I'm Jane's Brother And I'm Here To Help: Your Beautiful Home Can Be So Cheap

I'm a cheapskate, but I splurge on certain things.

I'm the person Jane and a lot of other people call when they can't figure out how to do something.

You all know that I'm cheap, and you all know that I research everything to death before I make a purchase. Here’s my accumulated wisdom as a design professor, DIYer and researcher. I hope this advice might be helpful to you when making purchases for your home.

• If what you decide to purchase will last twice as long, spending twice as much is okay. A real leather chair will last longer than a "bonded” leather one. However, if you are only going to keep it for a few years, go with the cheaper one. I don't like buying IKEA furniture because it is basically disposable and bad for the environment. But economically, it makes sense if you are only looking for something to last a few years.

• If it will last your lifetime or longer, get the best you can afford—cast iron pans, a good chef's knife, or a good hammer, for instance. This only works for things that won't become outdated or out of fashion and will serve a function that won't become obsolete.

• If what you want to buy won’t depreciate or barely depreciates, it's an easy decision. I love antiques for this reason. But some new things also fall into this category, like an Eames lounge chair or some artwork.

View from my sofa. I still use the fan, which will last my lifetime if I oil it every year or two. You can’t easily oil new ones. They don’t want them to last. [Ben, your house is so neat and tidy! Are we related? – Jane]

• Buy home goods if you get such a good deal on them and you know you can sell them for more. That way if you change your mind, no big deal. Maybe you have a connection, or it's something your company makes. Or maybe, like me, you are just great at getting bargains. Black Friday deals, for example, are real (I know we just passed that opportunity, but think about it for next year) and you probably won’t see those prices again for another year.

• I'm a big fan of buying things with small issues at a discount. This might be a "scratch and dent" appliance or an open box item. Be careful, though: if the warranty is void it may be worth the additional expense to get one with the full warranty.