Items you should splurge on the better brand for

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Up until recently, if I needed to buy anything—anything at all—I immediately searched for the cheapest option. I arranged my search online from cheapest to priciest. I always checked yard sales and thrift stores first. All I was concerned with was that price tag. If anyone tried to upsell me on a more expensive item, I was convinced there was truly no benefit to it, and that they just wanted the commission. And while that last thing is often true, that doesn’t mean that the pricier item isn’t sometimes worth it. Going cheap upfront can mean having to replace an item over and over again, and eventually spending more money in the long run than you would have if you’d just bought the quality choice first. Going cheap can even have health repercussions. Here are items you should splurge on the better brand for.

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Sunglasses

Pay the extra for sunglasses that are polarized and have a high UV rating. If they don’t have a high UV rating, then UV rays will still get through, and you’ll still find fine lines around your eyes sooner than you want. If they aren’t polarized, then you’ll wind up squinting and, again, here come the crows feet. Five-dollar sunglasses just don’t have these qualities.

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Sunscreen

When you opt for the cheap sunscreen, you probably get one that either has a lower SPF, comes off when you sweat, or is just super greasy. That means you have to A) use more of it to stay protected or B) wake up to breakouts. Then, you just have to buy an acne wash to treat the breakouts, and you spend more money. Invest in a high quality sunscreen that won’t clog your pores.

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Walking shoes

You can’t put a price on preventing back and spine issues. But buying cheap exercise shoes—particularly those for walking and running—that do not have proper support sets you up for major spine issues down the line. You’ll spend far more money fixing those than you would have on a proper pair of walking shoes.

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Heels

Don’t just go for the prettiest, cheapest ones. Support again is very important, but can usually only be found in the higher end brands. If the shoe doesn’t have a balanced arch and good padding in the insole, you’re going to face some issues in the skeleton in your feet.

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Bras

While some of the $20 options at bargain stores are adorable, they fall apart after two washes. Get a bra made from durable materials that won’t stretch out or become tattered after only a few months. And make sure they can properly support your bust so you don’t wind up with back problems.

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Wine glasses

The cheaper the wine glass, the more likely it is to break. Invest in a gorgeous set of shatter-resistant wine glasses and they can last you a lifetime. It’s much better than replacing glass after glass that breaks each time you have a dinner party.

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Towels

A towel is a towel is a towel, right? Wrong. There is a good reason to look into the higher end brands. They’re made to last, with strong stitching, thicker materials, and wear and fade resistant fabrics.

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Sheets

The same points made about towels can be made about sheets. Thread count matters. The quality of the stitching matters. Going cheap on sheets only means having to replace them every half a year.

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Toothbrush

If you’re still using a manual toothbrush, then it’s time to move up to the modern age. Electric toothbrushes can move so much faster than your hand ever possibly could. That results in removing more plaque, which results in fewer cavities, which means fewer (expensive) fillings.

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Clothes hangers

You know that the plastic ones always break. Always. Splurge for a heavy-duty hanger, like a wood or steel one.

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Umbrellas

If you think of all of the $8 umbrellas you’ve purchased over the years that just wound up in the trash, you’ll probably cringe. It’s time to invest in an unbreakable umbrella that will not invert in the wind and has a tear-resistant canopy.

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Rain boots

We put our rain boots through a lot, but not all rubber boots are created equal. The cheaper ones don’t have lining aka they don’t keep your feet warm. They also are made from thin rubber that begins to rip at the seams after two rainy seasons.

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Hats

If you’re buying a hat to protect you from the sun, you should make sure it actually does that. That $10 straw hat from the pharmacy probably isn’t made with UV resistant material, so the top of your head could still get burned.

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Bathing suits

In response to women’s complaints that bathing suits from actual swimsuit stores are just too darn expensive, many larger bargain department stores started selling cheap suits. The trouble is that, these typically aren’t made from sun-resistant materials. They stretch out in the wash. They fade in the sun. And they deteriorate in chlorine. There’s a reason the pricier ones are pricier.