I’m all for being frugal, but I think there are some situations where you move past frugal and end up in Cheapsville. As you can guess from the title, there are 10 things I’ve purchased either used or on the cheap side to save a buck, and they all ended with bad results. So, on a personal level, I just won’t go cheap with these things again. To me, it’s better to pay a few dollars more for quality and know that – in some cases – the product will last longer.

#1 – Hair Stylists

For the most part, I color my own hair. But, on the rare occasion I want multiple colors, I seek the help of a stylist. I also can’t cut my own hair, so I do have to see one for that as well. Now, I’ve given this several shots, so don’t think I’m being too hard on anyone here, but the reality is, every time I’ve tried to save a buck, I’ve gotten what I pay for and it looks like crap. I’ve tried the beauty schools – never again, and no offense to any who may be reading this, I’ll just wait until you finish school. I’ve tried Wal-Mart, Super Cuts, JC Penny salons, and others. For me, I have the best results at the spa I get my brows waxed at. I pay a little more because it’s at a spa, but I know going in that my hair will look good when I leave.

#2 – Bras

Sorry guys, this might be a little TMI, but I can definitely tell the difference when I buy a cheap bra as opposed to a good quality bra. The place I purchase my bras offers them for about $40 each, though sometimes I’m lucky and I’ll catch the ‘buy one, get one half off’ sale. I could save a tremendous amount of money by going to Wal-Mart and getting one for $12, but they don’t last as long and they don’t support nearly as well. This is one area where women should not scrimp because a good fitting bra is better for your back and looks better in your clothes. Just saying.

#3 – Work Clothes

These are clothes you’re wearing at least five days a week and they’re often pretty expensive. It just makes more sense to buy good quality clothes that will last rather then cheap stuff you’ll have to replace every few months. There’s definitely no excuse not to have at least one good fitting suit – guy or girl. Unless of course you don’t work in a professional environment, then you obviously don’t really need it. But, being in a professional environment comes part and parcel with a professional look. If your clothes are cheap, you don’t look as well put together as you should and that makes an impression, one that you don’t want. Now, I’m not saying you need Gucci throughout your closet, but it might be time to get you a few pieces outside of the lower end collections. Ultimately, the quality will save you money in the long run.

#4 – Shoes

For me, I seriously just can’t do cheap. I have plantar fasciitis and when I wear cheap shoes, I feel it in my foot…literally. I struggle in this area, though. I have long, wide feet which make it difficult to find good quality shoes in my size. Often times I’ve had to settle for cheap shoes as a temporary fix, but when it comes to heels I don’t compromise. If I can’t find them in my size, then I go with flats. I just don’t buy cheap heels because they don’t last, they’re not comfortable, and they hurt! Quality is important here! Even my tennis shoes and running shoes are of a higher quality. Hell, even my flip flops are and I shouldn’t be wearing those at all, but I do alright with the ones I have. No $3 Old Navy ones for me, though.

#5 – Mattresses

I have a hard enough time getting to sleep as it is, but when I go cheap on a mattress, I can definitely tell the difference. I think sleep is pretty important, especially since I’m a total nutcase without it. So for me, I don’t purchase the cheapest mattress around. I make sure it’s comfortable. I make sure it’s something I could sleep in for 7-8 hours a night – when I’m lucky to get that much sleep, and I also make sure it’s a brand I know and trust to be of a good quality. When I do buy mattresses, I tend to hang onto them for many years, so I want something that’s going to hold up. I would certainly not buy this product used just to save money.

#6 – Vacuum Cleaners

Tried this a few times. Bought vacuums from Wal-Mart and they’ve all crapped out on me. I have three cats, which means I vacuum every day and there’s a lot of cat hair that gets sucked up. I do take care of the vacuum with regular wipe downs, filters cleaned out, etc. But, inevitably, they break down. I’ve found my best vacuums to come from Sears. Even though I despise the company, they do have good merchandise. I also don’t go for the cheapest one there, though. I compare the features and the specs to make sure I’m getting the most for my money and the best quality so that it lasts awhile.

#7 – Washer/Dryer

I’m not knocking anyone who has purchased a used set because I hear great stories all the time. What you have to understand about me is that if the product has a defect, I’ll be the one that gets that defected 1 in 100. So, every time I’ve purchased one used or gone with the cheaper one, I’ve had nothing but problems. Of course, apartment living affords me the opportunity to not worry about this so much as many come with washers and dryers already. However, when I get ready to buy again, it will be a new set and one that isn’t the cheapest I can find. I will spend some time looking into the best quality rather then the lowest price.

#8 – Computers

More specifically, lap tops as I don’t really buy desk tops. I went with an Acer once. I’ll never do that again. I had nothing but trouble with it, despite the 400 reviews that said it worked great. I’ve also gotten the cheapest lap top I could find in the HP category and had challenges of one kind or another. This is also something I wouldn’t buy used, either. New and I’ll be researching the best quality that meets my needs on the next go round.

#9 – Handyperson Services

This includes plumbers, electricians, painters, or any other kind of service person. This I learned from my parents, actually, since I’ve not had much use myself. My dad is a cheapskate, through and through, so he always goes with the lowest price. He hired a guy to install some windows for him and went with the one that offered the lowest price. The guy had never worked with the material my dad wanted, he didn’t have any references, and he worked out of his garage which would have been fine except he wouldn’t tell us the name of his suppliers. My gut instinct said this was a bad idea and my dad should have gone with the other guy. But, the other guy was going to charge $1000 more. Long story short, after the first guy messed up the job so bad that my dad had to fire him, he called the other guy and he came out to do the job. It cost my dad almost $1500 more because he had to fix the previous guy’s mess. Go with quality here, not price!

#10 – Mechanics

I’m not talking about knowing a mechanic for 10 years and he just happens to be the lowest in town. I’m talking about going to a seedy little dive because they’ve got the lowest price, and you don’t know Adam from Jim at this place. You’ve got no references as to their work. You have no experience with them. You have nothing to go by. Sure, sometimes you might get lucky and find a decent mechanic out of the deal, but is it worth it to you? Personally, I’d rather spend a little bit more and deal with the guy I know, the one who isn’t going to tell me I need my master cylinder replaced or that I need my entire brake system replaced, or that I need all this work done to my car when I know it doesn’t need to be done. I also like the peace of mind that my mechanic isn’t going to purposely jack something up just so I have to fix it. You just never know…

Ok, what about you? What are some things you would never go cheap on? Are there things in my list you are ok going cheaper on?

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