Looking Beyond the Price Tag
Investing In Excellence
To be honest, neither Joe nor I come from backgrounds with disposable incomes. We were both taught the great habits of pinching pennies and spending wisely. Looking at price tags was an important part of every shopping trip, whether it was grocery shopping, clothes shopping, back-to-school shopping, or any other time we hit the stores. We both were fully accustomed to the phrase, “Too expensive”, and we were quite familiar with the aisles of our local thrift stores and resale shops. However, through our parent’s examples and through our own life experiences, we have come to realize that the price tag just doesn’t carry all the information of a product.
How many times have you picked up something from the store, or ordered a product online, only for it to fall apart in a few weeks, days, or the first time you use it. How frustrating! I have fallen into this trap one too many times. The reality is, when this has happened, I have prioritized price over quality. In those moments, what is most noticeable is the inferiority of materials being used, or a bad manufacturing process. This results in either a complete breakdown of an item or the frequent repairs to the item. Consequently, how much of my time and productivity is wasted trying to manage, fix, or replace these products that we spent good money on? This can often be a vicious cycle that can only be remedied by focusing on value and not sacrificing quality for price.
In our married life, Joe and I have striven to find the right balance of being frugal and buying quality. In researching out our purchases and being thoughtful about our spending, we have realized a few long-term benefits of investing in quality pieces. The enhanced performance and reliability in quality products brings more prolonged satisfaction and overall better experience with time than low-quality purchases. We love items that are built to last! They're tough and durable, so we won't be stuck replacing or fixing them every other month. Saving money and less stress! That’s a win-win.
Now, we don’t buy quality for EVERYTHING. I still enjoy visiting Walmart, or Amazon for little things that don’t need to last or I’m fine with replacing soon. In fact, I prefer shopping there for a number of things I buy. However, we have learned to take a mindful approach to our purchasing decisions, and when to emphasize value and longevity over short-term savings.