Where you absolutely refuse to go the cheap way.
For me its deodorant. Everything else I’ve found but my chosen brand fails me.
Everything that is under you. Shoes, mattress, bike, car, desk chair etc.
Cheaping out on the above will cost you more in hospital and physical therapy bills.
Tools. Life’s too short to work with shit. Knifes. Bikes. Shoes. Same reason.
PC power supply.
Never, ever skimp on a power supply. Get one from a reputable brand and with a rating above what you may actually need.
A failed PSU can in principle wreak havoc on any other components in the system, many of which are far more expensive than the PSU itself.
Sushi
Office chairs are important, but people tend to overlook the rest of their office ergonomics. If you work at a computer you should spend money on an adjustable keyboard tray and monitor arms. Then buy a good ergonomic keyboard and vertical mouse or trackball to go with them. My back and wrists used to get sore by the end of the day. That hasn’t happened since I upgraded my gear.
Bleach for the toilet. I found a cheap one is not as thick and viscous as brand name a bit more expensive. The brand one lasts a bit longer and does a better job.
Helmets
Everything that is used daily and has a big workload like fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum… Car parts… As mentioned before: computer parts.
Also cosmetics: find out what your skin needs, which products are the right ones for you. Don’t clutter when it comes to cosmetics. Buy only what you need but good stuff.
Boots. I bought a pair of good leather boots after trying multiple cheaper brands- 4 years and they’re still going strong.
Red wings?
Thorogood
I use the saying quite often: “You can buy something nice, or you can buy something cheap and then something nice.”
Buy it nice, or buy it twice
Brady “Hard as Nails” Harran
Headphones. I first used some cheap ones and then switched to Bose. The difference was significant. Never again cheap headphones… Also my ears thank me because I can listen to music with lower volume than with the cheap ones.
Laptops that are designed to support Linux