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I think that most of us realize the adage “you get what you pay for” is one of the truer things people say, but listen – sometimes the cheap version of something is perfectly fine. If you don’t expect it to last that long anyway, or it’s something trendy that will fall out of fashion, by all means, save the cash.
If, though, it’s something that needs to fit right, or be comfortable, or that you plan on using for a long time, then buying the expensive version is usually worth it.
In case you’re wondering which is which, these 19 people are sharing the things they never, ever skimp on.
18. A very practical answer.
Safety gear.
You don’t want your dollar store safety harness and rope for rock climbing.
When the only thing keeping you alive is that gear you don’t take any risks whatsoever.
17. You definitely don’t want to gamble on that.
Lasik eye surgery.
Friend I worked with kept telling me I could get it for $500 in Colombia. Did it here in Georgia for $3k with a doctor who had done over 100,000 procedures.
I’ll stick with having perfect vision.
Took me two weeks to work up the nerve to have someone who only does Lasik and has a perfect record out of 100k+ 5 star rating to do mine, no way I could of gone to a foreign country to do it haha.
16. I cannot like this hard enough.
An office chair is a great investment for the long run.
Saves your back.
15. You use it every day.
Kitchen cookware.
The difference of quality between knifes is night and day.
I have Victorinox and a Zwilling & Heckel 8 inch chef knifes and while Victorinox is good, the other one is just amazing.
14. If you’re a lady, you get it.
Bras.
It’s hard enough getting one that fits properly.
I hate that my bras are so damn expensive.
I recently tried a $15 Bali bra because I didn’t want to spend another $60 on one bra.
I seriously could not believe how bad it was.
Now I remember why I always buy expensive bras.
13. Truly life changing.
Work boots.
On your feet most the day, out in construction or sketchy areas for your feet? A great pair of work boots makes all the difference in the world.
Thorogood is the brand of boots that changed my perspective on just how important great footwear truly is.
12. Northerners get it.
A winter coat and winter boots are SO worth the investment. You could get four or five good winters for your money.
I used to buy cheap, especially the coats as a good one can be costly, but a really warm, waterproof coat for winter makes the commute that little bit easier and life that little bit cosier. Sturdy, water-proof boots are also a great investment – no more cold toes and wet socks and the expensive ones really do last well.
I’m due a new coat for this winter and I’ve already started to put a little bit aside each paycheck for it.
11. One of the best decisions you can make as an adult.
Toilet paper.
My wife and I got 5 ply once, and now there’s no going back…
10. Anything that could give you a disease.
Tattoos.
The Hepatitis C outbreak in my neighboring county was traced to a single tattoo “artist”. He made a tattoo gun out of an electric toothbrush and some fine guitar wire, and would take it to parties to give strangers tattoos (get a tat to commemorate this epic party brah!).
He had HepC himself, and would always go first to prove how good he was. He sterilized the needle with a lighter, but he double dipped the ink, and managed to give dozens of people HepC. They eventually sent him to prison after he 1. killed someone via sepsis from a seriously infected tattoo, 2. traded tattoos for s^x from underage girls.
The news story about his arrest didn’t mention his name, but the Facebook comments were full of shit like “I bet it was <his name>, he gave my sister HepC”.
9. You can tell instantly, too.
Q-tips.
Suffered for two years because a 500 count was 2 bucks cheaper and I was to stubborn/cheap the throw them out.
Hate the cheap ones that the cotton just falls off the tips when you look at em.
8. It will last forever.
PSU for a computer, get one from a reputable brand, not the $15 from some random brand no one has heard of.
If you cheap out on a power supply you’re asking for it to fail and take other components with it.
The PSU is also basically the single most transferable component. PSU standards haven’t changed in a while, and although there some push to switch to the 12v standard there doesn’t seem to be much interest (unsurprisingly) at the consumer level. When I bought my PC a few years back I overspeced my PSU specifically so that I could keep using it if I got a more powerful GPU, a good PSU will last so long.
7. Good sleep is priceless.
Pillow. $150 but feels like a poofy cloud.
Have had it for 2 years now, so less than $.25 a day and going down.
Down fill, gusseted sides, and a decent fill weight are a recipe for success.
If it gets a little low just punch in the sides and back to floof.
6. You spend a lot of time in there.
A BED.
If you have only bought shitty cheap beds your entire adult life, save your money for awhile and buy an awesome bed. That purchase can change your life. For real.
When I was young I had a cheap bed and the metal would rust and break. Then it would poke thru the cloth and into my skin. I would lay blanket after blanket on top of the mattress until I couldn’t feel the sharp points anymore. After I got older and started working I bought an expensive bed. Its one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
5. It’s between you and the elements.
Camping tents. I’ve been Chinese water tortured on a rainy night in a cheap tent one too many times to ever skimp again.
Just outdoors gear in general. Cheap stuff will break when you need it most. There might be a few acceptions but for the most part avoid the cheap crap you get from places like Walmart or aly express
4. You only get one pair of feet.
Shoes. Mostly running shoes but all shoes really.
I only buy on sale items… Of name brands. So they could be a season or two old butt I’ll never buy the fresh new pair.
3. There is no other mac&cheese.
Tampons. OB or nothing
Chocolate.
I love No Name brand stuff but I always get name brand Kraft Dinner!
2. You want those things to last.
I won’t buy the cheapest electronics. Mid-range or higher is what I look for.
Direct replacement warranties aren’t too bad as long as the price is reasonable. I used to use them for cheap earbuds because they would always stop working during the warranty period, and I’d get a no-questions-asked replacement.
The local GameStop equivalent (EBGames) has an interesting replacement policy on controllers. You can buy a $70 controller, and then pay $15 for the in-store replacement warranty. If/when they replace it as part of the warranty coverage, you can purchase the warranty again on the new controller for $15 and repeat that again towards the end of the warranty period again and again.
My only guess is that they make more profit off of selling those warranties and refurbishing/selling used controllers than they do on selling new controllers.
1. Lieutenant Dan tried to tell y’all.
Socks. No more cheap socks for me.
From now on I only buy socks made from 100% merino wool.
Typically Darn Tough socks since they have a lifetime warranty.
I agree with most of these, and I think tennis shoes are at the top of my list.
What do you always splurge on? Tell us why in the comments!
