You should also think about increments or jumps in quality.

With running shoes, the $20 ones are going to be poor quality and make your feet hurt.

However, there is actually little difference between the $60 shoes and the $120 (unless they’re custom made to your gait characteristics)–even for experienced runners.

On top of that, the running shoe for a runner with average mileage should be replaced every 6 WEEKS–regardless of the price of the shoe.

The structure of the shoe simply doesn’t last much longer.

So in this case, it makes more sense to buy the $60 shoe that you’re going to have to replace in a couple months anyway if you’re a serious runner.

Hope this helps.

When I decided to take up figure skating again 3 yrs ago for fitness and pleasure after having taken lessons as a kid, I decided to get cheaper beginner skates at $100 (I never liked rental skates, the rentals at our rink are in such bad condition that i think it’s a waste of money on lessons if i used them, since the rental skates would have clearly hampered my progress). Anyway I liked it so much and I progressed through the levels. Finally when I started spinning again my coach noticed that I kept ending up on my toe picks, and she looked at my skates. She said that if I wanted to go further I will have to upgrade since i have “outgrown” my current skates level-wise. I thought about it since higher level blades and boots cost hundreds of dollars but my love for skating has never wavered, I never found myself saying “bah wish I didn’t have to go skate today”. So I used my next tax refund to buy boots and blades that totalled $600, and I am back doing salchows and toe loops again. I am so glad I made the splurge, thinking this purchase is not so much materialistic but it is good for my body, physically and mentally. I have even moved on from group classes to private lessons which cost more…my husband is all for them though he said he’d rather see me spend money on exercise rather than a new purse that I will tire from a few months from now. I have felt guilty buying new purses and shoes in the past but not my skates.

Seriously, I was referring to the example used in that post I commented on. There’s a huge difference, in my mind, between shelling out three extra dollars for something that makes a HUGE difference in quality and experience than spending an extra $20, $50, $100 or more on something I’ve decided upon at whim.

Face it, there are tons of people who have gone to the gym twice since beginning their monthly payments a year ago. THAT, yes, is foolish.

Buying $120 sneakers when you’re just getting into jogging, especially when you either have a decent pair of sneaks that fit and are comfortable, or can buy a pair for $30? Yes, that too, would be foolish.

But the difference between a small salad and a large salad isn’t detrimental to your pocket when you’re really REALLY hungry. That was my point.

And um, whoever it was that psychoanalyzed me up there? Yeah, I don’t have psychological issues over a blackened cookie sheet, nor my cheap ex-boyfriend. I just think that in order to do a job properly, it’s not okay to cut a corner THAT much is all. I love baking and cooking and I love doing it on shiny, airbake stuff because the food comes out better and *I know* that it was cooked on a very clean piece of bakeware.

Even better, though, would be to seek out someone who DOES have experience with the hobby you’re interested in and ask if they can give you some pointers, perhaps give you a lesson or two, and maybe even lend you some starter equipment so you can see what works for you – that way you not only don’t waste money on crap, you also turn your interest into a bonding experience by giving someone the opportunity to share their passion.

First of all, I think that’s a little harsh seeing as we’re talking about a difference of $3. Maybe it wasn’t the right choice, but I wouldn’t say it’s absolutely foolish. Even if the cookie sheet was $20, it can be used for many other things besides baking cookies.

Second, I consider it absolutely foolish to blindly follow Consumer Reports’ recommendations for every purchase – especially for something as personal and custom as running shoes. Even if the pair of Nikes that you bought had a 100% positive review in CR, you should not base your running shoe purchase on other people’s reviews. To avoid foolish behavior in this case, you’d go to a professional athletic store and have them evaluate your run to determine your amount of pronate. Everyone has a different running pattern which is why you shouldn’t base your purchase on what Consumer Reports tells you (which you, Trent, seem to do A LOT).

Don’t get me wrong, I think CR is a good resource. But I think it’s “absolutely foolish” to use it as a purchase bible in the way that you do.

Just my two cents.

I think Trent’s real point is if you are pretty dang sure that you might use something a lot, then try to buy quality; if you’re NOT SURE that you’re going to, then try out a cheaper piece of equipment first, either by buying cheap, buying used, borrowing, etc.

A cheap cookie sheet doesn’t guarantee burned cookies, nor does a cheap knife make things all THAT horrible. I cooked with cheap stuff for years and turned out fine meals. Now that I can afford good equipment, I buy that because it makes cooking more pleasurable and lasts longer, but using cheapo stuff wasn’t too bad, really. I figured out good pans and knives make sense for me, but “good” baking equipment doesn’t because I rarely bake. (And a good martini shaker is ESSENTIAL!) ;)

Congratulations on your decision to get into better shape. In the spirit of this post, I have suggest that you purchase something, but use a free tool with it :-)

The “purchase something” is a Garmin Forerunner 205: http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-00466-00-Forerunner-Wrist-Mounted-Computer/dp/B000CSQJ8C/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1215453236&sr=8-1. You may a first balk at the idea, thinking this is only for semi-pro athletes or marathon runners. Indeed, this GPS is awesome, because it not only tracks your distance, but estimates (based on parameters you input), the number of calories you burn per workout. The GPS only works outdoors, and is 10x more accurate than a pedometer.

The best free software tool to use with it is: Sport Tracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/.

Sport tracks creates a logbook of your activity and lets you handily review it – hard to explain in a post, but, it’s the best tool out there.

Emotionally, to be able to look at a month, and see the number of times you’ve worked out, and the number of days you didn’t, helps keep things in perspective.

You’ll need to burn 3600 calories per pound you wish to lose (assuming you keep your current caloric intake similar to what it is now).

I needed to lose 25 pounds; doing the math, that’s = 90,000 calories!!! Using the Forerunner and Sport Tracks, I tracked everything I did outdoors for several months (I hate exercising indoors, anyway), and, it proved to be pretty accurate. I’m now on to losing the next 35…

The forerunner tracks calorie consumption for biking, running, kayaking, etc. The thing I learned early on is that minute-for-minute, biking is the best exercise you can do. If I ride hard, I can burn 3600 calories in a bit under three hours. Ride three times a week, and you’ll drop 12 pounds in a month. Figure out how much you have to jog to lose that much weight (about 1 million miles, and it’s way harder on your knees)…

I started biking to work, 20 miles round trip, and I wanted to buy a bunch of expensive stuff initially, but held off.

After my first ride I figured out some necessities:
1) Gloves with padding (otherwise: ouch)
2) Biking shorts with padding (indeed, ouch again)
3) Panniers (carrying stuff on your back makes you unnecessarily sweaty)

I still wanted to get an expensive light setup and clip on pedals with bike shoes. I told myself I could get those after riding 500 miles (5 weeks)

Before I reached that 500 miles, I discovered I hated carrying anything extra, and so I really didn’t want to bring another pair of shoes and then switch at work. Saved me probably ~$180 in shoes+clip on pedals.

On the flip side, I finally came to realize that for riding at night, the only acceptable lights are really the top tier, so I returned my already expensive (and well reviewed) $120 light and put out the money for a Jet Blast HID light for $350, which I’ve been very happy with.

Procrastinate when it comes to spending!

This rule keeps me out of trouble and it is the only procrastination I indulge in. I am a very cheerful giver, very slow spender.

To use your example of an athletic shoe, I actually hurt myself running on pavement with cheap poorly cushioned shoes (made by a major US athletic shoemaker).

This example could easily be related to beds, cleaning agents, food, batteries… the list goes on and on.

Lots of cheap equipment is priced that way for a reason. Namely, it’s usually not that good. Why get sabotaged by faulty workmanship when you start out? Get the mid-grade stuff and give yourself a chance to find out if you really enjoy it or have a talent for the new activity. At least if you find out you don’t like it, you will have a decent chance of getting some of your money back on eBay or selling it to a friend who enjoys that stuff. No one wants the cheap garbage.

I’m glad Trent did ok with his shoes, but starting out running with cheap shoes is begging for trouble. Sure, you’re going to save money at first…..until you count in the more-than-likely doctor appointment costs, the splints and wraps, the painkillers, possible time off work, etc. Go to a running specialty store and get the right shoe for you and your foot.