Price difference

I’m a rather frugal person. But being frugal doesn’t mean to always go for the cheapest option. Quite to the contrary, usually it makes sense to spend the extra buck on a quality product that will last a lifetime. That doesn’t mean you always have the budget for that though. When I started out living on my own, I got myself as complete a set of tools as I could, which was only possible by going for the cheapest version of each. Now I slowly replace them with quality tools, and I really learned to appreciate the difference that quality makes! Unlike Chuck, or my brother, I always buy cheap sunglasses though. But that’s because I ineviatbly lose or scratch or sit on them within a few weeks. If I was a pilot, I’m sure I’d also get some quality sunglasses.

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5 comments on “Price difference
  1. Felix says:

    That’s just the Apple way
    No offense, but sometimes there seems to be a point to it 😉

  2. Jonathan says:

    I used to feel the same way about sunglasses. And then I got fed up with the cheap ones and bought an expensive pair. You know what? I still have that first expensive pair I bought, and I would never buy a cheap pair again. Its amazing what a difference that quality makes, and its also amazing how the extra $(300) or so helps prevent one from being careless with them. Its like an inevitably repellent.

  3. reynard61 says:

    My rule is: “If it’s not vital to life or limb, try to get the first one of anything as cheaply as possible. If it breaks, then hopefully you’re not out *too* much money and you can always eventually get something more durable to replace it.”

  4. mike says:

    I used to feel the same way, but in my line of business it was starting to affect my life. Flying fires, looking into the sun, at high altitudes in the desert or Sierras, my eyes were getting bad, red, tearing up and so forth.

    I talked to one of the fire guys who always had good glasses (polarized and such) and he said one HAS to have good sunglasses in this job. I mentioned that I was afraid of losing or breaking them so I never bought an expensive pair. He simply said: “Why don’t you just buy a real pair of sunglasses and work on not losing or scratching them instead of messing up your eyes?”

    Sounds simple, almost silly, but I’ve never looked back and I’ve never had issues with my eyes again. If some @$$hole hadn’t stolen them in Maui, I would probably still have my original pair as well. Now I have multiple expensive sunglasses. One for travel and real bright sun (Maui Jims) and the Vedalos for flying in flat light or smokey conditions where they work really great.

  5. JKelley says:

    Only way I’ll spend more than a C-note on a watch is if it has a 24h analogue dial AND tritium marker phials! (I can’t wear digital, and I think natively on a 24h clock. Have since I was six…)

    Sunglasses are a non-starter for me anymore, but I was inordinately pleased when I found that high-impact/high-index poly finally came in a “photosensitive” version, and I didn’t have to cart around something for sunglasses!

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