An inadvertent head start

In the conclusion of my last post I pretty accurately predicted what ended up happening today. Yesterday we got a flyer in the mail inviting us to a "private sale only open to preferred customers" at Charlotte Furniture and Appliance. Although it seemed like a gimmicky promotion, everything in the store was promised to be on sale up to 50% off so we figured, why not check it out? My mom sent my dad out with a shopping list, and we met up to check out the offerings. While the visit was initially meant only to replace my parents' broken oven (as well as replace their toaster oven and microwave with an over-the-range (OTR) convection microwave like I mentioned in my last post), we ended up going whole hog, as my mom would say. She sent me with a couple secret messages that if they had good deals on refrigerators and dishwashers, go ahead and get those, too (all of my parents' appliances are 20+ years old). But it's not only that - Matt and I ended up getting all of our appliances, too. Say what!

As we were helping my dad with picking out an oven, we mentioned to the salesman that we were also looking for ourselves for down the road. The salesman said that they can hold appliances for 6 months, or even longer if necessary, all it takes is a phone call. Bingo! The oven/microwave combinations we were looking at ended up meeting both my mom's and our needs, so that got two birds with one stone, as did the dishwasher they had on special. We also went with the fridge, washer, and dryer they had on super special, seeing as how we were not picky on any of those appliances (like I outlined in my last post). Below is a list of what we got; you can click on the linked name to see the detailed specs on each appliance.

Maytag MIR8890AS Freestanding Induction Range - There really aren't that many induction ranges out there, and this is pretty much the only affordable one with a coordinating OTR convection microwave. Plus, this Maytag range is designed, engineered, and assembled in the USA.

Maytag MMV6186WS Convection Over the Range (OTR) Microwave - This is the convection microwave that matches the range, so - sold. (You want the range and microwave to coordinate because otherwise the finishes won't match and will look goofy. Since induction ranges and convection ranges are high-end, pretty much all of them are stainless steel; so, we didn't have a whole lot of choice here to get a convection microwave + induction oven.) It's not made in the USA, but apparently NO microwaves are.

Maytag MDB8949SAW Dishwasher - Basically we went with this dishwasher because it came at an incredible value. It washes dishes and is energy star - the end. It does have some sweet features like an adjustable height top rack, a split silverware basket for flexibility, and an auto clean cycle that gauges how dirty the dishes are so that resources aren't overused. The tub is stainless steel which apparently attracts condensation and improves heat retention, improving performance overall. It also has steam settings that we'll have to look into more. Even better, this is another appliance designed, engineered, and assembled in the USA. We got white because we are planning white cabinets and didn't care to pay more for either hidden controls or stainless steel, both of which would be unnecessary expenses.

Amana AFD2535FES Refrigerator - This was basically a 36" french door fridge at a special closeout price, so - okay. We get an ice maker which is bonus, and inside there is a little spout for cold filtered water. I'm not sure how efficient that water spout really is, to have to hold the door open to get water, but we;ll see whether we ever use it or not. Upon further inspection there are some spotty online reviews regarding reliability (people either love it or hate it), and I'm not sure whether the fridge is actually energy star certified. However, it is listed as consuming 505 kwh/yr, whereas comparable refrigerators that are energy star are rated anywhere from 473 to 551 kwh/yr, so I'm not sure that it's a problem. We didn't intend to get stainless steel, but it was actually less expensive than its black/white counterparts, so we went with it. However, given the reviews and questionable energy star status, we may go back to ask about other refrigerators; or if it's too late to switch, we will ask to add the extended warranty (which we initially declined but I expect we can still get since we haven't actually taken possession yet).

Frigidaire FAFW3921NW Washer and FASE7021NW Dryer - These were another case where there was an incredible bundle deal. We said, "Efficient front load washer and dryer" and these fit the bill. Sold. Apparently the washer comes with an energy saver mode and was named Energy Star Most Efficient 2012, so that's gravy.

Overall, we feel super ahead of the game, but we are very glad we went ahead and purchased all of our appliances today. For one, it's one less thing to worry about; and secondly, from what we can tell from online prices (not even retail, which in almost every case was a couple hundred dollars more), we saved over $1,000! Or rather, we will once we actually fully pay for them. For now we put down a 50% deposit, and then we pay the rest upon delivery. And, we actually get a price guarantee from now until 30 days after delivery, so we can feel safe knowing we got phenomenal deals. No wonder Charlotte is an 11-time winner in the D&C Rochester's Choice awards. And I suppose it goes without saying it felt like a lot of fun to go on an appliance shopping spree! The only downside is having to wait to be able to use any of them...

Updated Budget:
+$2,000.00 - Down payment for appliances
TOTAL SPENT SO FAR: $34,588.29