A pricey pair of jeans may last longer than cheaper ones. - FILE PHOTOS
THIRTY-SIX YEAR-old Kimberly thinks of her favourite jeans like an old friend. They are not only familiar but very comfortable, have just the right fit and have maintained their colour well over the years.
Over many, many years.
"Gosh, I have had them for about six years now," she said, laughing. "They are a little tighter, but I haven't put on that much weight, cross fingers," she said.
They have outlasted quite a few other jeans, which have fallen to broken zippers, torn seams and other maladies which affect cheap clothes.
"When I bought these jeans they were really expensive, over $2,000 and later on I did the 'three for wholesale price' thing, getting the cheap stuff. They didn't last. I mean, they looked good and all that for a while, and I could never afford three jeans for close to $7,000, so they served a purpose, but they just don't last. In the long run, the good quality brand name real brand name - stuff is better," Kim said.
That law of quality that you pay a lot for being the much better route to go than quantity which you pay a little for seems to go across the board, as from cars to shoes and even food, STAR CENTS found that that which lasts is always better to buy.
Which is why 39-year-old Joneil stretched and stretched and stretched to afford a Subaru Outback three years ago. It is a purchase which his friends questioned, as at the time they were having a wonderful time with the lower prices of Nissans and Toyotas.
Joneil has had the last laugh over and over and over again. "I have changed nothing on this car except oil and filters. Not even disc pads," he said. "The amount of money they have had to fork out, trust me, they could have paid down on another car," he said. In addition there is the safety factor, as the Outback is very strong in case there is an accident, and he anticipates keeping the car at least another three years. "Of course it is going to be expensive to fix when the time comes, but I have had such a good run I could never complain," he said.
THE REAL DEAL
At 26, Clare has been through quite a few running shoes since starting to seriously exercise in the middle of high school. For her, absolutely nothing beats the fit and durability of a genuine brand name pair of sneakers, as expensive as they may be. "The cheap stuff cracks, gives you corns, does not have enough cushioning and can actually hurt you," Clare said. "If you are just wearing them to look stylish, I guess it will work, but not if you are serious about working out."
And Heather had just one question about less expensive brands of ketchup. "How much more do you have to use to make thick sauce?" she asked. "I will go with the more expensive one, because in the end you use less and it works out."
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