Buy Once, Cry Once

I’ve worked as a carpenter.

I’ve renovated five buildings from the bare studs.

I live on a farm.

I make furniture and art boxes.

I own a lot of tools.

There’s a saying. Buy high-quality tools, and you cry once (because of the high cost). You’ll (probably) never have to replace them.

I have hand tools that belonged to my great-grandfather and tools I bought in the mid-1970s that are still going strong.

I’m also on my third chop saw in twelve years. I bought good, but not great.

Buy thrice, cry thrice.

Doing things the right way is often “more expensive” than just getting it done. Buying something cheap and disposable seems less expensive, at least in the moment. Doing a fly-by on a conversation with a colleague is less costly than slowing down, paying attention, and investing everything in that moment.

Or so it seems.

Buy less. Dispose of less. Focus on quality more.