I found this post over at Master Your Card very interesting. It lists ten things she would never cheap out on again: hair stylists, bras, work clothes, shoes, mattresses, vacuum, washer/dryer, computer, handyperson, and mechanic.
I pretty much agree on these, except I love my cheap Costco vacuum. I also had a fancy washer that was stupidly expensive to fix, so I'd probably pick cheaper on that too.
I'm with her 100% on the clothes! I spent dearly on a few choice selections of shoes, bras, and work clothes. They've already lasted longer than my cheap crap, and I expect them to perform for much longer.
As with all things in life, you get what you pay for. Here's what I wouldn't cheap out on.
* Neighborhood. Been there, done that, never going back.
* HAIR DRYER. I don't even know how I ever used a cheap, crap hair dryer. When you blow $120 on a hair dryer, it sucks, until it saves you 20 minutes a day and you don't know how you lived without it.
* Running shoes. Running is pretty much impossible for me in cheap shoes. Arches, knees, all of it.
* Dry cleaning. I had a suit lost once, and I drove 15 minutes to save a couple bucks. Wow, that was stupid.
* Food. I'm not above the occasional Taco Bell, but I try to avoid cheap, crap food like the kind from convenience stores or fast food places.
* Dog food. Cheap dog food is so bad I would never even think about feeding my sweet dog that trash. It makes me sad that we fed our dog that trash in my childhood.
* Bakeware and cookware. Instead of those crap sets that fall apart, I have only a couple nicer things in my kitchen. I have two cookie sheets, two Silpads and one silicone cake pan. I have one skillet, one stock pot, one enamel pot. I'm so much happier with non-rusted pans.
* Tivo. Once you go Tivo, you can't go back to those crap generic boxes. With lifetime subscription, Tivo might actually be cheaper, anyway.
* Schools/child care. This is probably one of the biggest reasons I feel like we're not ready to have a child. I would want my kid to only have the best care and the best schools because I was raised in the worst.
What won't you cheap out on?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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11 comments:
Proofread and/or use a thesaurus. You used the word "crap" five times in one post!
(Friendly advice from a fellow writer. I do the same thing sometimes. How about "shoddy," "inferior," "cheap," "slip-shod," "second-rate," etc.)
I've gotten kind of weird about requiring foods to contain olive oil (margarine), or some kind of omega-3 (expensive eggs, not the regular store brand), oh yeah, and there's organic coffee, too, and I have taken to drinking dark beer (only dark) and won't drink anything but Guinness. Expensive, let me tell you! I see people buying swill for 1/4 the price but I'm afraid it's only that - nasty swill - and I don't think I can go back now; the pale, cheap stuff will just taste like a latrine smells.
Dog food. Yes, if you can afford it, your dog will by all means like the more expensive food more. However, most dogs want love and are happy if they have that. That's why you see homeless people or people who are dirt poor with very happy dogs if they are treated and loved well.
Grooming, personal care
transportation, air conditioning. Some people have an air conditioner and refuse to use, trying to save money, Nah, not me.
Same as the air in your car. People purposely don't turn it on because they are trying to save gas.
Good olive oil and coffee and quality meat, we dont eat much meat but when we do I wont buy the cheap stuff.
Oh and cheese, when we buy it occassionally.
I don't cheap out on sheets. Okay, maybe a little, but I don't care how high the threadcount or how great the reviews, the cheap stuff (under $40 for queen set) will fall apart in about 5 washings, max. I find the law of diminishing returns kicks in around $100 though, at least in terms of durability.
The only things I agree with you on are neighborhood and school/childcare because, IMO, they go hand and hand with a quality education that shapes the life of a child - and food because my health/life depend on it.
Everything else is just stuff. I don't prefer the cheaper alternatives but I'll settle for the "crap" before I go into debt or compromise my financial goals to afford them.
Coffee
Sheets
Bread
1. Hair cuts. Unless you luck out and find a good stylist who's affordable. I'm willing to spend a little extra for a good cut.
2. Shoes. I don't run but shoes are way too important to cheap out on. Also good to get insoles just to add to the shock absorption. At least for me.
3. Clothes. If I find something affordable, hey great. But I wouldn't buy cheap stuff because it was cheap. I'd rather just do without.
4. Sheets. I love sheets with at least 400 thread count. And Tim's skin requires sateen or he gets too hot and scratches himself up. It seems like the higher quality sheets help his skin too, so it provides an excellent excuse!
On a side note, I'm REALLY happy with my hair dryer. I don't use it much since I just air dry my hair for the most part. But when I do, I'm glad I did some research. I was lucky to find a $30 one that rated well with reviewers. It's ionic and all that good stuff. It dries my hair about three times faster than other hair dryers I've used in the past.
I completely agree about dog food. Junk in, junk out.
Vacations. I'm not going to stay at hostels, backpack and eat on the run. I'm too old for that.
(don't stop using crap, I say it all the time)
i won't go cheap on:
tomato sauce (has to be fountain)
Shoes, only the best quality, usually bought at the sales
coffee, and sheets.
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