When To Spend and When To Save

Posted on Nov 25 2014 - 7:14am by Charlie

So much emphasis these days is placed on the importance of value. Opening any magazine or website, you’ll be crowded by articles on how to make your money go further. And of course this is hugely important, especially when so many of us are working on a budget. Food, bills and travel are all rising in cost every year, and wages are rarely rising in line with inflation. It can sometimes seem like the odds are stacked against us.

But it can also make sense to spend a bit more. A quality product will sometimes outlast its cheap counterpart many lifetimes over. There’s the old saying that rich people can afford to save their money. The poor man buys cheap boots that last for one year, whilst the rich man buys boots for twice the price that will last a lifetime. So it can sometimes make perfect sense to do your research and find out when it’s worth spending a bit more cash.

This is the real battle of any mum on the high street. Especially when you have kids. It’s often hard to tell how long things will last. Your little ones may outgrown their new clothes in just a month. They may scuff and ruin their cheap school shoes in under a week. To give you a little bit of extra help, we’ve come up with a few situations on either end of the spectrum. Here’s our advice on when to spend, and when to save.

playschool-151938_640Source: Pixabay

When to save

Food

You should always look to save cash on food shopping. Very often, branded products are identical to their value counterparts, but with more colourful packaging. If you’re worried that it might contain more additives, spend a minute or two reading through and comparing the ingredients.

School Uniform

Your kids will spend most of their time at school making a mess and running around in the playground. It’s just not worth spending a packet on something that will more than likely be ruined in under a month. Supermarkets often offer extremely cheap multipacks, so it makes perfect financial sense.

Shoes may be a different story as they are significantly more important. More expensive ones will tend to last a lot longer, but it’s worth thinking about how much your kids are likely to grow in the foreseeable future.

When to Spend

Staple Clothes

Some clothing can be worth splashing out on. Stuff like Keetan garments will outlast the really cheap stuff you find in supermarkets. If they’re going to wear it a lot, there’s no shame is spending a bit more on the things that matter. It’s also nice for your kids to have some smarter clothing for special occasions.

Safety Gear

Bike helmets, sunglasses and car seats all fall into this category. Cheap alternatives often won’t have passed all of the tests to ensure that they meet safety standards. You don’t want to skimp on the things that could endanger your kids, so research these products thoroughly and spend a little bit more on them.

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