Buy Nice or Buy Twice: Why Your 30s Are the Decade of ‘Investment Grade’ Living

There is a defining characteristic of our 20s that we rarely talk about: The Culture of Disposability.

Think back to your first apartment. You likely furnished it with particle-board furniture that wobbled if you looked at it wrong. You bought kitchen knives that went dull after one week. You bought “fast fashion” that unraveled in the wash. And if you were an athlete, you bought the cheapest gear on the rack because you were saving money for the weekend.

We did this because we were in a phase of survival. We were scrapping, figuring out our careers, and living with a scarcity mindset. We told ourselves, “I’ll buy the good stuff when I make it.”

Welcome to your 30s. You have made it.

At How To Live 30, we believe that this decade is about shifting from a “Consumer Mindset” to an “Investor Mindset.” This doesn’t just apply to stocks and real estate; it applies to every single physical object you allow into your life. The philosophy is simple, brutal, and effective: Buy Nice, or Buy Twice.

In this post, we are going to break down why upgrading your standards is actually the most frugal thing you can do, and how to apply this philosophy to your fitness, your nutrition, and your home.

The Math of “Cost Per Use” (CPU)

The biggest psychological hurdle to “buying nice” is the sticker shock. We see a price tag of $200 and our brain screams, “That’s too expensive! I can get a knock-off for $50.”

But this is 20-year-old math. 30-year-old math looks at Cost Per Use (CPU).

Let’s run a real-world scenario from my own life as a kickboxer. When I started, I bought generic $40 gloves from a sporting goods store.

• The Reality: The velcro stopped sticking after three months. The foam padding collapsed after six months, causing my knuckles to bruise. The lining ripped and smelled like a bacterial experiment.
• The Result: I had to replace them every 6-8 months. Over five years, that is roughly 8 pairs of gloves. Total cost: $320.00. Plus the cost of wrist wraps, hand injuries, and frustration.

Now, look at the investment approach.

• The Reality: I buy one pair of Hayabusa T3s for roughly $180.
• The Result: They last for 3 to 4 years of heavy abuse. The Vylar shell doesn’t crack. The Dual-X wrist support prevents injury (saving me medical bills). Total cost over the same period: $180.00.

Buying the “expensive” item actually saved me $140. This is the essence of the “Buy Nice” philosophy. It is not about luxury for the sake of status; it is about efficiency for the sake of performance.

Category 1: The Armor (Fitness Gear)

If you are training in your 30s—whether it’s kickboxing, CrossFit, or running—you are no longer just working out. You are doing maintenance on your body. You cannot afford to use equipment that actively hurts you.

I see so many women come into the gym with flimsy gloves that offer zero wrist support. They hit the heavy bag, their wrist buckles, and suddenly they have a sprain that takes six weeks to heal. That injury costs you time, productivity, and momentum.

Why I Choose Hayabusa T3:

I don’t partner with Hayabusa just because they look cool (though they do). I partner with them because they engineer their gear like medical devices. The Dual-X closure system acts like a splint. When you tighten those straps, your hand and forearm become a single, solid unit. It forces proper alignment.

In your 30s, your joints don’t bounce back like they used to. Protecting them is an act of self-respect. When you strap on a high-quality piece of gear, you also signal to your brain: “I take this seriously.”

Category 2: The Fuel (Nutrition)

Now let’s talk about what goes inside the body. This is where “Buy Nice or Buy Twice” becomes a matter of biological health.

The supplement industry is notorious for cutting corners. In your 20s, you probably bought the massive tub of protein powder that was on sale for $29.99. You drank it, felt bloated for three hours, had terrible gas, and broke out in acne.

Why? Because cheap protein is often full of:

• Fillers: Maltodextrin and other cheap carbs to bulk up the powder.
• Concentrates: Lower quality whey that retains a lot of lactose (the stuff that hurts your stomach).
• Amino Spiking: Adding cheap amino acids to artificially inflate the protein count on the label.

The Upgrade: Rule 1 Proteins

I switched to Rule 1 because they are founded by the same family that started Optimum Nutrition, but they wanted to create a cleaner, higher standard. Their flagship product is a Hydrolyzed Isolate.

“Hydrolyzed” means the protein chains are broken down into smaller pieces for faster absorption. “Isolate” means the fat and sugar (lactose) have been filtered out. The result is a powder that hits your bloodstream instantly to start repair, without the “gut bomb” effect.

Yes, it costs a few dollars more per tub than the generic stuff at Walmart. But what is the cost of feeling lethargic and bloated every day? Buy the nice stuff. Your digestion will thank you.

Category 3: The Sanctuary (Home & Lifestyle)

Finally, we have to look at your environment. As a Realtor, I see this all the time. People buy a house and fill it with “temporary” furniture. They endure a lumpy mattress. They endure scratchy sheets. They endure a coffee maker that burns the coffee.

They live in a state of deferred happiness, waiting for some imaginary future date to “really” move in.

Stop waiting.

If you sleep for 8 hours a night, buy the linen sheets. Buy the high-quality pillow. If you drink coffee every morning, buy the nice machine. These are not extravagances; they are the textures of your daily life. If your daily life feels cheap, your mindset will feel cheap.

When you surround yourself with quality, you raise your own internal standard. You begin to believe that you are the kind of person who deserves nice things. And that belief changes how you show up in the world—in your business, in your relationships, and in the ring.

The Final Challenge

This week, I want you to audit your life. Find one thing that you use every single day that is broken, cheap, or annoying. Maybe it’s your gym bag. Maybe it’s your blender. Maybe it’s your gloves.

Throw it away. Replace it with the best version you can afford. Feel the difference. And never go back to “good enough” again.