buy once cry once

Term to describe the purchasing of an expensive item, of excellent quality. Implies that the owner will, initially, have reservations or guilt for buying such an expensive item; however, the owner soon realizes they will only have to purchase the item once. Owing to its craftsmanship and durability, the item will have a long lifespan.

To begrudgingly spend money on an item of higher quality or containing more features to prevent yourself from having to buy something else in the future to enhance or replace your original purchase.