We are all about saving money here at Moneyisms, but every once in a while there are things that you should drop the cash on.  Sometimes the satisfaction is worth it, and other times these items will actually save you money in the long run.  Here’s our top 10:

1. Health Insurance – We all know that health insurance is a huge expense, and goes up at a rate many times that of inflation, but having your health is an important part of being able to make more money.  On the flip side, if you don’t have health insurance and you do get injured, it may be a financial load that takes you decades to get out from under, if ever.
2. A Good Suit – Whether it’s for a funeral, a wedding, a job interview or any other occasion that requires you not look like you save money to the extreme, one good suit is well worth the money.  You never know, it may be the difference between you getting or losing that big business deal you’re working on also.  If you’re looking for a bargain, there are many stores that have great deals, such as S&K or The Mens Wearhouse on the East Coast.
3. Keeping Track of Your Credit – I would advocate one of the reasonably priced services that keep an eye on your credit reports and let you know if anything changes, however at a very minimum keep track of your credit history with annualcreditreport.com (the federally-required free service).  Fraudulent activity can take years to fix and be potentially expensive.
4. Gym membership – Many people tout the virtues of not paying for a monthly club, but from personal experience and hearing from others, it’s just too difficult to stick to a home-based training routine.  You can still shop out great deals, such as Planet Fitness at $10/month with no contract.  This goes back to the whole health thing.  You’ll feel better, live longer and have fewer medical costs.  Just go.
5. Food – You might be happy with Ramen noodles, but there’s a reason they’re only a dollar.  Spend the money on quality food, especially if you like to cook at home.  I can make an incredibly good and healthy meal for two for under $10.
6. Wedding Photography – For the singles out there, weddings are obscenely expensive.  From the food to the venue to the accommodations for tens if not hundreds of people…the one thing you don’t want to skimp on is a quality wedding photographer.  This is something you’ll have for the rest of your life – you don’t want your buddy taking the pictures on his Canon PowerShot.
7. Education – Sure, college is expensive, but don’t let that deter you from going to a college of some type, even if it’s a community college.  There are grants, scholarships, and in the worst case – loans.  The advantage in life and in money that you get from a college education is priceless.
8. Vacations – Like a lot of us, I put in 60+ hours per week between my 8-5, this blog and some of my side work.  You’ll get burned out quickly and your quality of work will decline if you don’t take a break and get away from everything every now and then.
9. Backups – How would you feel if you lost all of your pictures, financial data and any other things you may have stashed on your computer?  Whether it’s a DVD or a full-blown Linux box with RAID, don’t skimp on backups.
10. Cookware – This is a strange one, but much more applicable if you normally eat at home to stay within your budget.  Despite how well you think your $30 Wal-Mart set of pots and pans works, spend the money on a good set and see how much better of a cook you are.

Even when spending the extra money to get quality stuff, remember to still search out the deals to get the most for your dollar!  So now that we’ve got my list out of the way, what are some of the things that you like to spend a little more on to get quality?