I’ll be the first to admit that I’m definitely cheap about certain things. For instance, you’ll never see me putting anything but 87 grade in my gas tank. It will be a cold day in you- know-where before you seem me putting in premium… or until I’m driving a Ferrari and I’m not sure which one is going to come first.
Also, when it comes to a white t-shirt, the ones they sell at Wal-Mart are all I need and so are Levi’s jeans. I know some folks who spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of jeans, but not me. However, there are many areas in my life where I am not cheap and believe it is rather foolish to be so.
For example, every once in a while I’ll be doing consulting where someone will tell me about their brand new gun they spent $600 on, yet they thought it was a good idea to buy a cheap $15 holster that doesn’t work because they didn’t want to spend $70 on a quality holster.
Or the person who thinks any type of firearms training that doesn’t have the price of free costs too much. And it’s for these folks, and many others who are cheap when it’s a bad idea to be that way, that I’ve created the below list of 10 things you never want to be cheap about:
- Toilet Paper – Need I say more? Having cheap toilet paper can lead to loss of friendship because nobody wants to come to your house. Plus, it’s cruel to the rest of your family.
- Brain Surgery – Let’s say you find out you have a brain tumor. It’s probably not a good idea to run over to your friend’s house with your pocketknife and say “Hey John, I remember that ER used to be your favorite TV show. You mind slicing me open real quick?”
- Your anniversary – To tell you the truth, my wife and I have been married less than a year. However, I think I’ve already been reminded 1,847 times about our upcoming anniversary. Therefore, it seems to me it would be a good idea to plan something quality for your spouse on this particular day.
- Razors – When’s the last time you shaved with one of those cheap hotel razors because you forgot your blade at home? You almost died from blood loss, didn’t you?
- Your personal protection equipment – If someone kicks down your door at 3am and is trying to harm your family, are you going to think to yourself, “Gosh, I’m glad I bought this $150 Russian gun that jams every other shot” or will you have a gun that you can bet your life on, such as a Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P or Springfield XD?
- Garbage bags – This is as bad as cheap toilet paper. Do you really want all those holes appearing as you’re trying to tie up the trash and take it out?
- Your Attorney – Heaven forbid you ever get in trouble with the law and need an attorney. I would not recommend calling the creepy guy on the billboard with the bad toupee. Find the best attorney you can so you don’t end up in jail cuddling with Bubba.
- The Tax Man – The two worst return addresses you can see on an envelope: Your in- laws and the IRS. If the IRS is auditing you, it’s probably not a good idea to trot down to H&R Block and talk with the college kid who knows about as much about doing taxes as you do. Find a C.P.A. ASAP.
- Tattoos – No, I don’t have any tattoos and I don’t plan on getting any. But if someone is coming at me with a needle and they’re about to put permanent ink on me, I don’t think I want the drunk college kid at the party doing it to me.
- Your training – This includes all types of training in life, but for this articles purpose, your personal protection training. I don’t know about you, but if I wanted to fly a plane, I wouldn’t go spend a lot on a plane and then pay some TSA agent who’s only seen a plane to teach me how to fly. So why do some people spend hundreds on a gun and then think they don’t need to learn how to use it or they go to a friend who shot a gun one time, 20 years ago to teach them? I don’t know because I’ve never had a problem investing in any type of training in life because I know it will pay dividends many times over. So whether you need firearms training, piano lessons, or want to learn how to scuba dive, pay for quality training, your life is worth it.