Buying items with the lower price tag is not always the best route to take. Buying cheaper can actually waste your money in the long run. Over the years of always trying to find cheaper alternatives, my wallet and I learned the hard way that depending on what I’m buying, cheaper is actually less cost effective. Aren’t we trying to save money in the long run?
Yes, we love the instant gratification of saving a dollar or two on each of our purchases but what about in a year?
Will your cheap vinyl flooring hold up or is it starting to peel, crack or buckle? There are times to look for cheap deals and there are times to really be searching for quality that will last and unfortunately, the quality comes with a higher price tag. But trust me, you will thank yourself later and have comfort in knowing you won’t need to replace or fix it in a year or two.Over the years of always trying to find cheaper alternatives to things, my wallet and I learned the hard way that depending on what I’m buying, cheaper is actually less cost effective. Aren’t we trying to save money in the long run?
So, when do you go dirt cheap and when do you dish out more cash?
Splurge!
Basic Home Appliances
I’m talking about your fridge, stove, microwave, washer and dryer. These are very large purchases and if you opt for the lower price, you’ll likely get lower quality that won’t last. Who wants to buy 3 stoves in 10 years or have to hire Handy-man Joe to come fix it all the time? No one. The average lifespan of a gas stove ranges a long 15 years. Dryers and fridges live for around 13 years. Front load washers should last around 10, although very seldom do… Dishwashers and microwave ovens last about 9 years.
With all that being said, appliances cost thousands of dollars. Do you really want to worry about them breaking or needing constant fixing? That adds up. My advice, do your research by looking at reviews online, read up on the product on whether it is energy efficient to save even more money. Lyle and I highly recommend checking Consumer Reports (although you need a membership to really see the valuable information). It is very helpful in making decisions because they are rated based on unbiased product testing.
Faucets
When we bought the house in 2019, literally everything was outdated. The house came with a big need of cosmetic upgrades. All the faucets being one of them! It’s 2021 now so I bought 2 faucets from Amazon that were on the cheaper side – you know, starving artist and teacher salary. A year or 2 later, I could already see wear and tear. The kitchen faucet started leaking at the handle and the bathroom faucet has started chipping slightly.
Although these issues don’t warrant a hasty replacement, some cheaper faucets do break and need it fixed quickly. To put it into perspective, the kitchen faucet we bought was around $68 bucks in September 2019 and is already leaking from the handle. Meanwhile, my parents have bought the pricier well known brands like Delta, Moen or maybe Kholer and they have lasted them from my teens up until now. I cannot even remember what the old faucet in their second floor bathroom looked like, it has lasted that long. It’s literally 10+ years old.
So, to sum it up, buying ONE quality faucet lasting 10+ years or buying five lower priced ones in a ten year span. It would honestly cost you more in the long run buying multiple cheap faucets than spending a little more cash on one reliable faucet. You can do the math on that one.
Jeans
Oh yes honey! I’m not just talking about home goods, I’m talking fashion too! I am a firm believer in buying quality jeans that last. For one, they are expensive as it is. And two, they are a wardrobe staple. Whether it is a pair of pants, jeans or a jacket – you need quality. Denim never goes out of style and it is for EVERY season! I also recommend buying comfortable jeans because you will re-wear them for years to come. Get your money’s worth!
I recently broke down and bought all new jean shorts and pants. My jeans from my early 20’s no longer fit my later 20’s body, but hey, that’s life and I got 6 or 7 years out of them so that’s a win! Although I will say, H&M has some pretty affordable pants and they’ve lasted me about 3 or 4 years now.
Windows
Nicer windows (medium quality, not exactly luxury) can save you a ton in the long run. Our house now has four very old windows on the first floor which we are justifiably replacing and on the third floor, we are replacing two very new windows installed with the previous owners. These new windows were bottom of the line inventory.
Now, I understand WHY they did it. The house used to be a rental so I see where their mind was when they were buying. They aren’t living in it so they probably don’t care. Cheaper or outdated windows can mean higher electric bills due to bad insulation, water leaks, increase risk of pests and much more. Save yourself the trouble and opt for some higher quality windows.
Footwear
Alright, so I do not have the most narrow feet in the world. In fact, they are pretty wide. This means my feet are constantly squished and I get blisters frequently. I buy a lot of sneakers due to how frequently I go to the gym and the fact I live in the city where I walk almost everywhere so they are a part of my everyday wardrobe.
The shoes I recommend splurging the most on are boots and sneakers, hands down. I bought a nice $150.00 pair of Ralph Lauren boots when I was 18 and had them until I was 25…I did wear down the bottom heel but it was super easy to get it fixed up and replaced at a local cobbler and wasn’t that expensive. They were so comfortable and cute. Comfortable sneakers are essential especially if you are a walker or super into exercise. Sneakers rubbing the back of your heels are essentially torturing yourself and ones that squish your toes will wreak havoc in the long run (ingrown toenails and bunions – ew).
Comfortable quality shoes support your posture, enable you to be more active and prevent health issues in the future. Investing in quality shoes is investing in your future self. We all know how expensive medical bills are so let’s just nip that in the bud now.
Laptops
I’ve had my MacBook since mid 2015 and it still works perfectly…well I needed to get it fixed one time but it was a software glitch that the tech desk fixed in 30 minutes. Did I mention that I’m a graphic designer? So working with all the running software can be super harsh not to mention I constantly have 100 tabs open at once. It’s a problem, I know.
Before having my Mac, I had somehow destroyed about four PC hard drives. My parents were finally tired of buying me a new computer and got me the best laptop for my major that was available at the time. Here we are still to this day.
Pinch Your Pennies!
Dinnerware Sets, Glass and Silverware
You can find super affordable dinnerware sets online for like $50.00. Plates break, styles go in and out, you want to switch it up from bold and bright to a more neutral theme. You can buy very simplistic easy to find colors to add if you crack a bowl. If you have white bowls, you can easily find more white bowls!
Glassware – we use old used mason jars in my home only because we accumulated so many over the years and I think throwing them out is wasteful 🙂
I feel that dinnerware is such a frequently replaced item that I don’t feel a need to spend big. I don’t care for designer plates and bowls that will only be upsetting when a guest accidentally drops it at dinner. I’d like to avoid a heartbreak. I also can’t comprehend spending a fortune on designer silverware. As long as it’s simple, functional and doesn’t rust, we are all good in my household.
Tops, Sweaters & Tees
Listen, I’ve said it before. Trends are ever changing…so I opt for cheaper tops and t-shirts. I am diligent about how I wash and maintain my clothes so mine tend to last longer than an average person. I still have sweaters I wore in high school believe it or not. Clothes last so much longer with proper care. I’ve gotten cheap tops from random Amazon stores that have held up over the years just from taking care of them.
Helpful tip: adding distilled white vinegar makes your clothes much softer and neutralizes any odors. The softer your clothes, the longer they will last. Wash your clothes on the cold setting always, make sure to put cheaper tops and other delicates in a garment bag to further protect it and actually hang the clothes that need to be hung!
Sunglasses
I have lost more than my fair share of sunglasses. Every summer I lose a pair at the beach or I let a friend borrow them only to never get them back or just from misplacing them around the house or in my car. Lyle absolutely destroys his pairs of sunglasses, he is so rough on them. Scratches and bends in the metal. All this considered, I don’t feel like dropping $100.00 on some sunglasses that will meet their peril in 12 months.
My budget for sunglasses is usually ten bucks…twelve max.
Couches
This is kind of a controversial one but it’s really just my opinion as a new home-owner. Couches are expensive. When we bought the house, I went out to what was deemed an “affordable” furniture store and financed $3k worth of couches. These are unnecessarily large couches too. To be blunt, they haven’t held up. The cushions are sinking in from people sitting on it – aren’t couches meant to be SAT on? The pillows they came with are cheap, fraying and look a little tacky and we also have animals and animals don’t care that you spent $3k on some cheap wood and cushions. We got a puppy at Christmas in 2019 and that made the regret even worse.
So my conclusion is that I should have gone onto Facebook marketplace to find a lightly used couch OR go onto Wayfair and find an affordable smaller sofa with good reviews to save money to spend a little more on those faucets I was talking about earlier! Lesson learned!
Rugs
As I mentioned, we got a new puppy in December 2019. Potty training was (and still is…) interesting to say the least. I thankfully chose hand-me-downs from my parents and cheaper rugs online instead of nicer ones mostly because we rent some of our rooms out so people are always coming and going. We also aren’t a “take your shoes off at the door” kind of household so that doesn’t help. Sure, you can shampoo your carpet but in our house and we have a couple times but it doesn’t really last too long.
Knowing when to cough up the cash and when to play it frugal can really help your financial situation as a whole. I know there are so many more things to add but these are just some items that have come to mind in my recent years!
