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It can hard to know when you should pay extra for the “good stuff” and when the mediocre – or even the cheap – version of something will suffice.
A good rule of thumb is to gauge based on how often you’re going to use said item, and if it’s every day (or nearly) you might want to spring for the better-made version.
These 18 people have some specific reasoning on why you should never skimp on these 18 things, so take a read!
18. Just save up.
Tattoos.
Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good.
17. Truer words have never been spoken.
Running shoes.
16. It really will improve your life.
A can opener.
Drives me nuts using a garbage one or that they inevitably break before finishing the job.
15. A solid rule.
Not sure where I heard it originally, but a rule I live by: Never cheap out on things that’s job is to be between yourself and the ground. Shoes, beds, chairs, tires, etc.
My partner and I bought our first expensive mattress last year and I never thought it would make such a difference. It improved my sleep quality so much! We’ve stayed in a nice hotel since then and actually missed our mattress back home.
Doesn’t cure my sleep issues but they’re much more comfortable now
14. You use them every minute of every day, so.
Glasses.
I get all the fixings on my classes because they never leave my face. They are the single thing I wear/use more than anything. Love to read too.
I will shop and shop for whatever frames I want and won’t even look at the price. Glasses and my kids are why I max my fsa.
13. I’m bonded with mine for life.
Headphones.
If you get a good one, you will never regret it.
Let me explain, what I meant by headphones, as you know eardrums are very made up of sensitive tissues and bones, you have to take care of it. On top of it you loose sensitivity to lower frequency sounds as you get older. So if you cheap out on headphones, it will hurt you on the long run. So don’t buy cheap imitations or lower quality headphones.
You can find good headphones from a respectable brand within your budget (You have to have at leastR&D department for good headphones development). I would personally keep away from apple or beats because of the high cost.
My favourites are Sennheiser and Sony, for the audiophiles out there r/headphones can help you with a clearer choice.
12. You might have to try a few to find your match.
Pillows.
My back and neck are F*CKED from my service time. I constantly had a locked up upper back and neck and had to go to the chiropractor multiple times per month until I bought a Gemini pillow ($150ish) and oh my God this is what it feels like to live without neck pain. I’ll never buy a normal retail pillow again.
Gone to a real doc, nothing they can fix. “Wear and tear”. They wanted to prescribe me meds. No thanks.
I get massages pretty regularly anyways being an avid fitness junkie. They help quite a bit initially but not a ton long term without continual stretching etc etc.
I’ve gone to a PT too and fun fact, after trashing Chiropractic as psuedo science for alot of my evaluation visit he then proceeded to do Astim and manual adjustments every time I saw him, exactly what the chiropractor did.
What’s helped me THE MOST is using a personal trainer once every other week who specializes specifically in functional mobility. For the most part loss of function comes from 2 things, injury or lack of use. In my case slow burn injury led to lack of use of my full range of neck and upper back motion. Retraining and strengthening the areas has helped a ton.
Hopefully the pillow works for anyone who bought it! I’ve seen some reviews of people who said it didnt/it lost its integrity quickly but it worked wonders for me so just speaking from personal experience. The biggest thing is just finding a mattress and pillow combo that keeps your spine as close as possible to it’s natural alignment as you sleep.
If you use a super soft mattress that you sink into I maybe wouldn’t go the route of this pillow because it’s pretty firm and might prop your head up awkwardly for example.
11. It’s the little things.
Q-Tips for when I go to a hotel.
Man I *HATE* the cheap Q-Tips. The ones that bend the instant you pick them up? No thanks.
10. A short list.
Toilet paper, tools (diy tools, electronic tools, etc), protective equipment (mountain biking, motorcycle riding, skateboarding, skiing).
9. You’ve gotta have them.
Work boots.
After several years of buying a new crappy pair every year, we got my husband Red Wings late 2019. Already had them re-soled once, but that was $100 I didn’t have to spend on another pair of Wolverine or CAT boots.
8. They’re family.
Animal food.
I always research what’s best and try to get that for my pets.
Besides treating your pets with good care, quality food will save you both a lot of money in vets and the potential heartbreak of loosing your little friend to a health problem caused by crap food over the years.
7. You will never regret it.
Toilet paper.
Single-ply toilet paper: helping you get in touch with your inner self.
6. Avoid disappointment when you can.
Cheeze-It Crackers.
No generic brand stands up to it, and I’ve had too much disappointment in my life finding that fact out the hard way.
5. That goes for coffee, too.
Tea.
Life is too short anything but the best.
4. It’s not all about the smell.
Shampoo/conditioner.
Anyone with even slightly longer hair whose tried both cheap and salon will tell you there’s a noticeable difference.
3. Unless your kids are small.
Almost all art / writing supplies.
I use “expensive” pens and mechanical pencils on a daily basis. The difference is uncanny. When I have other work to do, I use natural brushes and the best paper I can get my hands on. When I started out I tried to save some money by buying cheap things (paint, pens, pencils, lead, paper) and had to go to the store once or twice a month because something I had broke or didn’t work properly. My last mechanical pencil lasted 5 years because I lost it when renovating my studio.
I am also a firm believer that the better the materials and tools, the better the results. Even if it’s all in your mind, you will perform better at the end of it….
2. It might as well taste nice.
Booze.
I don’t go for the really expensive stuff, but if you are going to harm yourself at least do it with something you like.
I used to not like whiskey or gin until I tried good whiskey and gin and now I like them both. There is a big difference between an $8 bottle of crap and $70 bottle of booze, if you aren’t drinking for quantity buy quality.
1. Only if you want to live.
Tires and brakes.
Because… duh!
I’m filing this information away for future use, because I definitely agree with most of it.
What else would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
