flatware and dishes, buy another set now or wait until i need it?

[Sagginit]

hi budget boarders, i have a what would you do question for you. i have a set of flatware i got as a gift, its an 8 person set. its pfatzgraff and i don't intend on investing in a set of silverware as i am an apartment dweller. anyway its discontinued but i found its on overstock and i can get another box for a place setting of 16. do you think its good to invest now or wait until i need it? my concern is if i ever host a holiday dinner, i do have a dining room with a table that could seat up to 12 and a set of china i inherited, so i would hate to have mismatched flatware. on the other hand is 16 of each excessive?

also for those that have children, would you be happy with just 8 of each or would you always be running out?

last question. my corelle set is for 8. i have giftcards so i can get either another set of 8 to have 16 of everything or another set of 12. again do you feel like 12 or 16 of each is excessive for a family of 3-5 (we dont have kids yet but if all goes well we want 1-2, maybe 3 ). im trying to sort out what is the best use of my shower giftcards.

 

[ForeverAlice]

Buy another set not excessive at all!

 

[NKHarris329]

Do you see yourself hosting a large event or starting a family in the next 5 years. If yes, then go for it. If no, I would wait.

 

[megsters]

do you like the pattern? if yes, buy! if no, save it for something you like !

we're still just two, but i love having 12 of each. can't imagine how many we'll have when we have kids....yikes !

 

[scrapquitler]

There are 4 in my house, and I would constantly be running out if I didn't have asset of 16.

I say buy it.

 

[Jedimom]

With children you can expect to lose flatware periodically to the garbage can. As they throw away a yogurt container, pudding, or scrape off their dinner plate, every so often a spoon or fork will "oops" drop right in as well. This is why I opted not to buy a good flatware set. I purchase from the bulk bin at Walmart -- sets of 2-3 spoons or forks go for a couple of bucks, they're pretty plain in pattern, and I can replenish as needed.

 

[elgerber]

There are 4 in my house, and I would constantly be running out if I didn't have asset of 16.

I say buy it.

Yep, this exactly!! Family of 4 and we sometimes run out before the dishwasher is run, and I have 16.

 

[LJSquishy]

I would buy another set of flatware as well as another set of dinnerware if you like the styles of both.

We have service for 8 of Pottery Barn dishes and while we rarely run out of a certain size dish, over the last 9 years we've had them a couple have broken and a handful of them have pretty big chips on the edges. We replaced a couple of bowls a few years ago but too many have chips in them so when our budget allows we plan to replace with service for 12 in Corelle (even though I think they look cheap) and then maybe add another 4 place settings down the road.

As far as flatware goes, you'll definitely want a second set if you eat at home a lot. It's just my husband and myself and we have a set of 8 and it's not enough. We run out of big forks and little spoons all of the time.

If we have anyone over for a meal, I have to make sure ALL of our dishes & flatware is clean because we'll run out otherwise. It's a huge pain. I can't imagine having kids and the amount we'd go through every day. I cook from scratch and we eat at home 99% of the time so our dishwasher is always full it seems.

 

[buckirj1]

It's totally up to you, but since you asked...I don't see the point in buying something you don't need just because you might need it a theoretical "some day." But I don't see the point in having everything match, either.

 

[seashoreCM]

Reviewing the bidding:

1. The style has been discontinued.
2. You want matched settings for a larger party.
3. A piece could get lost, broken, or accidentally discarded.

Buy the extra settings now. You never know if or when that style may appear as an overstock again.

 

[Sadie22]

I had at least 12 of my first set of Corelle Livingware around 40 years ago. Some pieces were broken. The children loved cereal and ice cream. There were never enough bowls. I bought more cereal bowls and serving bowls in plain white. Later I bought an entirely new pattern of dishes with glassware to match. One DS has some of what's left of the original set of dishes. Over the years i have purchased more flatware off eBay so that i have more than 16. I pick up Corning Grab-It bowls and casseroles at Goodwill when i see them.

Buy as much of your pattern as you think you might want now while you can.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Do you think you'll get bored with those patterns? I got tired of my flatware pattern after 8 years so I was happy I only had 8 place settings to sell so I could get a new pattern. That pattern was discontinued and I wish I'd be able to get more easily.

I'm still using the same dishes we got 30 years ago - I'm tired of them too but my husband likes them.

If you see yourself using the same things many years down the road, go ahead and buy them.

 

[Sagginit]

Hi everyone thank you for the replies. We got Boutique Swept(?) I think its called in Corelle so we don't get bored. Its plain white with a patterned edge in the design itself, instead of one of those floral or graphic colored prints. I think I will order the flatware now and then get more Corelle black friday weekend as I can see it going on sale. The flatwear just has a small beading around the edge, again very basic so it goes with more things and we don't get bored.

I also do have super cheap flatware from target currently (the kind from the bins for a few dollars) that I may keep as a backup as I like to take on local picnics or road trips to save on buying plastic (not to mention I hate the waste). I do have room for it all and yes I would be driven nuts if it didn't match, but I also feel like I tend to buy more than I need always which is why I was looking for some families/couples to weigh in with hindsight from their experiences.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I'm big on the buy it when you need it.. I've yet to need 'nicer dishes and silverware' and its been over 9 years since I moved to a new state via airplane..

When people come over its usually casual so paper etc...