge is in is very restrictive in terms of size. This means the pickings are slim. We either go the exact same size as the one we have now (SO SMALL) or we go bigger, but we pay more because we have to get the weird dimension one. The only ones we saw at one appliance store that would fit AND give us more space were over $1500. THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY. And let me tell you - they were WAAAAY fancier than we need or deserve. The one that MrZ was looking at had a wine rack. A WINE RACK. My boxed wine will not fit there.
I told MrZ I did not want to get that one because I was afraid it would judge us. The fridge would be all, “12 different frozen casseroles? REALLY? You buy me to hold your pre-made frozen dinners? And do you really need 3 cases of diet coke?”
I don’t know. We need to at least get the dishwasher because the whole washing dishes by hand thing SUCKS. But we want to decide on the fridge first because the other two will be easy: THE CHEAPEST. It’s making me crazy. They say that the two things that will break a marriage is (1) Tragedy and (2) Home buying. I think that #3 has to be SHOPPING FOR NEW APPLIANCES. It may not hurt our marriage, but I think if we have to do it any longer, I may need medicating.
Now you’ve got me all curious, why are you going to sell your house at the 5-year mark?
when we bought our home (shortly after we were engaged….we were those horrid shacking up people:) it had no appliances. We went to the trusty home depot and picked them out pretty easy. But then I nearly fainted when they showed us the cost. FOR THE LOVE OF…….
We silently prayed that our stove would come beat up on the sides. It’s not like you could see the sides of it, it would still work great, and we’d get a discount!! HA!
But no, it didn’t. On the bright side we have nice appliances and now that they’re paid for we’ve just blocked the whole painful memory of the cost.
Oy. Shopping with my husband in general makes me crazy. Shopping for appliances….even worse. My husband is the type that thinks the more expensive it is the better; I am all about CHEAP. Not a good combo.
Good luck in your shopping. We’ll need to see pictures of the new stuff!
We will be selling our home and buying a new modular soon and are in the process of picking out appliances. I want a beautiful fancy kitchen but it isn’t within our budget so it is making this so NOT fun.
Good luck with the shopping and I hope you find something you can agree on soon because handwashing dishes is the pits!
I feel for you. But please - don’t buy the cheapest dishwasher! You’ll hate it forever. Look at Consumer Reports (library has them) and buy the cheapest good dishwasher.
And do not - I repeat DO NOT - go to Sears, as their appliance people are on commission and the experience will be similar to that of Frodo fighting the spider in the tunnel.
http://girlwithgreencard.blogspot.com/2006/10/shoot-me-now.html
*shudder*
Don’t get a Frigidaire dishwasher - it sucks crap, and it gets cranky if you use the wrong soap and will ruin your very expensive Denby dishes. ::cough::
Good luck with the shopping. I dislike shopping for big-ticket items, as we usually can’t afford what I really want, and end up getting something that’s nice, but just not “THE item”.
Our fridge judged us right out of the box. Within the first week, the ice maker had made other plans and told us to kiss his cold, white ass.
I tried sweet talking him, but he still refused to turn the tray back over after dumping the ice out so the water that should be refilling the tray flowed freely all through the freezer.
I finally told him off, yanked the ice bucket out, and flipped the switch off.
The rest of the fridge, we get along dandy.
my dishwasher dies and I had to wash dishes for two months before we got a new one.
I did get a frigidaire dishwasher and although it was expensive, it is terrific and SO quiet!
I think the appliances have meetings at night and decide to all break at the same time. Mine always happen in threes. Sometimes they include the cars just to throw us off.
Two words: Paper plates!!
I have to admit to curiousity too - you’re selling your home in a few years?!
We recently won a settlement and have decided to buy all new appliances and furniture and to re-model our kitchen and bath. While shopping for the stove and fridge, it was my husband who picked out a $980. stove with all the bells and whistles, including a fifth burner with a griddle for making pancakes and such! Even heavy duty iron grids on the cooktop. I would have been happy with just a new model of what I already had, that would run abut $400. THEN when it came to the fridge, I immediately was drawn to the big two door upper fridge with the lower freezer drawer. It cost $2400. vs. 1900 for a side by side that he liked, my hubby threatened divorse if i kept demanding to spend the 2400 on the one I wanted. (Even though he spend so much more than what we planned for the stupid stove, that HE liked.) Never could understand that! LOL
Try out Ikea.. their stuff is much cheaper than anywhere else and it’s awsome!! check it out online