When "Saving" Isn't Saving

Have you ever bought the "cheap" version of something you needed, only to find out a day, month, or even year later that if you'd just paid the premium for the high-quality version it would have saved you money in the end? While we all know that paying attention to costs is important, saving now can easily lead to paying more in the future. Here are a couple of examples from my own experience:

The Dogs Have It

I’m a Great Dane person. Over the course of my life, I have had twenty-one Great Danes. I'm not a pet hoarder or anything, Great Danes have just always been a part of my life.

Like many of us, I've been going through a difficult time these days. And while those big, loveable dogs have always been a comfort to me during times like these, I'm currently finding myself without any Great Danes in my life. Three of them leaving me prematurely was one of the many tumultuous changes, so my husband and I decided to go get a new puppy.

In order to save money we tried several tactics to try to get a Great Dane at a reasonable cost, but to no avail. We finally decided to adopt a little Belgian Malinois named Kimber. And while I love Kimber... she's not a Great Dane. That change of breed is one change too many, and I realize how much I need the comfort and familiarity of a Great Dane in my life.

Me and Princess, One of My Great Danes
As a result, I'm currently looking for a Great Dane to be Kimber's buddy. So this means not only will I be paying for the cost of adopting the Great Dane, but also the cost of adopting Kimber and the price of feeding them both.

One thing is certain--I have learned my lesson.  If I know saving on one will end up making me spend more on the other, I’ll skip the savings.

Car Chase

My sister and I bought our cars at the exact same time, and at the time, I ended up paying more for mine -- I bought what I really loved.  Nine years later, I still have the same car, and I haven’t had to make payments for four years now. 

My sister, on the other hand, who tried to save a buck by getting something she didn't like at a lower cost, has now “saved a buck” on three more cars.  While her car is newer than mine now, I still love my car and she’s the one making payments and dealing with higher insurance rates.

The moral of both of these stories: Don’t settle for less if you can’t live with the sacrifice.

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