I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about the idea of getting what you pay for, and how most often in the long run it's worth investing a little more in something because it ends up lasting longer and usually being more reliable. I believe this to be true in most cases. Unfortunately, I sometimes I forget that I believe this. And then when I remember I believe this, it's usually too late...and something really unfortunate or annoying has already happened.
Take for example my near death experience on Monday. I had been in Boston for the weekend for my sister's baby shower and to visit my family. The plan was to take my sister to the airport on Sunday evening and then head back to Vermont. After pulling two consecutive 3:00am nights, my brother wisely encouraged me to stay the night and head home in the morning.
I am so glad I did.
About 5 minutes from my house, but while still on the highway my car started to make the craziest thumping sound. Unfortunately it was a familiar thumping sound, one we had heard a year ago when we found out our tires had been put on incorrectly. Assuming I had a little time to deal with the problem, I started planning in my head when I would have a free morning to take it in and get it looked at. But before I could complete the thought in my head, I started to lose control of the car. I was swerving in and out of the lane and my car basically felt like it was going to tip over. So incredibly scary. I managed to pull over and inspect the damage. I was shocked to find out as I checked the tires that four of the five lug nuts on my right rear tire had completely broken off, and my tire was basically about to fall off. All I could think about was how grateful I was that it hadn't actually fallen off, and how lucky I was that I hadn't been the cause of a terrible accident. There are so many scenarios in which the ending could have been so much worse than it was....like had I left Boston as planned on Sunday and had this happen in rural Vermont late at night, or had it happened while I was going 80 on a packed Boston highway, or had I not been in a position to pull over in time.
Now comes the connection of getting what you pay for. We got new tires put on the Explorer last spring. I like to compare prices before I make large purchases. It makes me feel better about spending money if I know I'm spending the least amount of money necessary to get what I need. We had checked several places and decided that Sears was by far the most economical place. After getting the tires put on, we were out of town in small town Bennington on a Saturday and heard the loud thumping noise. Concerned that the car was unsafe to drive, we found the only local mechanic open and had him take a look. Sure enough, they had not tightened the lug nuts enough and they were all coming loose. He said that had we not come in when we did, they would have eventually snapped completely off. Oh wait, isn't that what just happened to me on Monday? After it happened the first time, I was pretty unimpressed, but Sears was very apologetic and I figured they deserved a second chance. I got my tires rotated a couple of week ago there...and they obviously did it AGAIN, only this time I drove far enough with them loose that we almost lost a tire.
So there I was, stranded, (in my pajamas none-the-less), on the side of the highway, wishing Ben was in town, feeling lucky to be alive, and cursing myself for being frugal!
The way I see it, cutting corners when it comes to automobiles isn't really the greatest idea. Probably not a big deal when it comes to no-name brand breakfast cereal, or econo-brand paper towels, but when we're talking about safety, it's probably worth it the pay a little more.
