Why Cheaper Isn’t Always Better

You’ve heard the saying cheaper isn’t always better right? This frugal person sometimes struggles to spend money on things, but there are definitely situations where spending more money is a good idea.

My husband and I were recently in the market for a new small backpack for day trips. I had been looking at ones on Amazon but hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. My husband suggested getting one from MEC. The one from Mountain Equipment Co-op of course was triple the price. We bought it, after going through the pros and cons!

I believe there are a few things to think about before purchasing an item, the price shouldn’t always be the deciding factor. Here’s what you should consider before making a purchase:

Quality

If you’re buying something that you are going to be using for a while, the quality should be important to you. A higher quality item will last you longer without breaking or needing to be replaced. The price may be higher, but you should save money in the long run by not replacing it as often. When we first moved in to our house we needed a new washer. We bought the cheapest one possible. Guess what we replaced a year later? We probably should have bought a higher quality one to begin with! (We did not make the same mistake when buying our dishwasher! I did lots of research before we picked that one out!)

Cost Per Wear or Use

Consider how often you’ll use or wear something before you buy it. When it comes to clothes, cheaper isn’t always better! Fast fashion is cheap, but usually falls apart after a few wears and washes. Something you’ll wear or use often, like a winter coat (especially here!) or a sturdy pair of shoes, it’s worth it to buy something that will hold up. My current winter jacket is a beautiful red wool coat I got 8 years ago. It was $200 but I’ve worn it for 8 winters and counting. Considering we need a winter coat about 5 months of the year here, that’s a pretty cheap cost per wear! I’m sure if I had got one for $50, it would have fallen apart by now!

The red coat has even travelled with world with me!

Company/ Ethics

One thing that is becoming more important to us is the company we purchase from, and where the clothing/item is made. My husband was recently shopping for a new pair of swimming trunks. Instead of buying a pair on Amazon, he decided to buy from Patagonia, a company that gives to environmental organizations, uses recycled and organic materials, and a lot of their clothing is made in Fair Trade Certified factories, insuring workers are paid fair wages. I try to make sure that any cosmetic items I buy are not tested on animals. The environment and ethical treatment of animals are important to us, and supporting companies that support these causes make a difference.

Buy Used or Borrow?

Before we buy pretty much anything, I wonder if we could buy it used somewhere, or borrow it from someone we know (if we don’t need it for the long term of course!). We buy a lot of used clothing and books. Not only does this help keep things out a landfills, it helps us save some money too! We usually check buy and sell sites or thrift stores before buying new. We’ve gotten great deals on tools, workout equipment, electronics, and so much more.

What do you think? Do you like to buy the cheapest thing possible or do you believe that cheaper isn’t always better?