While frugal living is a fantastic way of life, there are some things where it pays to spend a little bit more.
After someone asked, “What are things you shouldn’t be frugal about in life?” These were the top-voted responses.
Car Maintenance
Although you may be tempted to save on your car’s maintenance, that is not the place to skimp, some people advised.
One person wrote, ” Small things like oil changes and getting your tires rotated and aligned saves wear and tear and fuel costs. Plus, it’s nice to know that couple-few thousand pound hunk of metal you’re piloting at 75 MPH down the road is taken care of.”
Contractors
Hiring someone to fix something large and significant in your home? Don’t cheap out! Someone wrote, “Contractors to fix something in your home. Just because someone comes in a few thousand under everyone else quotes you with doesn’t mean their work is equally as good.”
Vision Care
“Never cheap out on eyes and teeth. I recently had my first eye issue and spent $85 (no vision insurance) to have a doctor tell me what was wrong. They don’t make exception replacements for those things,” one person recalled.
Dental Care
Someone shared, “There is nothing worse than having a tooth shatter because the cheap dentist you went to years ago did the silver fillings completely improperly.”
“One had a space under it that let an infection go to town regardless of brushing, and I had to get a root canal there—then had to go and get all the fillings redone. Cost way more and was way more painful in the long run.”
“Go to a well-rated dentist, regardless of cost. Also, don’t skimp on good mental health care. Health is no place to be frugal.”
Pillows
“I bought a good pillow, and I’ve never slept better. I bought my pillow at IKEA. I have two: a fluffy one on the bottom and a skinny one on top. It depends on your personal preference. Go try out a bunch of them and find one you like,” another volunteered.
Cooking Knives
“It’s amazing how much more you enjoy cooking when cutting ingredients isn’t infuriating. Of course, you can get by with cheaper pots and pans, but buying at least one decent chef knife makes a huge difference,” replied one.
“Also, the magnetic knife racks are perfect for safekeeping and worth it for organization and proper storage.
Roofing Shingles
“Since most of the cost is in the labor, prep, and clean-up, it pays to buy the better quality, long-lasting shingles, so you don’t have to make the home improvement again. Plus, it’s a selling point when you put the house on the market to have a superior, long-lasting roof,” one person noted.
Toilet Paper
“I always roll with Charmin Ultra Strong. It’s expensive, but it feels cushy on the tushy. My father-in-law just came home with Angel Soft toilet paper this morning. The horror,” another joked.
Leftover Food
“Thanks for saying this! I have leftover food in the fridge that’s from last Friday. It was also in a cold bag for an hour yesterday while transported. I don’t want to risk getting sick, even if that risk is minimal. I’ll get dinner at the market instead,” one person suggested.
Computer Power Supplies
“I work in a shop. I have computers come in all the time that are fried due to an insufficient power supply blowing the whole system,” one person commented. “I hate seeing people spend $900 on components and get a $45 power supply unit,” another person replied.
Tattoos
“I’d rather overpay for a perfect tattoo than have a terrible one for the rest of my life,” confessed one. “Cheap tattoos aren’t good. Good tattoos aren’t cheap. Saw this posted at a tattoo parlor, in cat-sized print,” another shared.
Shoes
“Shoes,” one replied. “If your job requires you to be on your feet, invest too much money for your shoes. If you’re running, invest in good shoes.”
“If you’re buying heels for a special occasion, invest in more comfortable shoes. Shoes are a case where you will get what you pay for,” a final person commented.
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This post originally appeared on A Dime Saved.
A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.