The one piece of advice that my grandmother gave me that has always been true is this: Cheap is expensive and expensive is cheap.

Now don't get me wrong. Sometimes cheap products are as good as expensive ones.

Sometimes generics are even made in the same factory as the brand names.

On the other hand some products are worth paying extra for.

I'm broke. I work at a restaurant 7 days a week and I do not have a single day off.

I spend all of my extra time writing fiction and blog pieces and also doing work for Amazon Turk. If there's any time left I will deliver food using Doordash.

Almost every minute of my free time is spent working.

Trust me when I say I know how to save a dollar.

I still buy the expensive toilet paper, soap, detergent, boxers, socks, towels, toothpaste, etc....

My computer speakers also cost a couple hundred dollars and my video card was several hundred dollars as well.

Why you ask?

Well there are two reasons.

1. Quality of life. - I'm living this life. I'm not just trying to skate by hating my time here. I might have to work all the time to pay bills but I also want to enjoy myself.

2. Cheap is expensive and expensive is cheap.

So what do I mean when I say cheap is expensive and expensive is cheap?

Well let's consider the cheap toilet paper that they sell at the Dollar Tree.

You get four rolls of what feels like fairly thick two ply toilet paper for $1.

Compare that with 12 pack of Quilted Northern from Walmart for $6.47.

Each roll of cheap toilet paper from the Dollar Tree is $0.25 whereas each roll of Quilted Northern from Walmart is $0.53.

The Dollar Tree toilet paper is more than half price.

However, each roll while seemingly OK in the package......once opened is scratchy and very thin.

If it gets wet it will simply dissolve. It is not a fun experience using it.

The Quilted Northern is very thick and soft.

You can literally hold it under a water faucet and it will not break or dissolve.

It's also twice the size of the roll from the Dollar Tree and it takes much less to use because it's much stronger and cleans much better.

Due to this last fact we can see that the Quilted Northern is actually much cheaper than the inexpensive roll from the Dollar Tree despite the fact that it costs more.

You can find the same story in a bar of soap.

A bar of Dove soap from Walmart will leave your skin feeling soft and luxurious. It lathers up very quickly meaning you don't have to spend much time in the shower to get clean.

Compare that to a cheap bar of Dollar store soap and you will find your skin dry and irritated. More importantly, though, the cheap soap will not lather up quickly making the shower take that much longer.

Time is money.

This same philosophy can be applied across the board to almost everything.

Now, as I stated earlier, some generic products are actually made in the same factory as their brand products.

When this is the case then those are just as good.

However, sometimes spending a little more money will both increase the quality of your life but also in the long run get you a much better value.

My grandmother didn't give me many pieces of good advice.

She wasn't one of those grandmother's that stood over a stove in the kitchen making something delicious while doling out pearls of wisdom.

She did give me one piece of advice though that is probably the best piece of advice I've ever been given.

Cheap is expensive and expensive is cheap.

P.S. - If your grandmother is still alive why not give her a call. She'd love to hear from you. There will come a time in your life when you will never be able to call her again.

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