Buy The Best But Buy It On Sale

Years ago I needed new work shoes, but didn’t want to spend too much money on them. After all, they were just for work, no need for them to be the best right?

A few months after wearing them every day I started to be in pain, a lot of pain. Not feet pain, but back pain, shoulder pain, just pain everywhere, so much so I went to the doctor to find out what was wrong, and they found nothing.

Very quickly those cheap shoes I bought wore out and I had to buy new ones. This time I had a bit more money so I got better shoes, and within days the pain I was experiencing went away.

I may have saved money in the purchase of those shoes, but I lost out in other ways.

No matter what we buy, everything has more of a cost then just how much you pay for it upfront. So when we buy things we need to make sure not only we can afford it, but that whatever it is will last, and not cost us more in other areas of our lives.

Technology

I have been told many times that when you buy a computer by the time you walk out the front door it’s already out of date.

For a long time that may have been true, and technology does move fast. However one of the reasons that will feel true is if you only get whatever the cheapest device in the store is. When you buy cheap you get cheap, older models, or things made to break in a year or less.

This goes for cell phones, tablets, any electronics. To solve the need to buy every year, or get frustrated with an outdated device, you need to spend more money on a device. Which may sound like it will cost you more but here’s why it won’t.

Say you buy a $100 tablet, it’s older and after a year some apps no longer work, and the device barely holds a charge, so you look for another $100 tablet and the process repeats itself every year.

Meanwhile, if you bought one good tablet for $300 to $400 you would easily be able to get 5 or more years out of it saving yourself $100 – $200 and a lot of frustration in the first few years as the tablet will be newer, better quality, and work better.

Clothes

I have never been one that buys the latest fashions, in fact most of my shirts are the ones I got for free at conferences I’ve gone to.

But I do insist on a few things now that in the long run save money.

I do not buy cheap dress clothes, suits, shirts, ties, I don’t want to have to buy them all the time, so I buy quality clothes that will last for years.

Shoes are the most important thing to me now, I have cheap sneakers for quick runs to places, but if I’m going to wear something for long periods of time I get good shoes with good support, and I’ll spend a lot more money on them if they’ll last for years rather than months.

Things that you wear at work, that you’ll wear for 40 or more hours each week, you need to make sure are comfortable and durable. That way you get to keep them for a long time, and you don’t have any health issues.

Be Patient

These are just some aspects of life that we buy things, there’s also housing, furniture, food, anything and everything.

Buying the best makes so much sense in the long run, but you can still get a deal on things even when buying the best.

If you are patient and buy things when they are on sale, and wait for really good sales at that. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great times to buy, but really if you keep an eye out any time could be a good time.

I have a pretty great computer, if you were to buy one similar to it it would have cost around $800 when I got it, but my computer cost me less than $300. How?

I bought everything on sale.

I built my computer, and rather than just getting everything at one time when I wanted it, I kept an eye on each component of the computer, bought it when it went on sale, and waited till I had every piece before building.

It took around 6 months to get everything, but in the end I had a top of the line computer that will last me for years, for a bottom dollar computer price.

We can do this same thing with all aspects of our lives. Buy certain foods when they are cheaper, get our clothes on sale, tools, furniture, anything we know we are going to need and last a long time waiting till it’s on sale.

Don’t wait till something is an absolute must to replace or get a new one. If you know this is the year to get a new tablet, start looking for deals now, if your work boots look like they may wear out this year, look for when stores have sales on them.

By being proactive in not only what you buy but when you buy things can save you thousands of dollars over your lifetime.