Warning: the guy at the tire shop in Reno told me to quit buying cheap wiper blades, and he was right
I used to grab the $5 wiper blades every fall because they are right there by the register. A tech at a tire shop in Reno told me 8 months ago to spend $22 on a better pair instead, and I argued with him about it in the parking lot. Well, my cheap ones started streaking so bad in the rain that I almost rear ended a truck on I-80, so I finally tried his advice. The $22 blades have lasted through a full winter and two road trips and they still clear the glass in one pass. I did the math and I was spending about $20 a year on the cheap ones anyway, so I was not even saving cash. Has anyone else noticed a cheap version of something costing more over time, and what finally made you switch?
Watched my buddy do the same thing with running shoes for years. He kept buying $40 pairs every few months because his knees hurt and he figured that was just how running was. Finally dropped $130 on a real pair and the knee pain went away in like two weeks, plus the shoes lasted over a year. He added up his old receipts and it came out to almost the same money, except he spent all that time hurting.