5 Important Purchases That Are Always Worth the Money
We talk a lot about saving money; I'm here to tell you about five things that are worth the money you spend on them. I follow values-based budgeting. What that means is you spend money to bring yourself closer to the things you genuinely value. These are the things that bring you closer to your long-term financial goals and that enable more and more significant savings.
Outside of the bigger ticket values, like travel, relationships, and new experiences, I think there are material items that are the best things to spend money on. Read on for my list of five items that I think make sense to spend money on.
1. Kitchen tools
Investing in high-quality sharp knives, a Crock Pot, an air fryer, and an Instant Pot are always worth the upfront cost. Why? Because they enable more significant and better savings in the long run.
Meal prepping and cooking at home are the best ways to save you money over the course of months and years. However, if you don't have the kitchen tools you need for meal prep, you're not going to meal prep.
Or you're going to try to prepare meals, and it's going to make you angry because it's so hard, and then you're going to give up on it entirely.
You can get a brand new Crock Pot for between 20 and $30, saving you thousands. An air fryer runs about $65. Both are an upfront investment, but in the long term, they're going to save you a lot of money because you're not Door Dashing, grabbing takeout, or going out to restaurants.
You can make your favorite snacks at home in the air fryer. Spending money upfront to have the functional tools you need to feed yourself will always be worth the investment.
2. Quality bedding
I love my bed. I spend so much time lying down with my face on my pillow that I want them to be high quality. I don't want to have painful back problems because I bought a cheap uncomfortable mattress that didn't give me a good night's sleep.
My $25 discount store sheet days are behind me. I spent years with a lumpy pillow because I thought getting a new one wasn't worth it. What a mistake that was.
I really regret that I spent a couple of years getting lousy sleep, which we know is terrible for our health, just because I didn't want to spend a few dollars on a pillow. We spend a third of our lives sleeping. I know you know what it feels like to get a lousy night of sleep. You're groggier. It's harder to concentrate. You may feel physically worse.
It's not worth it to save a few dollars and feel horrible as a result. It is well worth it to spend your money on a bed, sheets, and pillows that you will get a good night of sleep in. Buy yourself high thread count sheets and a pillow that supports your neck.
3. Direct flights
I'm 34 years old, and I'm well-established in my career. It is no longer worth it to me to save $100 on the flight by adding in a five-hour layover. My time is more valuable than that $100 I'm saving, and that layover is a time suck.
Let's face it; airports are uncomfortable places to be stuck in for any length of time. Food and drink are way more expensive in an airport. It's not going to be worth the savings. Direct flights are going to save you money in the long run.
Maybe you love your layovers, and if you're getting a long layover and you're taking advantage of it and using it as a chance to see a new city, more power to you - get after it.
However, I do think that direct flights are an excellent way to ask yourself what is worth more to you in the long run. You decide if having more time at your ultimate destination, which might mean having more time with loved ones you rarely see, is worth spending an extra $100 on a flight.
4. Dependable transportation
This might be a monthly Metro pass or a personal car, but always having a reliable way to get around is definitely worth the money.
Getting to your job on time, or avoiding missed days of work, makes dependable transportation worth its weight in gold. Very few of us can stay at home inside our house all day, every day, so we need reliable transportation.
Knowing that you can get to and from the airport, to and from your friend's house, and to and from the grocery store is well worth the upfront cost of whatever your chosen mode of transportation is. On another note, never underestimate the power of being able to leave a place you no longer want to be.
5. Good sunscreen
Strong, excellent-quality sunscreen is an absolute essential. It is definitely worth throwing down good money for. The sun is in the sky every day, and its rays only get stronger.
Sun rays can also come in through windows and curtains, so you don't even have to actually leave your house to get sun damage, which is a health hazard. Wearing sunscreen daily is recommended by basically every dermatologist out there.
Finding a brand that works for your skin and your budget is a financial priority. Remember that sunscreen is also an act of health care. It protects you from things like skin cancer.
Skin cancer is no joke, and far too many die from it. Preventing skin cancer with quality sunscreen is crucial. Sometimes more quality products do cost more, so build that savings goal into your budget.
Purchases worth the money
I think these five things are always worth the money you spend on them. What do you think is always worth spending money on? Share your recommendations in the comments below.
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Properly fitting shoes that don't damage your feet.
RE: NUMBER 3 (a secret that Airlines or travel agents rarely tell you)…
A "DIRECT" flight may NOT be the flight that you actually need, you may really need to book a NON-STOP flight… and here’s why:
DIRECT FLIGHTS:
are also known in the industry as "through flights", because the flights go through another airport, en-route to your final destination city.
NON-STOP FLIGHTS:
these flights depart from Point A, and land at Point B, with NO STOPS in between.
DIRECT flights include at least one stop, in between your departure city and your final destination city, allowing passengers to depart, and/or new passengers, flying to the same destination city as you are, to board the aircraft.
So, when you factor in the time it takes to land, for passengers to deplane, new passengers to check in and board, then waiting on the taxiway for clearance to take-off, before you are finally "wheels up", a DIRECT flight can add an hour or longer to your flight.
The benefit of a DIRECT flight is that you can just remain in your seat while the above activities happen, and they are generally cheaper. So if time isn’t an issue for you, you just don’t want the hassle of changing planes, flight numbers, gates, and wondering if your luggage will be there when you land, then a DIRECT flight is a good choice.
BUT, if what you want or need is the convenience of having the shortest flight time possible, with only ONE take-off and ONE landing, then a NON-STOP is the only flight that will accomplish that.