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10 Things to Never Be Cheap About

April 2, 2012 | by
10 Things to Never Be Cheap About

10 Things to Never Be Cheap About

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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?”
  3. 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.
  4. 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?
  5. 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?
  6. 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?
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

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  • Garyjbellan

    I noticed you did not mention Ruger as a preferred weapon at 3 am…yet that is the manufacturer you picked for your give away…???
    I have a Ruger P345…but at 3 am if someone is breaking into my home, it’s the 4″ Colt Python that gets the call…if I can’t get em with the 6 then the Ruger is always ready…it should be CIAA “can’t Imagine Anything  as Absurd

    • Dwarven1

      Make my 3 AM gun my Model 19. 6 rounds of .357 goodness will make most any goblin lie down and play dead. And since I’ve owned a Model 19 for 30 years now, you could say that the manual of arms for it (such as it is!) is pretty well at the level of muscle memory by now. (Of course, so is the manual of arms for a 1911, but the Mod 19 is just so… elemental.)

      •  Agreed!   It’s pretty hard to argue with a simple reliable wheel gun in the middle of the night and the Model 19 is as good as they come.

  • Jeff Chastain

    I would also add “Condoms” and “Diapers”.  

    Interestingly, going cheap on one will lead to the other.

  • Hersfelder

    I agree with all of them….but most especially about tattoos.  Of course, why would anybody in their right mind really want to be permanently identifiable by the pictures on their body?  There are many reasons why back in the day, the Special Forces/Green Berets and the CIA did not admit anybody with a tattoo…..

    One example of why not:  Have you heard about the Nazi concentration camp guards/officers with lampshades made from tattooed skin?

    • Strider73

       We Texans have an old saying re tattoos and those who wear them:

      “Brands belong on cattle and horses. So which one are you?”

  • Wfr4570

    Hey Jason, Levi’s jeans are avowedly ANTI-SECOND AMENDMENT! Buy Redheads from BassPro, and support poor people in Bangladesh. Plus, there more comfortable.

  • grandduffus

    I’ve been shooting handguns for over 50 years. I have done considerable “static” combat shooting training. Nevertheless, I was just thinking last week that I should get some current dynamic training. As my body is getting old and slowing down, perhaps I need to be more trained than ever.

    In a future feature, I would like to see you give us a run down on what is available and recommended for private citizens.  Having read about some of the big name training sites, I would not be interested in the heavy pace, CIA, FBI or military readiness approach.

    What features and extent would be recommended as minimum for good preparedness of a private citizen? What type of training would assure exposing any weaknesses that need to be addressed? I am not as cheap as I used to be, and I agree that this is one area in life to not be cheap.

  • R O Bill

    Jason, have you ever heard the expression “penny wise and pound foolish” ?  Before you completely discount “Premium” gas, consider a test to prove your position.

    Do a gas mileage check using your present brand and grade.  Then run your tank down to less than 1/4,  put in $15.00 of the premium grade (to flush the tank ) run this down to less than 1/4.  Then run a 1 or 2 tank gas mileage test using the premium grade then calculate the cents per mile driven, low test vs high test.  Assuming your vehicle is in good repair/condition, you should actually see a lower fuel cost per mile driven.  Vehicles running High Test start easier/ faster = less wear and tear during start-up.

    • Strider73

      Octane in gasoline is nothing more than the fuel’s ability to prevent knocking. The higher the octane, the slower it burns. High-compression engines (like in the Ferrari the author will likely never drive) need premium so the fuel/air mixture won’t spontaneously combust early. All other engines run just fine (and get their best MPG) with regular. Even if premium gave an extra 1-2 MPG, the 20-30 cents extra per gallon would more than cancel that out.

      Bottom line: if the owner’s manual says to use regular, then do so. Otherwise you’re wasting money.

      Since fewer & fewer cars seem to require premium these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if refiners quit making the stuff in the near future, as the low sales volume will make it unprofitable. People who love their high-test cars will have to buy a can of octane booster at Walmart or the nearest auto parts store and add it to each tankful.

  • RPercifield

    I have always said that I would not let some High School art class flunkie place ink of unknown origin into my intradermal regions.  The host of diseases, reactions, toxic substances, and pain in general should be enough to stop that type of activity.

    Now I do not buy a $1k firearm for protection, however $300 to $500 seems reasonable in that regard, as long as they are a reputable manufacturer.

  • Gundociowa

    I would also mention H&R Block. Most of the offices around here are filled with CPA’s who decided it was more lucrative to work for the big box tax folks. Also H&R Block guarantees the returns they prepare and will help with an audit. Most CPA’s won’t.!!!

  • Wilco40

    Thanks, Jason. My HK USP goes into a Gould & Goodrich paddle, or a Blackhawk Airborne  dropleg, nuthin’ else, ever !

  • K Mccann

    Agree, agree, agree with all!

  • Winston692

    I agree.  Up until a couple years ago I was guilty of being too cheap. Minimal training and practice, but I finally got on board.  On the lighter side, Failure on your #3 will show the necessity for#7!

  • Cory Thoennes

    Absolutely agree with everything here…including the TP, can’t have the thin stuff around.

  • Amen on the tax man! I once used a guy that used to work for the IRS….big mistake…he was way too “IRS friendly.” He didn’t really fight to at least have me break even. I ended up owing quite a bit. A later look by a good CPA got me a tax reduction. 

  • Krygny

    Footwear.

     – Always leather, NEVER plastic (i.e., vinyl that’s supposed look like leather but doesn’t).
     – Quality shoes never require “break-in”.
     – Shoes of any kind should stand up to almost anything.
     – If your feet hurt, you’ll never have a really good day.

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