As a teen, looking at peers which families could afford New Balance shoes, I wanted the same. And not just fake Nikes. The real ones. As I became employed, I've started to buy top brand stuff. But a decade later I realized how stupid I was. I was buying top sneakers only to realize the cheapest ones do just fine: same lifespan as expensive ones, just as comfortable. Yes, there are exceptions, and more expensive ones usually look better. I was devastated when my Adidas shoes become unwearable and unrepairable, despite my best efforts. On the other hand, I don't care if my cheap shoes become broken, I'll throw them away in an instant. Disposable stuff is easy to throw away if broken when travelling or moving. You wouldn't part as easily with your favorite pair, despite it being unrepairable. Expensive things create invisible burdens; Repairing a pricy thing will be more expensive itself. Sometimes "flexing" the cheapest shoes feels even better than shoes that cost 10x more (literally...). Wearing them to places where people dress up or flex makes me laugh inside. It may even make an impression that I'm broke or crazy, and I'll happily take that and see nothing wrong, thank you. After my expensive wireless vacuum cleaner (wireless! rolling my eyes at myself...) broke, I've bought the cheapest wired no-name brand vacuum cleaner which looks like a plastic toy but it turned out to be the most powerful one I ever had; It is THE easiest to clean up once full, it is so simple that nothing could break... The Freedom of Owning "Disposable" Gear I've already posted about how I fear taking my Olympus OM-2 camera out. I have no problem taking Zenit TTL (which is almost free) anywhere. Does expensive T-shirt last longer than a thrifted one? Unlikely. I've bought flagship phones till I realized there are options 2-4x times cheaper which accomplish 99% of tasks just as good. Like a Nothing Phone (1) - its only flaw for me was camera. Buying flagships phones only to sell and downgrade later. Sometimes even flagship phones have serious flaws (like a small battery). It's cheaper and I don't have to "baby" it, in fear of it being stolen or broken. If I add up all the money I've overspent, it will be a small fortune. When I saw it I was terrified. Try this yourself. Don't get me wrong, sometimes there is stuff too cheap to be usable. And there are things to pay premium for.