Friday, August 22, 2008

Pratik's Quality Principle...

"Never ever compromise on quality, even especially when
stuff is free or really cheap!"

...cos almost always, the free/cheap stuff is worth every penny you paid for it (not much)... and it will cost you more!

Storage cost...
Keeping it will cost you time and space...
eg. Say you buy a pair of pants on sale, and don't like them... They take up space in your wardrobe for years!
Image cost...
Everything that you own/use says something about you...
That cheap travel bag you bought is going to look cheap, making you look and feel cheap.
Fixing it cost...
Often, cheap stuff doesn't work, or you realise its not good enough to use.
Then, you need to fix it. Call the electrician, be at home for 2 hours while he tries to fix your "super cheap" cooler.
Getting rid of it cost...
When cheap stuff doesn't work or is too lame to keep, you (hopefully) finally cut your losses & get rid of it... This renders the time, money and energy you spent on the item a total waste, and it takes some more time and energy in disposing it off!
Standards cost...
Lower quality stuff just has this effect of lowering your standards... which might infect your other stuff too!
Mood cost...
Crappy stuff is very often annoying to use... and that can't be good for your mood!

Exceptions :
When you really like the cheap thing, and its part of the appeal...
eg. When you buy those funky Osho chappals... they're cheap, but they're cool... and you don't expect them to last too long...

Benefits :
Quality stuff lasts longer, is better to use, and in the long term works out more cost effective than buying cheap stuff! Good stuff feels good. : )

Disclaimer :
This principle applies when...
1. You're time is more valuable to you than some saved money
2. You can afford high quality
3. You appreciate high quality

Examples...
When I was in college, I used to buy tons of clothes in sales and on discount... I was "building up my wardrobe"...
eg. I dint have any collared t shirts... so I'd buy 4 of them at a sale, and be stuck wearing ill fitting collared t shirts for the next few months...
Grrr! If only I'd have taken my time to find 2 nice t shirts I really liked that fit well, it would have been a MUCH better use of my money and energy.

It applies to food as well.. We have free snacks at work every evening, and most evenings its something utterly untasty and totally unhealthy...
But still, since its there... for free... I'm like what the heck... and then after I eat the oil soaked pakora's and my stomachs all acidy, I wish I woulda followed my Quality Principle!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I totally totally agree.. went out to buy these things on sale and nothing was worth it! Didnt end up with anything and also ended up wasting time!