Listen...

Madame X's Rule #14: Buy Good Things:

"I remember when I moved into my first apartment of my own-- I bought the cheapest furniture and kitchen supplies I could find. A few years later, most of that stuff was broken, worn out, or just driving me crazy because it worked so poorly. So a lot of it ended up being replaced, whereas if I'd bought better stuff to begin with, I would probably still be using a lot of it, and would have spent less money in the long run."

The Consumerist (this quote isn't really so great, but it accompanies an interesting blog post that you should read):

"One time we bought some kitty litter at a NJ Shop Rite and noticed the price at checkout was higher than on the in-store label. Standard store policy says this means we get it for free. We brought bag up to customer service. They sent a stock boy to check the aisle. He returned and said we were wrong. We went back to the shelves ourselves, grabbed the label, and presented it to the desk. Customer service people sheepishly gave us the litter on the house."

Everybody Loves Your Money:

"What would you do if the doctor said, "You've got 3 months to live. We might be able to extend that for an average of 4-5 months but the cost is $100,000 per month", or some amount that would wipe your net worth right off the planet."