MaryK, I am a firm proponent of investing in good quality. I know it is hard to get over that hurdle for the first time, but once you do it your comfort level develops a memory and you begin thinking along those lines more and more often. This doesn't mean giving up good buys; rather, it just means identifying these investment pieces and pulling the trigger guilt-free.
You are definitely on the right track about thinking about all those nagging other purchases that add up. $30 here and $55 there and then something for $20 seems like you are getting a lot and not spending any money. But add it up and there's $105 of vaporized money! Personally, I don't mind a higher priced investment piece as it makes you more cognizant of spending.
Long story short, get the bee top.
