The disadvantage with the escape for now, not for later approach is simple. If you save a user's post to the database, then that user's post is displayed 2,000 times there will be some serious differences. [...] You will need to balance your security concerns with performance needs.

The comments on his post back up his suggestions (and include other tips like a recommendation to cache on an even higher level - page blocks).

I am proud to announce the launch of the funcaday project with my graphic design buddy Courtney Wilson. The goal of the project is to showcase a new PHP function each weekday, then a new concept, term, or technique each weekend.

There's even a feed you can subscribe to to get your daily fix of function-ness. Today (the inaugural day of the site), the function is pathinfo.