cheapest is dearest

proverb Inexpensive things often cause you to spend more money because you have to replace or repair them. ("Dear" in this sense is another word for "expensive.") I'm not surprised that cheap laptop broke on him already. I tried to warn him that cheapest is dearest. Yeah, but you'll end up spending even more money when this bucket of bolts breaks down on you—and it will. Cheapest is dearest. You shouldn't just hire the lowest-quality developers you can find. Cheapest is dearest in the end.