There is a difference between buying smart and buying cheap, and it’s a difference that can make a big impact on money savings – not to mention, sanity. For example, you could forgo changing the oil on your vehicles to try to save money, but in the long run, you’re actually going to spend more on repairs for that vehicle. Or you could opt to buy a bottom-dollar laundry detergent only to have it leave stains on your children’s clothes, leading you to eventually buy more clothes more often.

Here are a couple items that I don’t think it pays to skimp on:

• Laundry detergent – As I mentioned above, it’s a lot cheaper to clean clothes with every wash than to buy more clothes to replace stained ones. Clothes aren’t meant to be disposable.
• Food – The cheapest foods in the grocery store are not the healthiest. They’re the processed, bad-for-your-metabolism kind, and while you’ll save money on these cheap food choices, in the long run, it’s your health that will suffer.
• Cleaning solutions – Be it that you have a homemade solution like vinegar and baking soda, or a favorite brand in the store, be sure that whatever you’re using to clean with actually cleans. As with clothes, carpets and other fabric textures aren’t meant to be disposable. And with countertops and tables, you want to be sure that they’re literally clean enough to eat off so you don’t inadvertently get sick from an unsanitary surface.

Also, be aware that you’re not doing something just because you don’t want to pay for it. If you have a vehicle, you need to get it serviced regularly and replace the tires when they’re worn. Your smoke detectors need to be replaced every two years (check your detectors’ guarantee) for most models sold in stores. If you have a suspicious-looking mole, you need to go to the doctor to get it checked out for possible skin cancer. If your child wears glasses, he needs an appointment every one to two years. Stalling, or completely opting not to do, some things just leads to more expense later on; for other things, it could seriously impact your health.

So, when you’re deciding whether or not to shell out the money for something, be sure to weigh the benefits with the risks.

In what ways have you found that it’s sometimes better to spend a little more to be able to save money over the long term?

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Rita Brhel

Rita Brhel is a stay-at-home mother to three children. She is also a WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, the Publications Coordinator for Attachment Parenting International, the managing editor of the Attached Family magazine, an API Support Group Leader, PSI Postpartum Support Coordinator, Sidelines High-Risk Pregnancy Peer Counselor.

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