What will you NOT scrimp on?

[timbuckley10]

I'm going to have to go with car up-keep as well. Spending less on it now ends up costing you more nine times out of ten!

[marvholly]

I had to think about this for a while. I have 2 no scrimps:

everyday shoes - I do NOT want to develop the foot problems in my family
produce - need to eat healthy but I do buy mostly in season and on sale items (we all get a yearning for some things sometimes).

[dawnwes]

I agree with this.

We have a lot of things that we are able to find very high quality in last year's model or even 2nd hand that was top of the line before. It is still great, but we pay a fraction of the price for it.

Our living room came out of a wealthier person's living room when they had to foreclose on their house.

We also buy good appliances and try to find the best deals. It makes no sense to spend $300 for a dishwasher just to have it break down a few years later and you have to buy the expensive one then anyway.

Dawn

Home theater equipment, although mostly used on CL. Same with furniture although I don't have much. I admit it: I have expensive taste, and would rather spend more on money for quality than from Ikea.

[dawnwes]

DH would say golf equipment!

[jbm555]

Vehicle repairs come to mind. One or two trips to a "fly by night" place will easily convince you of that.

This is true. Ask friends, family, co-workers, etc about repair places. The cheapest one is usually not the one to go to.

Another thing regarding auto repairs. Use the best parts you can afford. Auto parts places carry parts from more than one supplier for the same part. There's a reason that the exact same part from one manufacturer costs $15.99 and 89.99 from another manufacturer and that reason is QUALITY. Buy once, cry once. Besides if your luck is anything like mine then the cheap parts will fail at the worse possible time. Lots of auto repair shops use the cheap parts because there's a higher markup on them.

[Ima saver]

My dogs! Their health , care and grooming are very important to me. They bring us so much happiness.

[krantcents]

I will never scrimp on shoes. I do not have a lot of shoes, but most of them are between $3-500 each pair. Wearing comfortable shoes is important! I generally buy conservative looking shoes and they last forever. In the long run, they are cheap because I keep them.

[Frugal]

I also try not to scrimp on anything related to health or safety, for instance, safety in the car.

[JoshuaHeckathorn]

FOOD! Eating healthy isn't cheap, but it's soooo worth it.

[bobebob]

I'm surprised that all the answers thus far are short-term.

The number one thing I won't scrimp on is my 401k!

Pay yourself first.

[disneysteve]

I'm surprised that all the answers thus far are short-term.

The number one thing I won't scrimp on is my 401k!

Pay yourself first.

Great response. I've said many times that we don't budget our spending. We do budget our savings. From time to time, if money gets a little tight or cash flow gets low for some reason, we adapt by trimming our spending temporarily. We never adjust what is going into savings. That stays constant.

[juniehyatt]

Food and medical care. If you aren't healthy, nothing else really matters.


I've never understood the point of single ply TP. It just means you have to use twice as much. You don't really save anything and it is more of a pain.

Not to mention it falls apart! I won't scrimp on TP either, or milk. I pay $5.99 for the Horizon Organic Milk...low fat..it tastes like the most amazing milk you'd ever drink in your life, lol..

[ams]

Fresh meat and produce. Eating healthy can be expensive but I save on other grocery items by using coupons.

[photo]

I've never understood the point of single ply TP.

Two words: septic tank.

Those who have to have their septic tanks pumped (primarily people who live in the country) will tell you that nothing goes in the toilet except human waste and one-ply toilet paper. When I visit someone who uses really soft tp, it feels like silk.

[photo]

I will never scrimp on shoes. I do not have a lot of shoes, but most of them are between $3[00]-500 each pair.

Several people may think that's extravagant, but what is really more wasteful -- buying a $10 pair of shoes and wearing them only once because they hurt your feet or buying a more expensive pair that you've worn literally hundreds of times? Sometimes people only think of the immediate cost and not the value.