DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I have a daughter-in-law who somehow or other is convinced buying the exact same thing at a fancier store means it’s better quality than what you get at Walmart, Target, or Amazon.
Before she bought it, I told her the air fryer she saw at Williams-Sonoma for over $200 was the exact same model I got my sister at Target.com for just over $160 not two weeks before. She bought the one at Williams-Sonoma anyway.
Of course I understand there are some items which are a finer quality at a higher-end store, but for a lot of things, it really doesn’t matter, and you can save a lot of money getting around the snob appeal of the fancier stores.
How do I convince my daughter-in-law that there is a lot to be gained by shopping smarter and skipping the fancy surroundings and price tags for what she needs? --- IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER
DEAR IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER: Your daughter-in-law isn’t the only person who believes that it has to be better if it’s from a more exclusive retailer.
Perhaps for her, there’s a satisfaction in being able to afford to shop higher-end places, just as to your way of thinking, the real magic is in getting the best value for your money.
You could attempt to continue your side-by-side price comparing as you did for the air fryer next time she’s in the market for a readily-available item. However, I’ve seen how there are sometimes very subtle differences between models offered exclusively by competing merchants. Even if two items are virtually identical except for some very minor detail, your daughter-in-law might still feel justified in shelling out more for what another, less high-end retailer is offering for a lower price.
To save your sanity, my suggestion is you shop your way, let her shop hers.