I wholeheartedly believe that in some instances it takes money to save money.  Yes, you read that right. The fact of the matter is that there are some occasions where you need to spend more money now to avoid spending even more later on.

Here are 5 things you should spend more money on, that will save you money in the long run:

1. Good quality shoes.  I would like to tell you a true story.  I have a 10 year old son. Two years ago at the beginning of summer we were on our way to an event when I realized he was wearing 2 different slide-type sandals (he really, really doesn’t care about the things he wears so he saw no problem with this). Anyway…I made a quick stop at Walmart to grab him some decent looking slide on shoes for him to wear for the evening, I spent maybe $12-$15.  I am not kidding when I tell you that these shoes last just 3 weeks before they began to fall apart. Yes, he is a rambunctious boy, but I expect more than 3 weeks out of a pair of shoes. Since buying that pair, I have never since bought him a pair of non-name brand shoes. He is currently wearing a pair of Nikes that are still in great shape after 6 months. I will be replacing them soon, but only because his feet are growing too fast.  This story is why I am a big believer in buying name brand shoes only.
2. A good jump box and tool kit for your car.  You do not want to be in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery, believe me.  Additionally, you do not want to be at the mercy of someone who can charge an arm and a leg just to give your car a jump start.  A good jump box and tool kit can help to prevent these situations.
3. Bulk foods.  This is not always true, of course, but you should look into bulk shopping for foods that you use often, or foods that can be frozen for storage because you can often save money this way.
4. Name brand appliances.  This one is no joke. I recently bought a personal blender and despite the fact that I knew better, I bought the generic version so I could save $10.  I didn’t even get to use it for a month before it caught on fire. Yes, it caught on fire! I will now go back to only buying name brand appliances.
5. Good quality clothing.  Similar to the shoe story that I told you earlier, good quality clothing will last much, much longer than their cheaper counterparts.  Luckily though, you can shop clearance and consignment shops to get good quality clothing for very good prices.