We all have big purchases that we want to make: furniture, cars, electronics. It’s hard to argue with limiting how much we buy on credit, but it often seems like those big purchases are just out of reach, even if we save for them. There are a couple of ways to bring those purchases a little closer into reach, if you’re willing to accept something a little different than your ideal.

1. Go for the strange colors.

My husband is responsible for vacuuming, and he’s been wanting a new vacuum cleaner for a while. He’s been very clear about what he wants: a Dyson able to handle our pets’ hair. Dysons are top of the line. They also have top of the line prices. But my husband was able to find a cheap Dyson — as long as he was willing to use a hot pink vacuum cleaner. Appearance isn’t a vital feature with a vacuum cleaner and he went for it.

2. Go for the used model.

A friend of mine has had her heart set on a particular car model for a while. She doesn’t want a brand new car, just because the thought of buying something and watch the value immediately drop makes her justifiably uncomfortable. She spent some time looking, though, and found exactly the car she wanted, down to the paint job. The only catch is that it’s slightly used — last year’s model. Someone drove it for a few months and decided to switch to a different vehicle, making my friend a very happy lady.

3. Go for a liquidation sale.

It’s not always the product that’s a little off. Sometimes a business runs into a few problems and has to get rid of some stock. The business may run the sale on its own, or it may turn its stock over to a liquidator. Either way, liquidated stock needs to be sold — and sold now. To make sure that happens, liquidators can bargain a little more on price than a retailer normally can. While furniture is often available through a liquidator, electronics can also be found in this manner.

4. Go for the out of town option.

I’ve had a lot of luck buying clothing and accessories online. While I do have to pay shipping for my new apparel, I can often get quality clothing much cheaper from some retailer located in a town I’ve never even heard of than heading to the local mall. I can even get an identical item, if I’m willing to spend time searching. If you’re looking for a particular designer, you should be aware that there are plenty of counterfeit items floating around online. You can get a Prada bag online, but the real thing isn’t going to be $30.

5. Go for the refurbished product.

Especially with electronics, buying a refurbished model can be the easiest way to find a deal. Refurbished models are often in better shape than brand new versions — the manufacturer has repaired a potential problem to make sure that they can resell it. In some cases, companies know about the problems repaired by refurbishment even before they start refurbishing the product — it’s just a serious enough defect to warrant a recall.

Yesterday, I made a purchase that I’ve been considering for about a month. I bought a new pair of shoes. These aren’t just any shoes, either. We’re talking about the most expensive pair of shoes I’ve ever bought.

I paid $85 for my new footwear. I realize that doesn’t sound like that much for shoes to some people. But I’m used to buying my shoes at Target. My feet are small enough that I routinely buy my shoes from the kids’ aisle, an area with even lower prices than than the already cheap options such a store provides.

My last pair of shoes are pretty much unwearable now. I paid $15 for them a year and a half ago. The bottom of my shoes are now broken in half, the padding in side the shoes has worn away and I need to replace the shoelaces, again. Looking at these broken down shoes, I finally understood the idea of paying for quality. Sure, I only paid $15 for my shoes, but I pay $15 every year.

For my new pair of shoes, I chose a brand name that is known for durability: Dr. Martens. This isn’t an endorsement for the brand in particular, but I know people who have worn the same pair of Doc Martins for the last decade. I only need to wear mine for a little more than five years to beat my current shoe expense.

I’m more than willing to admit that I get caught up in short-term frugality. I’ve bought cheap shoes, rather than investing in a good pair that will last me. But that short-term frugality isn’t always the best solution for my long-term financial success. Even setting aside the question of long-term cost, there are other factors that I really ought to take into consideration:

• How much time have I spent over the years shopping for new shoes?
• How bad for my feet are walking in these cheap shoes, especially after they get broken enough that I start worrying about buying a new pair?
• How poor of an image do I put forward with shabby shoes?

I’ve approached other purchases in the same way. I’ve gone to the dollar store to pick up all sorts of things, only to have to replace them a few months later. Even if you don’t consider the environmental issues that go along with treating durable consumer goods as disposable, I’ve probably spent a lot of money over the years just so that I could save a few bucks immediately.

For the sake of my finances, I’m working on choosing better long-term options when I need to make a purchase. From apparel to appliances, I’ve discovered that doing a little research helps me make sure that my purchases will last past the end of their warranty. There are a few cases where I still feel okay about buying the cheapest option available, but, in general, I’ve come to the conclusion that quality is worth the price.