Buying Something Once – It may be cheaper to spend more now

Not every post on our blog will be about photography directly and showing off awesome images from fun photo shoots. What brought on this post was today originated from my experience at Best Buy. I thought about my experience long and hard and wondered how this could relate to you, your wedding, your photo session, your own business or just buying anything in general.

How many times have you just purchased something that ranged in price from $100-$1000 and you bought the one closer to $100? You know you did it, I did it and so has everyone at some point. Then how many times since then did you buy another cheap item to replace that other cheap item and then again and again and again… An endless cycle of buying cheap products to replace each other and then finally giving in to buy the more expensive one because you know it is just better than the cheap one you bought multiple times before. With the way the economy has become, we have to spend our money wisely and we want to get the best bang for our buck; but not always will the best bang for your buck be the least expensive item on the shelf.

With the economy getting bad with the stock market crash, people losing jobs and everyone cutting back costs on everything; now is not the time to go cheap on major purchases. What made me think about this was when I was looking at TV’s today and needed to replace one for my studio. I needed something big (42″ or larger), something sharp, something that was 1080p and something that I could hookup my Apple TV, Computer and a DVD player. I had one that I bought a few years ago when HD TV’s were just coming out and at the time they were so expensive that I just bought the most affordable one I could find. Sure it was nice at the time because it was HD. So it was better than anything I currently was using. But just a short 2 years later I am outgrowing it, it had a weird green stain in the upper right and lower left corners and I could not hook my computer up to it and display a slideshow.  Something that I need to do every meeting with a client.

So flash back to today. I am looking at TV’s and not wanting to go back in time and just get something affordable again because in a few years something new will be out, I will outgrow this TV, it will break or just not be that great of quality. I am talking about the $500 32″ LCD TV’s. Sure it is a nice TV for maybe a spare bedroom but not for my studio; I need quality. I then looked for the TV that had all the features I needed and a few extras I would like to have and quickly the price became $2000 for a 46″ LCD 1080p TV. A little more than I wanted to spend, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it is going to be the TV that will work and it is a great quality TV that should last me 10 years or more.

So $2000 poorer, I left to go home and get this TV all setup in the studio. I was really happy I spent the extra money to get a good quality product. I felt like it was money well spent to get a name brand TV that is made better, looks better and just feels better.

Ironically enough, on my way home my friend called me to ask if he could borrow my new camera because his camera just broke on him. I laughed to myself and aid sure but let me ask you a question. He said sure whats up. I asked what he was going to replace his broken camera with. He said another $500 camera. This time I did laugh at him, but not in a rude condescending way but in a why what are you thinking way?  I told him sure the camera for $500 is a great camera and will work great and get you amazing pictures, if you are a mom taking photos of your family. That camera just isn’t built to take the abuse and workload that us professional photographers will put a camera through. He said well I don’t really want to spend $5000 on a camera right now. I said ok how long did that last camera last. He said 6 months. I said ok so lets say every 6-8 months you are buying a new camera for $500. I said in 3 years you will buy 4-5 cameras and spend at least $2500 just for the camera. What if that new camera takes a different type of memory card or battery? Then you will be spending more. I said that the camera he was going to borrow from me is 2 years old and has taken over 158,000 pictures with it and has shot 68 weddings and over 100 sporting events and it still runs like a champ without ever having a problem. The best part is, I only spent $2300 for the camera. Sure thats a lot of money but it has lasted me and was worth it to me that I never missed a shot by having gear that worked. So I recommended he find a camera a little more expensive and buy one that fit his budget. He ended up going for the $3500 camera knowing it would last a lot longer because it is built like a tank.

One other example that just hit me all in the same day. My friend called me who had the same car as I did. A Nissan Altima. He had the entry level model and was complaining how he hates the car and cant wait to get rid of it. I said wow I love mine. It is the same care but the higher model. I said what dont you like about it? He said well I hate the fact that every year I replace the brakes, tires, and various other things. I cant stand that almost every 2-3 months I have to have the seats cleaned. I said, “Mike how much do you spend on cleaning and brakes and other fixes?” He figured that in 1 year he spent about $1700 a year on that. We bought our cars 2 months apart. I said Mike I got the higher model for 1 reason. Knowing it would cost me less in the long run. It has a better braking system, higher quality tires, leather seats that just wipe right off. Since I had the car I have not changed my tires, brakes and have not paid to have my seat cleaned. My car payment is only $30 more a month than Mike so that is only $360 more a year but $1400 a year less since he puts so much in to his car. Guess what Mike is doing next week? Trading his Nissan in for a higher model Nissan.

I wish I would have looked at life this way a lot earlier and it would have saved me a ton of money. I spent many years buying cheap products and buying more cheap products to replace them or spending lots of money repairing the cheap products. I understand that not everyone has tons of money and can just go out and buy all the top of the line products. But saving to get a better product will payoff in the end. I promise!!!

With having the quality of products in my mind and being affordable for people to get those products I am glad we offer the high quality products to our own clients at affordable prices.

So next time you are out shopping, buying a car, buying a house, clothes, planning your wedding or booking a photographer; remember cheap isn’t always better. Sure the immediate response is more money in your pocket but in the end it will end up with a lesser quality product that you will wish you went higher. For some things like houses and weddings; you only do it once so do it right and get the best your pockets can afford.