When you’re shelling out for something, you probably want to make sure it’s worth your money.

Everything is expensive nowadays. The Urban Institute reports that «Nearly half of people in American families cannot afford the true cost of living.» This is a pretty bleak finding, but it rings true in most of our lives. It’s expensive just to step out the door, let alone own anything nice. It can feel like you’re always looking for the cheapest option in the short term. But sometimes short-term savings mean more money spent in the long term. I know this to be true in my own life. One thing you’ll always need is toilet paper. And by my estimation, it’s not the cheapest thing in the world, especially if you want one that is a little bit higher quality (which, in my mind, is worth it). But so often, when I would go to the store, I’d end up picking a smaller pack of it because I didn’t feel like shelling out to buy in bulk. This isn’t a smart decision, though, because it’s so much cheaper to buy a lot, and it’s not like you’re not going to use it. You’re going to go through the toilet paper no matter what, so you might as well buy in bulk. This is a lesson that comes with age and experience. You don’t know this right out of the gate. When you’re young, it’s all about short-term decisions. But when you get a little bit older, you can start thinking in the long term. This is when the expensive purchases come in.