Don't Cheap Out When Buying These 5 Things
Sometimes excellence is worth the extra money
We live in a consumer society that has gotten used to blowing money on useless things.
You either get pressured to buy a Mercedes when you can only afford a Hyundai, or feel like you won’t be cool with a Guess purse because your friends all have Louis Vuitton.
Luckily for you, being minimal is trending (dare I say cool?), and cutting your spending is now admired.
However! There are still certain times you shouldn’t cheap out.
Some items are worth spending a little extra on…
(plays anonymous music)
1. Your bed
The beloved neuroscientist Andrew Huberman once said that sleep is one of the most important aspects of your health.
“The sleep doctor” would agree.
It’s definitely in your best interest to spend a little extra if it means getting a better sleep.
You spend around 30% of your life sleeping.
That’s more time than you spend eating, and working put together.
If you’re going to spend that much time doing something that is arguably the most important thing you could do, you should make sure you can do it well.
Here’s another thing though.
Spending more on your bed doesn’t mean you have to spend $20,000.00 on a super crazy California king bed that can fit your whole family comfortably.
All it means is that you should invest an extra $1-2000 on something that will improve your sleep exponentially.
It might make you feel better once you realize that beds can last you years.
Instead of “investing” your money in Louis Vuitton, invest it in your sleep.
2. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences
There are certain experiences in life you will only ever get the chance to do once.
For example, when you are travelling, say to… Italy, this could very well be the last time you ever go.
If that is the case, you should spend a little extra to do experiences you will never get another chance to do. This will create memories you will cherish forever while preventing you from regretting missing out on this for the rest of your life.
Spending extra to create forever memories and minimize regret is arguably a great investment.
That could mean you go on the nicer wine tour, rent a Ferrari to drive the countryside or spend the extra day by the sea.
Regardless, those memories will be “priceless” and depending on who you are and what your situation is, might be well worth it.
3. Shoes
The same argument that reasons you should spend extra on your bed works for why you should spend extra on your shoes.
It is highly likely that you are wearing shoes for the majority of your day.
You are wearing your shoes while walking around town, working out and running, going out and pretty much everything else you can possibly do.
Without good shoes, not only are you going to get annoyed, but you could cause yourself some damage.
When I first started playing basketball, I wasn’t sure I was going to stick with it, so I wore cheap shoes for the first year. Over the year, I developed shin splints that 16 years later, still bother me.
On top of that, my knees have been giving me issues ever since too!
If I had spent an extra $100 I would have prevented semi-permanent damage and been more comfortable!
4. Health-related items
Yes, I know. Your bed and shoes can be considered health-related items too.
But, I felt the need to place it at number four because there are many other items you shouldn’t cheap out on that are health-related.
Anything that helps you sleep: As I said earlier, sleep is one of the most important aspects of your health.
Gym membership: Getting a regular workout routine in (and hitting the sauna) helps you improve your health.
Supplements: You don’t want to be short on your vitamins or protein levels!
Massages: Stress relief and removing tension from your muscles helps!
Coaches: Sometimes you need a coach to keep you accountable!
Clubs: Finding like-minded people can be a game changer.
Now, of course, there is a priority order to these things that will be based on where you are in life.
Sometimes, you can cheap out on these items.
You need to have enough self-knowledge to understand where you should be spending more money on anything that is health-related.
5. Your workspace
Let’s say tomorrow you went out and spent a couple extra grand on improving your workspace.
That could mean a new computer, office chair, or anything else that helps you work more efficiently and less stressfully.
Would that improve your productivity by 10%? 20%? Maybe even 50%?
Would that increase in productivity reduce your stress by a similar amount or give you more spare time to spend with your family?
And finally, would the combination of the two result in quicker promotions and a pay raise at work, or increased revenue in your company?
See what I’m getting at?
Investing in reducing your stress, freeing up your time or increasing your productivity is totally worth it and not somewhere that you should cheap out.
Conclusion
The easiest way to decide where you should spend a little extra is by analyzing where you spend the most time.
You spend 30% of your life sleeping (hopefully), so a good bed will pay off. This rule also applies to items that help you work better or more efficiently.
At the end of the day, there will also be certain items you don’t want to cheap out on based on who you are. Regardless of your personal choices, by spending on these 5 items you are sure to improve the quality of your life.
Thanks for reading