When the Cheap is more Expensive

My great grandfather used to say: “the cheap is expensive”. It’s a credo I live by even today – I prefer to spend more money on certain purchases if they are higher quality items or services. The last thing I need is to buy the same item over and over again because the cheaper option breaks down quickly. By the time I realize my mistake, the replacement will have cost more than having bought the higher-quality, more expensive option from the start. Nothing frugal about that!

These are some of the few items and services that I prefer to spend more money on:

Avoiding Bad Service – Namely Alitalia Airlines:

If you have ever flown with AIitalia, than you might know what I’m talking about. Rude service both in the airport and the airplanes and low quality planes (once, my seat was literally glued in place with duct tape), they tend to have more affordable prices than their competitors. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of flying with them a few times, and each time is worse than the previous. My friend was even physical attacked by a passenger in the plane, and the Alitalia staff were not helpful at all. I now prefer to spend more money and avoid them at all costs! (Apparently, I’m not the only one)

Save your Feet – Get Quality Shoes:

Beautiful, cheap shoes are a dime a dozen. It’s easy to get swept away by the beautiful stiletto heels and the cheap prices. But you know what else cheap shoes do? They damage your feet, get stinky very fast, lose their colors and gems within a few days, and the heels could break at some point, potentially damaging your ankle. I’ve had a collection of shoes like that, and they usually don’t last very long. I also have a few beautiful, expensive, high quality shoes that look like new even 10 years in and after many uses. And they are crazy comfortable, too – even with high heels!

Bras – Love my Victoria’s Secret

I’ve had all kinds of bras – mostly cheap, low quality ones that were bought in the streets of Bolivia and which were likely created in sweatshops in China. Thankfully I managed to make it into a Victoria’s Secret during my travels in the US, and it changed my life. Great support, great quality fabrics and amazing selections – that’s what Victoria’s Secret offers. Sure, I paid over $50-75 for each bra but it was well worth it. My trip was in 2003 and I’m STILL wearing the bras. I call that a major success in frugality!

Food – Avoiding the Unhealthy

I love junk food – that oily, crispy, delicious, deep fried, chemically enhanced yumminess. You know what I don’t love? Losing years of my life, clogging my arteries, becoming pre-diabetic, or having massive medical bills due to an unhealthy lifestyle. So when it comes to eating, I much prefer to dish out and pay more to eat well, rather than take the choice of a cheaper, but unhealthy McDonald’s burger and deep fried chips. For the past 5 years, I’ve been relatively good at avoiding junk. I have a one-time rule: I’m allowed to eat McDonalds only once a year. I already had my serving back in June, and haven’t had another bite since or before! Dr. Debi Silber actually wrote a great article on how “the cheap is expensive” expression applies to food. I recommend you give it a read!

Is there anything you prefer to buy expensive and higher quality? Share your choices below!