You get what you pay for

Meaning

A reminder that cheap things usually break or perform poorly. It is used to justify buying the more expensive, higher-quality option.

Practical, cynical

Used in a sentence

• I bought those ten dollar shoes and they broke within a week so you get what you pay for.
• The cheap paint started peeling immediately because you get what you pay for.
• You might save money now but you get what you pay for in the long run.