I’d wager that most people can be a bit of a cheapskate at heart. They want to save as much money as they can, and would rather buy something cheap than something expensive.
They think about all those extra things they can buy with that cash like casino games, video games, movies, food, or perhaps something for their hobby. So, it leads them to buy the cheapest option they can find at the shop.
But, there is a simple problem with this. If you buy the cheapest option, then you get what you pay for! You will probably have to end up replacing that cheap item multiple times. Eventually, this can lead to you spending more money than if you had just bought the better quality item in the first place.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are many times where it may not matter whether you buy cheap or expensive. It will do its job well enough, and you won’t have to worry about it. No sweat!
However! There are many items that it is best to just spend the extra money on and get something nicer. They may seem expensive in some cases, but the quality you get will make them well worth the asking price.
1 – Shoes
Shoes are probably one of the most important items anyone on our little planet called Earth can own. Maybe even any planet if there are aliens out there!
Walking is something almost everyone will spend a good amount of time doing if you bar people will have disabilities. This means getting shoes that are comfortable and fit well is an absolute must.
First of all, they are more comfortable. If you spend your day walking in uncomfortable shoes, you are bound to have a bad time. Therefore, everyone should try their best to get a pair of shoes they like.
Whether they are pillows-like Ultra Boost sneakers from Adidas, or maybe something from the Zoom line of Nike’s, a comfortable pair of shoes will save your legs and your mood.
And it’s not just your comfort you have to worry about. There can be some serious health consequences of wearing ill-fitted shoes. For one, you can have terrible joint problems and arthritis. It can also cause tendonitis and there can be severe damage to connective tissue in your legs and hips.
Another health concern is that you could develop nerve problems. By wearing ill-fitting shoes for extended periods of time, you can cause irreparable damage to yourself, and could even lose some of the feeling in your legs or feet.
The final thing to consider with shoes is that they are there for a purpose. Your shoes are there to protect your feet from the world! Or perhaps it could be more apt to say they are there to protect you from the world!
Your feet are your main way to interact with the world. You walk upright on the ground to go from place to place. Is that something you’d really want to trust to a cheap pair of sneakers?
2 – Knives
Cooking is a skill I would recommend anyone who lives to learn to do. I can say from personal experience that there are very few pleasures in this world greater than a nice home-cooked meal with people you love.
That is why a nice knife is a great thing to have around the house. Whether you need it to cut meat or dice potatoes, a quality knife will make your life much more easy.
You may ask, “What can a knife do to help make my life easier? What’s wrong with my 7 dollar Walmart knife?” Well, the simple answer is quality.
A nice knife will be made of a nice steel. This will do two things for you. The first is it will keep a sharp edge better than a cheaper knife. The second is that it will be easier to care for.
Because it is made out of a nicer steel, a quality knife will be less likely to rust on you. This means that you don’t have to worry so much about ruining it. Now, that doesn’t mean you should abuse your tools, but it does mean you don’t need to baby them either.
3 – Mattresses
Sleeping is something all animals do. By extension, all humans do it. In fact, humans spend about a third of their lives sleeping! Think about that! If you live for 120 years, you will have spent 40 years sleeping!
This is why it is imperative that everyone have a quality mattress. Sleeping is no laughing matter. Problems with sleep can lead to innumerable consequences. Whereas a good night’s rest can feel the difference between life and death.
The big problems a bad night’s sleep can cause are split into two or three categories. The first is physical problems. These are the things most people will quickly recognize. Or at least, the ones people will realize they are experiencing.
Some of those effects include headaches and back pain. There can also be neck stiffness and irritation of the throat and mouth. The irritation is caused by sleeping badly and your throat drying out or vibrating due to your breathing.
The second category of effects is mental and mood-related. Fatigue and drowsiness are some obvious ones, but reduced cognitive function and memory problems are some you may not have known about.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should run out and buy the softest mattress you can find. You may think that will give you a great night’s sleep, but that may not be the case! In fact, a mattress that is too soft can cause just as many problems as a mattress that is too stiff.
The best thing to do is to find something that is comfortable, but supportive. This will help you sleep well and not let you end up with those annoying mattress related sleep problems.
4 – Paper Products
Something many people may not think of when they are thinking about things they go cheap on is paper products. Now, I’m not necessarily talking about printer paper. That is important too because cheap paper can cause jams, but printing things usually isn’t a necessity.
What I’m talking about are the kinds of paper people use every day of their lives without even realizing it. There are three main kinds of paper products that are important, and it is very worthwhile to spend a little extra to get the good stuff.
The first product is tissues. Tissues are useful in so many ways, and getting the good kind can save you a lot of heartache and suffering.
For instance, if you become sick or have allergies, you will most likely be blowing your nose a lot. Tissues, although they may not feel like it, are rather rough! They can work like an abrasive and really irritate your skin!
I don’t know how many times I have had to keep wiping my nose because of a cold and just suffer through the sting of my nose. It got rubbed raw from wiping my nose so much.
This is why it is worthwhile to buy nice tissues. Maybe some Kleenex tissues with lotion, or whatever other brands you prefer. But those tissues can make you feel like a million bucks if you switch to the right ones.
Another kind of paper product most people use is paper towels. Paper towels are quite useful for cleaning spills or disinfecting things. Usually, they are mostly used when you wouldn’t want to dirty a towel with what you are cleaning.
Most people wouldn’t argue that paper towels are useless. In fact, I doubt you would find a kitchen in the west that didn’t have them.
But, I can certainly say that buying cheap paper towels will lead you to want to rip out your hair. From personal experience, cheap paper towels are quite annoying and frustrating.
Why is this? After all, they are just paper! Well, I’m not really sure about the science of it. However, when I cheaped out on them, the paper towels I got just didn’t soak up as much as a better brand! They would also leave fuzz and lint all over everything I wiped with them.
This would cause cleanup to be a pain. Not only did I have to use many more paper towels to clean something up, but I also had to clean up after cleaning up! There was that fuzz I had to get rid of somehow, and it is certainly not easy.
The last, and possibly most important paper product to not cheap out on is toilet paper! Yes, toilet paper! Something everyone uses and is universally hated when it’s bad.
Bad toilet paper needs no explanation as to why it is bad. It is uncomfortable and can leave you irritated and raw if you are having a bad day.
However, I will also just mention a more serious health concern, which is hemorrhoids. The act of wiping a lot can irritate you, and cause this uncomfortable ailment. So, If you needed some convincing, I’m sure that would be it.
5 – Wallet
I will leave you on a simple note, and say that you should just buy a nice wallet. A wallet is something, much like your shoes, that you will use all the time. So, buying a nice leather or artificial wallet would be a smart idea.
Now, why would it be a smart idea? Well, because, as I said, you will use it a lot. So, it is liable to get worn and abused as it is taken in and out of pockets or bags.
As somebody who previously had a cheap wallet, I can assure you the contrast is night and day. It will simply keep it out of your mind, and stay with you your whole life. If you buy a nice wallet, it could even outlast you.
Who knows, maybe you could give it to your kids. And they could give it to their kids! That wallet would have quite the story to tell, now wouldn’t it?
