"You get what you pay for." All my life I've heard that said whenever somebody complained about the speedy demise of some cheapo item they purchased. The moral was that the value you got from purchases... quality, durability... was supposedly commensurate with price. I always believed this. Sort of. I realized there were exceptions, but thought it held up as a general rule of thumb.
But is it true? The longer I frugalize, to coin a verb, the more I find that it often is not true. But again, sometimes it is. So knowing when I can safely economize, and when I'm better off spending more, has been an important key to learning to live well on a small budget.
For example, I've found Suave shampoo, at $1 a bottle, to be as good for my hair as brands that cost many times as much. It cleans well and leaves no discernible residue. And it comes in wonderful scents that make my morning shower very enjoyable. This one, a lavender-lilac scent, is a favorite, but all are quite nice. The conditioners are good, too, although I don't use rinse-out conditioner any more. Instead, a couple of times a week I rub into my damp, just-shampooed hair, a pea-sized dollop of Pantene cream conditioner. It adds a bit of conditioning to my non-treated hair and makes it easier to comb out, but doesn't leave an oily residue and doesn't need to be rinsed out when used like this. Super-frugal, too, as a $4 bottle lasts for a year or more.
Another great personal care product I use is Clear BASICS Vitamin E skin care cream, with aloe vera and jojoba oil. I've been using it for several years now, and it is, hands down, the best facial and body moisturizer I've ever used. It is quite rich and moisturizing, but does not leave a heavy, oily residue. It soothes my dry skin even in extremely cold, dry winter weather, but works well in the summer, too. It lists fragrance as an ingredient, but never irritates my sensitive skin. I like it a lot better than the Elizabeth Arden, Clinique, and other expensive, big name brands I used to use. Best of all, a 16 oz. jar sells for less than $2 at my local Family Dollar store. Unbelievable.
My favorite eye liner pencil and foundation also come from Family Dollar. On the other hand, I pay big bucks (well, sorta big) for Clinique's Brow Shaper, a powdered product that works way better than any pencil for adding color to my eyebrows. There are no rules for this. I just try the inexpensive stuff and see if it works for me. There are some duds, but sometimes I find real bargains.
Another example from the clothing category is a lightweight black rain jacket I bought six or seven years ago at Value City, a now-defunct discount store. The jacket was not a name brand, but the price was right and I needed a black jacket. It was just OK. Well, I hate that jacket! Every time I wear it, it feels cheap and tacky. I don't know why I haven't thrown it away. In hindsight, I realize I should have spent more, even a lot more, and gotten something I actually liked.
Same thing with perfumes. I just like quality perfumes. When students have gifted me with cheaper brands, Avon or drugstore brands, I never like them. It's worth it to me to get the good stuff. I've been wearing Caleche by Hermes and Opium by Yves St. Laurent this winter, and am switching to Spendor by Elizabeth Arden and Cabotine by Gres for warmer weather. But I no longer pay retail for these. Discounters usually have overstocked or discontinued eau de toilette and colognes for sale, so I just check each time I shop. I never pay more than $20 or so. This works for me because, although I like quality, I am pretty flexible about scents. Discounters never have testers - I just find a good name brand, usually a French or American designer, and take my chances. I've gotten a couple that were a little heavy and that I used sparingly in cold weather. But I've never gotten anything I couldn't wear and truly enjoy. I have a penniless friend who will only wear Diorissimo, and who is as a result perfumeless most of the time, poor thing. It pays to be flexible if you're frugal.
So - price? Quality? It all depends. The important thing in keeping myself happy when spending sparingly has been to really investigate and learn where it pays to spend more, and where I can meet my needs with a bargain purchase. This "needs assessment" absolutely must include emotional satisfaction as well as functionality, and since each person is different, each person will come to different conclusions, make different choices. I continue to learn from my mistakes.
But is it true? The longer I frugalize, to coin a verb, the more I find that it often is not true. But again, sometimes it is. So knowing when I can safely economize, and when I'm better off spending more, has been an important key to learning to live well on a small budget.
Another great personal care product I use is Clear BASICS Vitamin E skin care cream, with aloe vera and jojoba oil. I've been using it for several years now, and it is, hands down, the best facial and body moisturizer I've ever used. It is quite rich and moisturizing, but does not leave a heavy, oily residue. It soothes my dry skin even in extremely cold, dry winter weather, but works well in the summer, too. It lists fragrance as an ingredient, but never irritates my sensitive skin. I like it a lot better than the Elizabeth Arden, Clinique, and other expensive, big name brands I used to use. Best of all, a 16 oz. jar sells for less than $2 at my local Family Dollar store. Unbelievable.
My favorite eye liner pencil and foundation also come from Family Dollar. On the other hand, I pay big bucks (well, sorta big) for Clinique's Brow Shaper, a powdered product that works way better than any pencil for adding color to my eyebrows. There are no rules for this. I just try the inexpensive stuff and see if it works for me. There are some duds, but sometimes I find real bargains.
Another example from the clothing category is a lightweight black rain jacket I bought six or seven years ago at Value City, a now-defunct discount store. The jacket was not a name brand, but the price was right and I needed a black jacket. It was just OK. Well, I hate that jacket! Every time I wear it, it feels cheap and tacky. I don't know why I haven't thrown it away. In hindsight, I realize I should have spent more, even a lot more, and gotten something I actually liked.
So - price? Quality? It all depends. The important thing in keeping myself happy when spending sparingly has been to really investigate and learn where it pays to spend more, and where I can meet my needs with a bargain purchase. This "needs assessment" absolutely must include emotional satisfaction as well as functionality, and since each person is different, each person will come to different conclusions, make different choices. I continue to learn from my mistakes.
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