8 things you shouldn't cheap out on

My dad has been building and remodeling ever since he was old enough to help out his own father, a carpenter. When he wasn't working on our home he was out helping someone else, or tearing down old buildings in order to re-use the wood on projects. (Clearly, the apple doesn't fall far from the frugal tree.)

He's never bought cheap equipment.

"There's an old saying with tools: 'Buy once, cry once,'" Dad said. "Of course, that applies to just about everything in life."

I've heard it another way, too: "Buy it right or buy it twice." In other words, frugality has its limits. Some things are worth the money.

Usually there are ways around paying retail. Among them: cash-back shopping, price comparison websites, clearance sales, online swap sites, thrift stores, yard sales and the Freecycle Network.

If not? Spend the money, for heaven's sake. Some things you just shouldn't cheap out on. The following list isn't comprehensive, but it's a start.

Creature comforts
1. Shoes. Be kind to your feet or you will regret it. Buy well-made shoes with good support, and don't wear them so long that your soles are scraping the pavement. A lack of support can lead to back issues as well as foot problems like bunions, hammertoe and heel pain. All are painful, and it's cheaper to prevent them than to fix them.

2. Clothing. By all means shop secondhand, but don't buy things only because they're cheap. Select items that are comfortable, durable and, yes, flattering. This is especially true of children's clothing. Jeans with bleach spots and a worn-out "Hannah Montana" T-shirt would be fine for weekend wear, but don't subject your child to ridicule by making her wear them to school.

 

3. Food. Not everyone can afford an all-organic diet, but get the best food you can afford. Don't subsist on presweetened cereal and frozen dinners just because you had coupons for them. Items like dry beans, lentils, oats, rice, cornmeal, carrots, dried plums, potatoes and winter squash are cheap, and they pack a lot of nutritional punch.

You can further stretch your dietary dollars by checking out ethnic markets, restaurant supply stores, bakery outlets, "scratch and dent" food markets and even dollar stores. Items from bins in the "health food" section of some supermarkets often cost less than what's on the shelves. I bought extra-thick rolled oats for 64 cents a pound last week.

Home, health and more
4. Tools. A cheap tool makes the job harder, and will probably need replacing. (See "buy it right or buy it twice," above.)

5. Housing. Like the home shows say: It's better to have a substandard house in a good area than the other way around. (You can fix a house, but you have to wait for a neighborhood to fix itself.) Buy with that in mind, but never buy more than you can afford.

6. Health care coverage. If you can afford insurance, get it. Some people skip coverage because they feel pretty good, but they're fooling themselves. You can't predict accidents or sudden illnesses, and either one could bankrupt you faster than you can say "intensive care unit." (No coverage? See "Can’t afford health insurance? Your options" for tips.)

7. Professional advice. Don't choose a lawyer, physician, psychotherapist or financial adviser based solely on how much it'll cost you. Even a few minutes of online research could indicate anything from indifferent attitudes to past criminal behavior.

8. Automobiles. Buy the safest and most reliable car you can afford. Yes, I said "safe" and "reliable." Your wheels do not define you. They merely get you from place to place. Besides, the cooler/more head-turning your car is, the more expensive it will be to insure and maintain -- and the more attractive, maybe, to car thieves and jealous vandals.

Readers: What’s your "don't cheap out" item?

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