6 Things You Should Never Skimp On In Life
When you’re younger, money is precious and you have to carefully ration it between life’s essentials like paying rent and life’s other essentials like socializing. And then a strange thing happens when you get your first secure paying job as an adult—suddenly there is money to spare. If you still have your frugal attitude towards money, you’ll likely keep making the same spending mistakes well into adulthood. This will lead to an apartment filled with broken Ikea furniture and a wardrobe full of fast fashion. Here are five things you should consider spending a little extra money on if you want to make smarter choices as an adult…
1. Shoes
Cheap shoes hurt your feet and don’t last for long. You can also spot a cheap pair of shoes from a distance, so they won’t be projecting quite the right message in a professional environment. Invest in a few good pairs of shoes when you can afford to, as one good pair will be much better than buying three cheap pairs. When expensive shoes wear out, you can often get them repaired or re-soled, rather than having to buy a brand new pair.
2. Cookware
When you’re living with housemates, what goes on in the kitchen is often limited to pouring hot water on noodles and reheating pizza. When you finally move into your own home, it’s nice to settle in by investing in some high quality cookware. You’d be surprised the difference in results when you pans aren’t from the bargain aisle. You’ll be doing your health a favor, too, as you won’t be inadvertently ingesting trace amount of peeling teflon. You can even change the taste of food by using sharp knives as opposed to hacking away at your food with blunt, rust-speckled knives.
3. Umbrellas
Stay with me on this one…How often have you bought a cheap umbrella and either left it on the train or watched it disintegrate at the slightest hint of a breeze? Just take the plunge and buy yourself a decent umbrella and you will really notice the difference. This isn’t only an investment in your ability to arrive at the office not looking like a drowned rat, but you will also be far less likely to leave it on a train.
4. Clothing
One of the best Pinterest trends to circulate in recent years is the idea of the capsule wardrobe. The basic principle is that you invest in several key pieces of clothing that make up the core of your wardrobe. These should be high-quality pieces that will last a little longer than your fast-fashion favorites. You then pad out this selection with basics and seasonal trends. Why? You’ll spend less on clothing because you won’t be going out and buying a whole new wardrobe at the start of every season. If you don’t have the budget for buying high-quality, designer items, try looking in charity shops and vintage stores in the more affluent areas in your town, as these will often be filled with designer gems. You can also take your search online and scour sites like eBay for some designer bargains.
5. Health Care
As you get older, you start to realize that good health is basically a blessing. If you find yourself regularly falling ill, you’ll soon see how difficult this can be if you also have to work full-time. While it may have been a welcome break from lectures during your student years, when it comes to being in the working world, it will soon get to the point where taking a sick day is no longer fun.
Taking care of your health by investing in a health care plan and signing up with a private dentist will pay for itself in the long run. Good health doesn’t just start and end with seeing a doctor or a dentist, and there are plenty of holistic practices you can try to ensure you are healthy. Meditating, getting a good amount of sleep and keeping your stress levels in check are all good ways to stay healthy in adulthood. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on the fancy gym membership if the yoga classes and steam room will help you to de-stress.
6. Food
Now that you’ve got a kitchen full of fancy cookware, it’s time to start throwing some quality ingredients into the mix. Upgrading your ingredients will be immediately obvious in the taste and you’ll likely develop a new appreciation for food. Shopping local and heading to farmers markets can often work out cheaper than supermarket choices. If you shop seasonally, you can probably get your produce much cheaper, which organic and free range meat might cost you a little more.
As the saying goes, you can’t afford to be cheap. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to go shopping! And don’t worry, you don’t have to go and blow your entire budget at once, but the next time you’re out shopping and find yourself reaching for the cheapest option, maybe think about upgrading?
Yes on the cheap shoes point! I used to be all about buying the cheaper version but after a pair tore within an hour of wearing them, I learned my lesson and started buying the more expensive ones.