My wife makes fun of me because I don’t want to give in to the cheapest option but I’m not willing to spend a ton of money on certain things. I’m constantly looking for what I refer to as the “sweet spot.” This is where I feel comfortable spending the money on something without feeling like I got ripped off. Believe it or not, it’s easier to find then you might think, but not for everything.
There are certain items you should spend more on. A good dishwasher for example. You don’t want to buy the cheapest dishwasher because it’s something you use on a daily or semi-daily basis. You want it to work and work correctly 100% of the time. Here’s where we get into the differences of where you should be frugal vs. where you shouldn’t.
There are two categories for pretty much anything you’re going to buy:
Investment Items
Disposable Items
Let’s dive into each so we can get a better idea of what I’m talking about. 
Investment Items
This includes anything you want to use over and over again without thinking about replacing it. You will have to replace most anything over time; however, these are items you want to purchase once and forget about for years if not decades later.
Think about the things you use everyday. A microwave, stove, refrigerator, mattress, furniture, cars, etc. These are big ticket items. It’s a good idea to buy the best version of any of these items you can afford. That doesn’t mean you have to outfit your kitchen in Wolf appliances, quite the contrary. It means you should buy the best version of whatever it is you’re wanting to purchase so it will last for years to come.
When my wife and I were married, we went to Tiffany’s to buy our wedding bands. Imagine, me, at Tiffany’s. Funny enough, it was my idea. We decided it was better to spend more on quality rings we’d appreciate rather than buying a larger diamond ring somewhere else. A more expensive ring would only represent something to the outside world but not each other. Since the rings we chose would be on our fingers for a lifetime, we opted for less flash and more quality. 
Disposable Items
It’s always amazing to me how many people buy designer clothes. The fashion world is such a racket. There’s always the shiny new object to catch people’s eye in an attempt to lure them into a purchase that most shouldn’t make or can’t afford.
Clothes are disposable. You can place some of them into the Investment Item category but most of them won’t last past 2-3 seasons of wear. Couple this with the fact that most of us won’t wear a jacket, shirt or sweater that’s more than 3 years old due to changes in fashion and you end up with a closet full of clothes you never wear. This is not to suggest you should be cheap with your clothing choices. I’m simply saying you should shop from the clearance rack (https://tegacaysun.com/2023/10/26/mr-penny-pincher-4/) or buy clothes that never go out of style. Ralph Lauren solid colored shirts are a great example. You could invest $500 in 10 of these shirts and wear them for years. They’ve literally been “in style” since the 1980’s.
Anything you don’t use on a daily basis should be considered disposable. This includes but is not limited to: fancy hotels, expensive food items, collectibles and the newest iPhone, iPAD, X Box or any other entertainment item. I’m not saying don’t buy any of these things, but providing restraint when making a big purchase is always the best policy.
There you have it. Find the “sweet spot” in price for the things you will actually use on a daily basis or for a long period of time. Everything else is disposable.
Would someone mind telling my 7 year old daughter? Apparently “Squishmallows” are considered an investment.
