“Getting a great deal” can be the worst possible outcome.
Not everything cheap is good. Most are cheap and bad.
Some cheap things are good, but they are rarely underpriced.
Cheap things must be replaced frequently, like the poor man’s shoes.
As one grandmother put it after getting screwed by a cowboy builder, “If you pay cheap, you pay twice.”
Take your computer or smartphone. I don’t mind dropping a thousand dollars on a device I’ll spend more than half my time on.
It would be hell to use every day if I didn’t enjoy it, like wearing shoes with holes in them because they were half-price.
Another example is Buy-One-Get-One-Free offers. Is it really a good deal if I buy twice what I need and throw half away?
The worst part about buying something expensive is purchasing it. That’s when we’re going to feel the worst about it: as the cash leaves our wallet.
When we buy something cheap and bad, the best we’ll feel about it is right at the beginning, when we get that “great deal.”
It’s usually increasing disappointment after that.
Next time someone offers you a “bargain,” tell them to BOGOF!