Stopped buying the cheapest option and my stuff actually lasts now, saving me way more money

Used to always go for the absolute cheapest version of everything. Cheap shoes, cheap jeans, cheap kitchen tools. Felt frugal at the time.

Then I started tracking how often I had to replace things. My $15 Target shoes lasted 4 months. Bought four pairs a year. That's $60/year on shoes that hurt my feet.

Spent $80 on a decent pair last year. Still wearing them. They'll probably last another year easy. So $40/year instead of $60, plus my feet don't hurt.

Same with jeans, kitchen knives, phone chargers, everything. I was spending MORE by constantly replacing cheap crap.

Now I research before buying and aim for the "good enough" middle tier. Not the cheapest, not the luxury version, just solid quality that'll last.

My annual spending actually went DOWN even though individual purchases cost more upfront. Plus way less clutter and frustration.

Being cheap and being frugal are not the same thing.