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Food, shoes, mattress, and a good car should be things people should never be cheap on.
Yes on certain foods. I will spend on good coffee and tea, organic vegetables (although I save by being able to grow some myself), prepared foods without additives. Definitely on quality shoes, definitely on a good mattress. Car? As long as it's safe and can get me from point A to point B, I don't care and will not spend extra. (Maybe that's what you mean by a "good car.")
I will gladly spend some bucks on a nice Scotch. I have a couple good bottles for every now and then. But if I find a nice one for those special occasions, I'll open the wallet wider.
I'm actually not too cheap on most things I buy because I do believe you get what you pay for, but I can't justify spending $1,000 on a phone, so I went a little cheap there and only paid $300 for a less popular brand phone but still a good one (Motorola).
The funny thing is eating healthy cost more but pays off in the long run. Good fish, good meat, good veggies, good cooking, etc. will cost more than cheap fast food and take out food, but it really pays off in the long run.
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Even small things like limiting alcohol or sugar makes a HUGE difference. Exercise, HUGE difference. I subbed multigrain quinoa for common starches, HUGE differences. Soymilk for 2% real milk, HUGE differences.
I totally agree with this. I buy bread from the store refrigerator section that costs $6 or $7 a loaf - the brand is Food for Life and the varieties are named after bible verses. I have Genesis 1:29 in my freezer now! ("And God said, 'See, I have given you all the seed-bearing plants...'") Maybe not in the budget for a family with teenagers but it's just me. Nothing with trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup or cheap, less-healthy oils such as cottonseed. More food I make from basic ingredients- I go through a LOT of fresh vegetables. The cheaper a processed/packaged food is, the more suspicious I am.
Another splurge: clothing, shoes and other accessories NOT made in China and preferably made in the US and other countries where I trust the working conditions. (All my sandals are Birkenstocks, made in Germany.) Bonus- they last forever and are comfortable to wear. I've spent a total of $240 on clothing and sandals this year; $140 of it was a single sweater made in Ireland.
A few things I spent more on to get better quality; HP Laptop computer, Specialized bicycle, Weber Propane BBQ Grill, LG washer & dryer (jury still out on quality of these LG appliances?).
Generally I splurge on good coffee, and quality meats and veggies. I like red wines but find that the middle priced wines are often as good as or better than the pricier bottles. YMMV
Good shoes (hate cheap shoes!), healthy food (doesn't have to be Whole foods!), quality vitamins/herbs, decent clothing (if you're careful/patience and shop well, you can get good prices).
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