I’ve been seeing one too many people around me go cheap instead of frugal on things. After writing my frugal vs. cheap quiz, I found that even more people were living the cheap lifestyle!
So, after hearing from reader feedback, I decided to write this post about 5 things you should never go cheap on! To preface, these are things that are important to me so they might not be as important to you. Everyone’s life is different. These are just the items that I happen to value and would never go too cheap on.
My car
This has been debated for ages. I’m not in the group that promotes buying ultra-used cars and running them into the ground. I happen to fall into the category of buying a “slightly used” car and driving it for 10+ years. When I graduated college, I could have just stuck with my piece of junk Geo Prizm. But with a full time job and tons of additional income, there was no reason to buy an ultra-used car again. It was time to get a used car that I wasn’t embarrassed about. I ended up buying a 2004 Acura TL. No, not a 2010 model, but a 2004 model. The car is a tank and I love the power behind the wheel. Could I have gone cheap on my car? Sure. But I didn’t and I went with “best value” instead. Not only do I never have mechanical issues but I own my car outright.
Toilet paper
How do I talk about this without sounding crude? Look, I like quality toilet paper! I think you can guess why but it’s a fact of life, durable and soft toilet paper should not be a luxury, instead it should be a necessity! I’m not about saving pennies here and there. There are too many opportunities to increase income to start worrying about the cost of toilet paper. Don’t you hate it when you’re in an office building and you grab the toilet paper and it rips because it’s only a single layer? Well I can’t stand it when this happens to me, not happening in my home thank you very much.
Shoes
Shoes are what makes an outfit. Although I’m not the most fashionably conscious person in the world, happen to love nice shoes and a variety of shoes. Not only does it boost my confidence but it’s more professional in the workplace. Along those lines, a comfortable pair of shoes is truly something precious. I used to buy cheap stuff from Sears and I’d end up having multiple blisters all over my feet by the end of the work day. Those days are gone! I only buy name brand shoes now and my feel can tell the difference. One thing to note her though is that I never pay full price. This is where the frugal side comes in. Instead of going to Macy’s or Nordstrom’s, I head over to Ross or Burlington Coat Factory. Often times, these discount retailers will have the same shoes for a fraction of the cost. This is a winning situation in my book!
Mattress
The average person sleeps 7 hours a day. Multiply that my how many days the average person lives and you have quite the number. Lesson? Buy a nice mattress! I’m not saying you should go into debt for an item like this but I do believe that you should get a top tier bed to sleep on. A comfortable bed is critical for your back. Want to have back pains by the time you’re 40? I know I don’t. Avoid buying a used bed off of Craig’s List, it’s just not worth it. I’m actually shopping for a bed right now due to getting married in a couple months. I won’t be going cheap on this, my back will thank me.
Groceries
“You are what you eat.” It’s one of the most famous sayings dating back until God created Adam and Eve. If you want to live a long time, you need to not only eat healthy but eat quality foods. I never buy processed foods and I try to buy organic as often as I can or remember to. Lately, a couple items I haven’t been going cheap on are eggs, fish, and vegetables. I don’t like hormones pumped into my foods and hate the thought of pesticides on my vegetables. Our bodies weren’t created to consume man-made chemicals. I’ll pass on shopping the bargain bin at the grocery store and go straight to the good stuff.
What about you?
So what do you never go cheap on? Are there some items that you would rather pay the extra money for? I’d love to hear about them so please comment below!
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