Tip 49: Buy fewer things, but better quality

For me, shoes are a good example of where I can benefit from buying fewer items of higher quality. I normally buy cheap shoes that wear out in a year or so. Since the shoes are cheaply constructed, they can't really be repaired and get thrown away. A smarter approach is to spend more buying quality shoes that will last a few years. I have an old pair of black wing tip dress shoes that probably cost around $100- but I have been wearing them for 25 years. I recently got a new pair of brown leather shoes that were a lot more than I usually pay. These were purchased to replace a pair of shoes that I got for $8, but was throwing away because they were falling off my feet. I tried stuffing crumpled up tissue paper in the toes, but I could not get them to fit right.

Another example of buying something of high quality that lasted a long time is the brown leather coat I bought back in college. I still wear it today 20 years later. It is a very warm winter coat and I bought it on clearance one spring for $65. I have bought cheap coats that have only lasted a couple years before developing large holes or having the zipper fail.

Sometimes the cheapest option is not the best option. Sometimes spending a little more money can get you something that will last much longer and provide a better value over the life of the product. Try to balance being cheap with being frugal.

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