We currently live a pretty frugal lifestyle by choice. We've been known to buy generic store brands over name brands and we sometimes we also buy lightly used goods as opposed to buying new. But through the years, we have learned that there are certain things in life that you should never penny pinch on. In pretty much all of the items listed below, we have found that you almost always get what you pay for. Since these items may have lasting and sometime irreversible impacts if the wrong ones are chosen, it is our opinion that you should never penny pinch on the following seven items below:
GENERAL LIST:
1. Mattress. One item that you would be wise to pay more money for is a mattress. After all, you spend a third of your life on it. People who have made this mistake will likely tell you that a sagging mattress will generally give you back, shoulder, or neck problems in the long run. This will cost much more than it would have cost to buy a decent mattress in the first place. Whether you pay through future medical bills, or quality of life because of constant pain, you'll almost always regret not spending the few extra dollars for the higher quality mattress.
2. Car Seat. Another item we feel you should not penny pinch on is a car seat. A car seat has the important task of keeping your baby or toddler safe in the unfortunate instance that you get into a fender bender or major accident. I'm pretty sure that everyone who has owned a car seat will tell you that not all car seats are created equal, and you tend to get what you pay for. Rather than picking out the least expensive or trendiest car seat, do your homework, check the safety ratings and compare against other models.
3. Doctor or Lawyer. I am a firm believer that, for the most part, you truly get what you pay for in this category. Fair or not, this generally means the wealthy have the best access to the best doctors and lawyers. Haven't you noticed how wealthy individuals always get the best medical care of legal defenses. I can assure you that they are not bargain basement shopping. :)
I will say that there are exceptions in this category because of the simple fact that doctors and lawyers, who eventually become great, need to start off somewhere. If you are lucky to have retain a good one early in their career, you'll likely be getting a steal of a deal. But the reality is that good and experienced doctors or lawyers always demand more money. Even the doctor or lawyer that you found early on in their career will likely become more expensive as their reputation and demand grows.
4. Insurance. For this item, we would like to stress the importance of insurance coverage. So not pinching in this category starts with actually getting the insurance your family needs instead of trying to do without. It goal without saying that every family should have the basic health insurance. You will also need life insurance if you have dependents. If you own a car or home, you should also maintain an insurance policy for them as well.
Don't overkill here but don't under insure also. Each family is different so it would be unrealistic for me to sit here and say you must have certain types or amount of coverage. As you sit down and decide, just keep in mind that insurance is just that...it is basically a back up plan in case something tragic happens.
Once way to save money here is to combine policies as many companies will provide you with a multi-policy discount.
FUNNY BUT ALSO TRUE LIST:
These three items kind of goes without saying but we thought it was worth mentioning anyhow. If for nothing more, maybe provide you with a quickly chuckle. :)
5. Contraception. Again, this is a product where we think it safer to go with quality over price or quantity. But at the end of the day, something is better than nothing. If you truly can't afford it, most types of contraception are free at government clinics.
If you don't have access to a government clinic, don't choose to go without. Paying for contraception yourself will always end up being much cheaper than a baby. A few extra pennies here can save you thousands in diapers, food, clothes, medical bills, etc.
6. Tattoos. I think we've all seen a tattoo that looks like someone used a lead pencil. It is blurry, with no colors, no shadow effects, etc. Make no sense at all!
Although it is technically possible these days to remove a tattoo, it is at least twice the cost ,and we hear it is twice as painful as the original tattoo. Because the permanent nature of a tattoo, we have never understood why some do not find and pay for the best artist available.
7. Boob Job. While we’re all for ladies boosting up their bra size, or otherwise re-shaping their melons, the difference between a bad boob job and a good boob job are night and day. (Just ask Tara Reid.) The best boob jobs don’t look like boob jobs, they look like boobs. And preferably with minimal visible scaring. The goal should be a finished product that visually could not be distinguished from the real thing. Oh, and preferably two of somewhat proportionate size. :)
For the record, none of the items on the funny list was learned through our own experience. lol
So those were our top 7 items,
what items would you not penny pinch on?
