Remember when your mam used to say stuff like:

'Oh, yeah, there's good stuff in that'


'You'll get great wear out of that, now, great wear'

They were basically talking about Arsene Wenger's jacket. A jacket that has Gore-Tex coming out of its arse, with a wind proof mechanism designed by some Swedish dude with a cool name, as well as special wee pockets for your phone, wallet and keys.

It may not be the most fashionable item you'll ever see, but by'jaysis it'll do its job keeping you warm and snug.

(Arsene, demonstrating the sophisticated Anti Pick Pocket System at the Fulham game, here. Quality garment.)

But, the thing is, we're not always wise enough to know when to buy quality. Often times, we are fooled into thinking that we're saving money by going for a cheaper option.

'Bargain' says you, until a small gust of wind comes down from the north and tears a hole in your new 'wind proof' top.

 

With this in mind, let's take a look at a few instances where we've been mugging ourselves by buying stuff like eejits.

TENTS

We've all done this one. You're heading to a festival but you've completely underestimated the importance of shelter. The cheap tent seemed like such a good idea but you've chosen to disregard that your 3 night stay consists of sleeping in a cold, damp field, with the chance of the odd flash flood and the occassional freak 40 mph gale blowing down from the North Pole.

You're definitely not bringing the tent back with you either, mainly due to the resentment of the fact that you now have a mild case of pneumonia and a touch of frost bite on your left foot. You're going to go to a number of festivals over the years, anyway, so you might as well buy something that will last (and not threaten your life).

SHOES

This is a classic case. We've all bought our fair share of crap footwear, they probably looked nice when you bought them but, by the time you've got them home from their first night on the town, they've all but completely disintegrated on your feet.

The only consolation is that when the sole separates from the main structure of the shoe, you can do that thing where you pretend your shoe can talk by doing a host of dodgy, ventriloquist style, Scottish accents.

'Hello, I'm Mr Shoe, i'm only 7 days old but I'm already completely useless because you were too stingy to buy a decent pair. Unlucky mate'

FOOD

This is a big one. Mainly because it has a direct affect, not only on your wallet, but on your general health and life expectancy. Buying processed and fast food not only costs more but it will destroy you from the inside out. Stay away from the packaged foods and ready meals, and instead take a stroll down the fresh food section then go home and watch the entire series of Jamie's 15 Minute Meals. You'll save a fortune, as well as your LIFE. 

Besides, cooking your own food will make you big and strong.

Go easy on the spray tan, though, lads.

RAZORS

Disposable razors have been the ruination of my face on more occasions than I feel comfortable admitting. Aside from cuts, the post shave redness (that makes your face look like a well slapped arse), and the uneven patches, they'll end up costing you a small fortune. Enough to bring tears to your eyes, lads.

Pick yourself up a Gillette Mach 3 Turbo, for God's sake. With sophisticated 3 blade surface shaving technologies and Anti-Friction razor blades that glide across your skin like an Olympic Figure Skater, you're wasting your time shaving with anything else. Couple that with a forward-pivoting head with 3 progressively spaced blades and 10 Microfins on the cartridge helping deliver a smooth shave by gently following every curve of your face. And that's not even mentioning the lubricating strip.

Honest to god, Superman himself wouldn't do a better job than these bad boys.

Apart from the fact that it'll give you the closest shave of your life, but, compared to the disposables, it's like shaving your face with a velvet cloud made by the hands of tiny angels. And, when you add it all up, it's no more expensive than shelling out for the ones that will hack your face up.

You can't go messing with the face, lads, so don't be silly and listen to your mothers. 'Buy well'.