You can never spend too much money on…

[PissPotPourri]

My old boss used to say “you can never spend too much money on a paint brush”. Perhaps badly phrased, but what he meant was “buy the best paintbrush you can afford” as according to him, a cheap paintbrush will leave hairs in the paint and a bad finish.
I know most people would agree that a pair of jeans is another one- worth paying a bit more for a pair so they don’t sag and bag after one wear. Take the cost and divide by the number of times you’d wear them and suddenly they’re not expensive anymore.
For me, I would advocate buying the best chopped tomatoes you can afford, as I have recently switched to a more expensive brand and my cooking has been revolutionised! No more adding sugar to a sauce, no more acidity.
So, it got me to thinking, what other items should I not be economising on? What every day item is worth spending as much as I can afford?

Washing Powder

Shoes/Boots (I used to buy cheap and therefore often. Now I spend more on shoes that last)

Red Wine

Vacuum cleaners

Hotels. I've been spoilt by my job. A chain or budget hotel is fine for a short city break, but for a holiday my hotel room has to be more comfortable/luxurious than my home.

I honestly can't think of much!
For me it's value for money, so I have cheap foundations, mascara, cleansers, scented candles (ok not £5 cheap but still..) that I love
My fave mascara is about £3
I basically buy what I like and think is reasonable because it's either good or works well. I'm doing crap at explaining

A £35 bottle of exfoliating toner is probably the most expensive thing I spend on, but other people might find the £8 paulas choice one is better for them. And candles I pay about £15 for as they're the best scented ones from cheap to ££££ that I have found

It’s the foot shavings from a giant

I don't agree with car-seats. I think that's marketing bollox that tells you if you don't spend x-hundred you don't care about your child. My children are teens, but I'm sure if you buy a lower-end car-sear it will still conform to minimum safety standards (which are very rigorous these days). I think more expensive car-seats just have the isofix system, nicer design and preferred branding.

It's actually quite cruel to tell people that can't afford a more expensive seat that they don't care about their children.

(I haven't RTFT btw, this just jumped out on the first page and I scrolled to comment. If someone has already said this I apologise!).

@JaninaDuszejko I think you’re getting a hard time here, I also make pesto and I wasn’t aware it was a recipe only for those with velvet sandwich bags and gold encrusted lunch boxes I don’t like jar pesto at all, it tastes really salty to me. I also don’t like jar pasta sauces, but I also would not call my child Jocasta 😂😂

Aside from that, it's difficult to say really. When you've always had a comfortable life and have the kit for a

**Posted too soon!

I was trying to say, it's best, if you have the funds, to invest in kit that has longevity. That will ease your life. So knives, pans, bedding, flatware, table linen, stuff that will last and only get better with age. These things if bought well will last you for life.

Shoes are ephemeral, buy the best you can afford, that are comfortable and suitable for your needs. Be that dancing or stomping across moors.

Food. Definitely buy the best. But buy what suits your tastes and works for your lifestyle. Make your own pesto if you choose, but it's not obligatory. We all work to a budget be it small or large. Food has always taken up the largest part of my daily spending though, no matter how large or small, I'll tailor my budget to fit.

I think the rest is discretionary. I love clothes and spend a huge amount of money on them, DH spends a huge amount of money on musical equipment. We both spend on wine.

But good kit? Good kit should see you out. Spend on the things YOU use every day. My Dad has a down jacket that's nearly 60 years old, he just had it cleaned and mended, and it's as good as new.

So there's no real right answer.

(But food. Spend on food. Your body and your mouth will thank you).

Original art works

@Dollywilde

My granny used to say ‘invest in a good bed, and a good pair of shoes, because if you’re not in one you’re in the other’.

That's so true! I may steal that quote and use as my own 😁

Your health!

Invest in it and celebrate/make the most of it - you'll never know how good you've got it until you've lost it, and if you lose it it's much easier to regain it when it's in a better state to begin with.

You health is esoteric though @TaraR2020. People do or don't look after themselves for so many reasons.

I don't think that's what this thread is about though.

I just read my answer and had an overwhelming sense of dejavu @TaraR2020.

Have we had this conversation before, or do we both keep trotting out utter bollockry truisms?

@TaraR2020

Your health!

Invest in it and celebrate/make the most of it - you'll never know how good you've got it until you've lost it, and if you lose it it's much easier to regain it when it's in a better state to begin with.

Absolutely! No point in having generous resources when too ill or worst to enjoy it!

Lol I don't think so @ShrikeAttack !

I don't mean it in quite the way you mean though...I've lost my health a couple of times,v badly...Its the most precious thing I have. Do I look after it the best way I can? No...for some of the many reasons you imply.

But I do think learning to be more in tune with your body is key, as is investing in anything you need to help you sleep better. The more you can invest in what helps you keep level on a day to day basis, the more you can withstand lifes knocks.

If that means running marathons (which i dont) and eating a wholly organic, plant based diet while never letting a drop of alcohol pass your lips (not me!) then great!

But it might be: getting that new mattress, taking a proper lunch break, going for a weekly walk...the gym or a wild swim, or simply spending time with your kids.

It might mean therapy or saving for private treatment. Physiotherapy. A new lipstick. Or changing career.

Its not all 5 portions of veg a day and going sugar free. Sometimes it's getting a cleaner or just saying 'no' .

I agree @TaraR2020 invest in yourself. Whatever that may mean.

Absolutely.

I make my own burgers and pizzas as well, I grew up on a farm with a cookery teacher for a mother, so food is important to me

Ah bless you @JaninaDuszejko

Food is important to me too but unlike shop bought pizza and burgers there really is no discernible difference between homemade pesto and that bought off the deli.

You can never spend too much money on shoes and handbags.

A mattress and pillows. We recently got a decent one and oh my god I cannot believe the difference. I want to cry for the years of bad backs and waking up tired I suffered through because I didn’t understand the value of a decent mattress

Beds
Bedding
Matress
Skincare
Sunscreen
Coats
Foundation
Perfume
Tampons
Haircut/colour
Shoes

Running shoes. I have crap conformation, so decent shoes with the right support in the right places keep me running, which keeps me happy. I’ll go for the discount stuff or wait for a sale for all my other kit, but not my shoes.

Mum wears glasses all the time and has always refused to skimp on them. No matter what, she’s always insisted on the frames she’s happiest with rather than ones that are economical, and all the extra thin lenses, special coatings and so on. She says she wears them all the time, so they have to be comfortable.

I would say definitely skin and hair care.

I don't spend a fortune but use Aveda products and it's made a big difference. I also use a great at home hairdresser who cuts and colours every three months.

I've always thought if you prioritise exercise, hair and skincare, everything will look more expensive.

I don't agree on jeans and underwear though.

I've currently got four pairs of M&S Ivy jeans at £19.99 that I love and find their underwear way better than a lot of more expensive brands.

Shoes
Coats
Any form of waterproof clothes, technical clothing or knitwear (cheap plastic raincoats will leave you sweaty and soaked through; cheap acrylic knits will leave you cold or sweaty)
Bras
Loo paper, tissues, kitchen roll and bin bags - cheap stuff is a false economy as well as unpleasant to use
Loo seats, extractor fans and vacuum cleaners
Curtains and blinds
Food and wine, though that doesn't exclude buying cheap cuts/own brands where relevant.
Saucepans and frying pans - a decent set will last you 30 years if you look after them and be a pleasure to use
Education!

Oh, and haircuts!

This thread is making me feel very poor

I care a lot about trainers, for sports reasons (stability, comfort) so I buy Asics gel resolution, but only ever buy last years model/sale

So no, paying £120 not worth it if last years model is half that