What I mean by this of course is that if you buy cheap goods that will last a fraction of its meant-to-be life span, then you are basically throwing money into the rubbish bin. If you find yourself replacing a certain item in your closet way too many times, then perhaps it is of too low quality. Replacing low quality items can eventually be much more expensive then buying an item of steeper price that will last a much more significant amount of time.
Shoe in Quality
Let us take a pair of shoes for example. If you decide that you need a pair, and go with the shoes that look presentable but seem that they would break apart in your hands because they were practically made in someone’s backyard, then you will find yourself buying another pair soon afterwards. It also adds to the stress of going out to the shoe or department store to buy shoes again, wasting not only your money, but your time as well.
If however, you decided to go with the more expensive shoes that are of stupendous fabrication, you will probably have it for years to come. Shoes of better quality can be maintained for a much longer time and it is easier for shoe repairers to go about making any adjustments or fixes when needed. So for a low maintenance fee, you won’t have to replace your more expensive shoes for perhaps years to come. You will find those shoes to have been a great investment, and actually has saved you money on the long run as opposed to the cheaper shoes.
Initial Cost versus Operating Cost
This goes with anything. When buying appliances, you must look into how much the initial cost is, how long it is expected to last, and how much the operating and maintenance costs will be. An incandescent light bulb costing $2.00 that takes in 100W of power will end up costing more than a fluorescent 13W light bulb that costs three times more ($6.00). This kind of budgeting is important for everything, from clothes, to headphones, to washing machines.
With the environment on more people’s minds now, it is important to buy appliances that have a low operating power input requirement. A washing machine or dishwasher that uses less water and energy will end up saving you money as well as a lower carbon footprint on the environment. A refrigerator that uses less power will also end up saving you money on electrical costs. Weigh out all costs and benefits, the initial cost as well as the operating and maintenance costs.
When it comes to clothes or shoes that you’re investing a lot of money for, it would probably be best to get a classy look and not so trendy, otherwise you’ll be wearing something that has been lasting very long and went out of style years ago.
Have you ever sacrificed quality to save money? And have you ever consciously bought a more expensive item based on quality?
By Wahid Hussaini
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