What are some items that really aren't worth paying the expensive version for?
I saw this post and wanted to ask the opposite. What are some items that really aren't worth paying the expensive version for? Preferably more extreme or unexpected examples.
A few years ago, I wondered why that was and googled it. I came to an Advil site with an expandable FAQ, and one of the questions was “why does Advil taste sweet?”
So I expanded it out to reveal this shocking answer (or something similar): “Advil tastes sweet because it is lightly coated in sugar.”
Thanks, I guess. I just closed the tab in mild irritation and moved on with my day.
Problem with the candy coating is you can't enjoy it, unless you want to suddenly learn what pure poison tastes like. It's such a tease. Doesn't help that they look like scrumptious little caramel-y morsels.
There may be a difference in things like pill shape, texture, release mechanism / time to absorb (if it's not very important for how the medication works)
So it's ok to have a preference for one brand over the other when one of those points is relevant to your situation. I know some people also prefer the generic brand version over the regular (even if prices were the same)
Not exactly. Just a fun fact and disclaimer that I use generics if at all possible. But my pharmacology class taught that generics can have higher tolerance of error in % of active ingredient. Not usually a big deal unless the drug has a very narrow therapeutic range, meaning too little doesn’t work and too much will harm you. 99.9% of generics is fine. But if you ever wonder if one batch of your med doesn’t seem to work as well this it’s likely that batch was on the lower end of acceptable.
I think this depends where you live, having worked a summer as a trolley runner for blister pack production, we produced thousands of blisters, and at the end of the line half got pharmacy own brand foils and the other half got name brand foils.
Same pills, same packs, same factory same standards and testing, just different ink on the foils. But the pharmacy brands would have shorter contracts so they would only be identical to this name brand for 6 months, then try might get a contract with another factory and be identical to another name brand there.
I know with some drugs (Warfarin is the only one that's instantly coming to mind) it is important to pick a brand and stick with it because the slightest change can effect the therapeutic value.
For myself, I have allergies so sometimes a certain brand or manufacturing company will use a filler, binder or dye I can't have. And frustratingly there are no ingredients lists on pills for fillers and dyes.
That's true but the difference is exceedingly small.
According to 1 FDA study, the mean difference for AUC values between test and reference products was found to be 3.5% in the 2-year period following the Waxman-Hatch Act, and 80% of the absolute differences between generic products approved since 1984 and the corresponding innovator products were within a 5% range.
Crunched the numbers years ago for cost per mg of a med in question, and unsurprisingly generics were the best deal, but Costco's generics (Kirkland) specifically blew the competition out of the water. Comparing it to the most expensive options (name brands from places like Walgreens) was pretty comical - no exaggeration, some of them were literally over 100x more expensive per mg than the Kirkland equivilent. Comparing it to other generics, Kirkland still won by a factor of 5 to 10 sometimes.
Between that and gas, a Costco membership pays for itself before you even step foot into the food aisles or other random shit they sell.
Caveat: they do also sell a lot of fancy, stupid expensive shit, so don't let the comment paint the picture that everything in that store is a super good deal - it's not - but the things that are good deals, are crazy good deals, pharmaceuticals in particular.
Also, a cheaper alternative is to eat less and eat healthier. I know we can't all afford expensive healthy foods but just simply cutting out excess fats, sugar and empty carbs from your diet will add years to your life and also add better years to your life.
Off brand Tums (and some newer flavors of Tums) is made with dextrose instead of corn starch. Sugar gives me heart burn, so generic and newer stuff does absolutely nothing for me.
I buy a lot of generic or store brand stuff. Usually I'm comfortable doing this with things that have been around for a long time like bleach, laundry soap, and basic foods. I assume that it is not difficult to do these things so anyone can make it and there's little if any difference between brands.
On this topic: I heard once that you should first buy cheap tools. Use them until they break and then decide what you want to improve about those tools and buy better ones. Often those first tools never break. This seems like pretty good advice for most things.
The tools is good advice most of the time, but not if the tool would fail dangerously. Don't skimp on car jacks, table saws, or other things that are likely to injure you if they fail.
Screwdrivers/drills/hammers/crowbars/etc. don't need to be expensive if you are going to use them rarely as the professional grade is mostly about being used all day every day and being able to survive rough handling by tired workers.
Sometimes, the store brand is exactly the same stuff from the same factory. They literally stop production from a famous brand, change packaging to a store brand and resume producing the same stuff in a different package. The price difference is mostly marketing and that can be a huge part of the budget.
For some other store brands, they do use cheaper ingredients. However, after the inflation we had, many fancy brands also started doing this to keep profits up so a famous brand is no guarantee for a great product.
And some brands just sell the same stuff but add some additional perfumes and whatnot to justify the cost. They give me a rash so I'd rather get the cheap ones.
On this topic: I heard once that you should first buy cheap tools. Use them until they break and then decide what you want to improve about those tools and buy better ones. Often those first tools never break. This seems like pretty good advice for most things.
As a person who has been buying cheap tools all my life... YES! Most of the tools I bought came from thrift stores and the bargain bin. If someone stole my toolset, it'll probably amount to $60 lost.
But they've lasted for 15 years now. Not because of quality. But because my frequency of usage is so low. I've used a hammer what... 20 times in my life?
I did replace my screwdriver kit and Allen wrench set twice, because I use them a lot.
I've used hammers a lot in my life. I came across a really cheap brand of hammer which made me realize it was in fact possible to make a hammer poorly. The head wasn't even hardened. Hitting nails literally left dents in it. I broke the claw trying to pull a nail that was less than 6" long. It's possible that someone in your situation would have found value in this hammer, but I think someone who did something more involved than framing a single wall wouldn't.
I try not to use a lot of plastic wrap, but sometimes it's the right tool for the job. I will always spring for the good stuff, generic is basically useless and you waste way more for inferior performance.
I work as QA in packaging and it turns out that it's super important for a manufacturer to follow every little specification for consistency. There's some seriously small details that make a big difference.
Cars. Expensive cars require more frequent and complicated maintenance and repairs than cheaper cars. They over engineer them on purpose in order to make it unreasonable to maintain them in the long run. They don't want their brand sullied by old versions of their cars driven around by poor people.
When I was in college, I admired my boss and his BMW. He then told me that it was a hand-me-down, and he spends a few hours a month maintaining it because there's always something that breaks and he can't afford to bring it into the shop every time.
He joked on a few occasions of just giving me the car after a year, and after a while, it felt like a cry for help rather than a joke.
Are you saying that you've owned both cheap and expensive cars, and that your favorites have always been the cheap ones? That they've been more reliable, more comfortable, better-riding, and better-driving? Or, at least, no worse than the expensive ones?
Yes, more expensive cars are more expensive. They often have a higher cost of ownership. And, sometimes, brands really fuck up and cut corners they shouldn't, and result an reputational harm that takes years to recover from, long after they've fixed the production issues (c.f. Audi in the early 00's). But, IME, it's usually worth it, if you can afford it.
100% agree here. They all need maintenance, but higher end ones have pricer parts and less common, affordable after market parts. Cars are for the most part a utility and a cost center. You want to minimize your cost and maximize your value gotten out of it.
I despise cars as a status symbol, because again it's just going to turn into a rust bucket like the rest of them at the same or worse rates, but also it just sets people up for failure in the lives just tens of thousands down the drain, literal years of work, for something's that's nearly worthless by the time they pay it off.
Lolol you just going to ignore that brands like Porsche are consistently in the top 3?
Expensive cars mostly fail because people who can't afford them don't do basic maintenance. The only real German brand when any reliability issues are Merc.
In the states, you always filter or boil stream water, because animals shit it it, and you can pick up any number of nasty parisites and diseases. Tap water should at least be treated.
Is there no dysentary in the Alps? No giardiasis? Cryptosporidiosis?
I'd sooner drink tapwater short-term almost anywhere in a developed country than river water. The former may cause issues long term, but the later can make you life-threateningly ill in hours.
In my work we did a blind taste test of 10 different brands of baked beans, with participants ranking them in order from best to worst. The name brand options such as Heinz, HP, and Branstons ended up in the middle, with the cheaper options from Aldi and Asda being the best. The most expensive beans were from Marks and Spencer and were voted the worst ones.
If you're paying more than 50p a can its not worth it.
Speaker wire. Expensive speaker wire will not sound any better. You could use a coat hanger and get great sound. Tip: every few years cut the wire ends and expose fresh wire to use. Over time the wire can oxidize if I recall correctly.
Take two minutes and tin the ends with solder and you're good for years... My favorite in ear monitor brand just was sold and they changed the headphone cord to ultra thin shite that is "more pure" I'm an audio engineer....it's horseshit.
Yep. Bought thin speaker wire at the dollar store 15+ years ago. Still using it in my living room. Bought a house and the basement stereo was included and had 'good" speaker wire for the connection. I cannot hear a difference
Pets are best when you buy the cheap off brand versions. Purebred more often equals inbred and personally I don't want that generic headache as a pet ages.
I own and train hunting dogs for upland and waterfowl hunting. I've also done breeding in my younger days. Bloodlines absolutely matter. A puppy from National Champion bloodlines has a far, far better chance of being very good at his job. This goes for ANY working breed that is actually expected to work at their job in real life. And they cost a LOT of money to buy, train, and maintain. But these aren't foo-foo dogs bred strictly for looks either.
If all you need is a popcorn and movie and sleep on the bed pet, then it doesn't probably matter very much. Find a nice rescue - they need a home and love too.
For me actually the other way Around. There is a saying in Spain that says "el pobre siempre paga dos veces" that translates as "the poor always pays twice".
It refers to the fact that you buy something cheap that barely covers the need and after it breaks you are forced to buy the good one. This is specially important for hand tools or similar.
In my opinion, for using it a couple times is better renting/asking someone to let you use theirs. For several uses it is almost always better paying more for a better use and higher resell value.
On the other hand, if you are buying cheap it's usually because you aren't familiar with the product and it's characteristics. So you can take it as the price for learning about said product and what you really want from it.
For example, I got a cheap electric scooter for my wife on her birthday. We are new to these things, and didn't even know if we would use it at all. Fast forward a year and we have used the crap out of it, even the kids can't stop taking it out for a spin, and we now know what to look for and what sort of power and features we want when it comes time to replace it.
Very much depends on what kind of things you're speaking of.
For example, the rule works very well with most tools; if you end up barely using it, it's not worth paying more. If it breaks, it's because you've used it enough or to warrant an expensive one, or because your needs exceed its use.
the amount of trash generated by food production, the medical industry, and the construction industry trump personal waste by so many orders of magnitude I no longer give a shit about the waste I generate, especially if it's in the pursuit of BIFL.
Good point, I Wasn't thinking about waste. I have several cheap tools from Harbor Freight that I've had for years. I've also had good name brand tools break down in the middle of their first job.
That's one way to never get the best experience out of something, though.
Buy cheap shoes to go running, and you'll probably quit after a few weeks.
Buy cheap tools, and you'll end up rounding off nuts and stripping screws.
Buy a cheap bike and you'll end up hating cycling.
Etc.
Better would be to buy the best quality for your budget, assuming it's something you'll be using more than once or is something that isn't critical to have as decent quality.
Digital cables, like HDMI and USB. If they meet the spec, they should operate identically.
ETA: It's a digital signal: either it works or it doesn't. There's no "higher quality" version of the same image. Sure, if you have a 4K 120hz HDR signal you might need an HDMI 2.1 spec cable, but as long as it meets that spec, it'll either work or need to be returned. The signal won't be washed out, or crackly, or static-y (all the concerns we had with analog video cables back in the day); the signal might not work, or it might drop out from time to time, which means it doesn't meet spec.
Same with USB-C. If it doesn't charge your phone correctly, or have the transfer speeds you want, because you bought it at a Dollar Store and it isn't in spec, the problem isn't USB-C, it's the fact that the manufacturer sold you an out-of-spec cable.
When I saw someone mentioned HDMI cables I knew I would find Monster reference somewhere, and I was pleasantly surprised it was so high up the chain of replies.
USB cables are (commonly) subject to more stress; they're often moved, plugged, unplugged, and can often have lifespans far longer than the devices they're using to connect. There are other, non-spec-related factors that impact durability, such as nylon wrapping, more robust connectors, and so on. Durability isn't as much a factor for HDMI, ethernet, or optical cables, but for USB, sometimes durability is worth extra money, if only to reduce e-waste.
But you're still not going to get appreciably different performance or longevity from a $50 USB-C cable than from a $10 USB-C cable.
And I recognize that it's not exactly the same thing, but as a decent rule of thumb, if the company is willing to actually build the thing in spec, they're probably doing a good enough job that it's going to last a reasonable amount of time, so the spec is still useful for that purpose. To wit: I've never had an in-spec USB-C cable or connector fail.
That isn't as true with HDMI as it used to be. Now that we are pushing 4k120hz across the cables, the signal integrity matters more than it did when HDMI was commonly used for 1080p60.
This is even moreso the case if you have longer HDMI runs.
Not unless you're on the bleeding edge of tech. You need a specific cable to get the full bandwidth of 4K 144Hz in HDR via HDMI, and the ultra cheap ones just won't cut it, even if they claim to meet spec. You still don't have to spend more than ~$15, though.
Yeah, you're basically saying the same thing. For that purpose, you need something that meets the HDMI 2.1 spec. It's not a specific cable, you just need the one that meets spec, and they cost about $15.
In 99% of cases you'd be correct. There are other considerations you might want to consider when buying a cable other than just meeting spec. For example, if you have a pet, getting a cable with a durable nylon sleeve might be a good idea.
Another thing that might be worth in some unique situations would be getting a more flexible cable so it could squeeze in a tight space, or a 45⁰/90⁰ connector...
Note that it doesn't always means that it will be expensive to get, and I do agree with you that the important thing is to stay away from the snake oil cables who promise better image/sound quality or whatever.
I personally do not find expensive wine and liquor worth it. That obviously don't mean all cheap wines are good, but I find the percentage of bad wine I had at $50 - $70 range is pretty much the same as wine around or under $20.
I find the best way is to research online before you buy or go for couple known-good brands. Most of the results actually tend to be on the cheaper side (around $20 for wine, around $35 for liquor).
I'll agree on the wine front, but I also don't care for wine much. Never developed a palate for it.
But liquor, very much disagree. If you're one to enjoy a scotch on the rocks or something, there's a huge difference in taste once you splurge and get the good $100+/bottle stuff. And the cheap liquor always gives me a bad hangover.
I like single-malt Scottish whiskey. I like Islays the most, followed by Speysides, Cambelltowns, Highlands, and Lowlands (in that order). I've found that, generally speaking, the longer a whiskey has been aged, the better it's going to be at mellowing out the harsher flavors in a given distillery's offerings. Compared to blended whiskeys--which are usually cheaper--single malt, and single barrel are a better experience in my opinion. I'm usually paying $50-200 for something that I'll really enjoy, with most being in the $100-150 range.
But $5000 for a 40yo bottle of Macallen? Absolutely not.
IMHO, there are two price bands for wine: under-$10, and over. I have an unsophisticated palette, but I can tell a cheap wine from a not-cheap one. I can't tell a not-cheap one from an expensive one, though. Some really expensive wines taste like crap to me, worse than the mid-range ones. That's the only time I can pick out on expensive wine: it might taste bad, but it doesn't taste cheap.
There were some often-quoted tests in which even professional sommeliers could not tell the difference between super-expensive wines and much cheaper ones. See this article on The Guardian for instance
I am picky but it doesn't correlate directly with price. Wine, no. I don't like wine enough to like bad wine so just saving money by drinking it rarely(maybe 6xa year) but buying the ones I actually do like works better. They are between 30-50 USD but again, maybe 5 or 6 bottles a year at most.
Liquor - I have favorites but they are mostly not high end stuff. Evan Williams bottled-in-bond is fantastic and so cheap. ABK6 cognac and vodka are great. Tequila, I like a few and none are too spendy.
Liqueurs though, and mezcal- paying more does seem to make a huge difference in these. The good ones are better than the cheaper analogues.
I'm a classic ____ and coke person myself, and I've settled with Evan Williams White label with RC Cola, almost indistinguishable from Jack and Coke for well under half the price at probably twice the ABV.
And the more I drink, the less I care.
When I see people say stuff like "rc cola is almost indistinguishable from coke" it blows my mind. Do you actually mean you can't taste the difference? Or that you don't think the difference is worth the extra money?
There used to be a book that would come out every year in Canada called Billy's Best Bottles. It's premise was exactly what you just said: that we basically are living in a golden age of wine, where even cheap bottles of wine can be incredibly good. Not only are many cheap wines good, but he also identified that the upper end of wine, for most people, need never exceed about $35 a bottle because the vast majority of people in blind taste testing can't tell the difference between a good $35 bottle and anything more expensive than that.
This used to be true, but unfortunately, like USB-C the game has changed completely.
The downside to standardization is that if you keep the same physical form for multiple iterations, the internals can change. The specs of the source and receiving ends have gone through tons of changes since 2015 and old HDMI 1.4 Cables don't have the same standards to transmit high speed signals from things like PS5, Xbox, Apple TV etc.
Additionally because they require programming and HDCP (a verification handshake between the 2 devices it connects) when companies cheap out they may not properly program them.
That being said, you don't need spend an arm and a leg, but don't get shit either. Generally speaking, buy the cheapest version HDMI 2.1 from a reputable brand or vendor. Definitely not from Amazon anymore, a TON of products labeled 2.1 are actually 2.0 or worse, 1.4.
I only realized recently that my steam deck wasn't charging as well with any old wire. And that's when I learned that different wires and adapters have power limits.
This is true, specs between different versions are different.
That said, it's definitely NOT a reason to buy expensive. I can find 1.3 HDMI cables being sold right now at over twice the price of a legit 2.1 cable...
HDMI 1.4 and arguably 2.0 specs were straightforward enough that it was rare to encounter a cable, no matter how cheap, that did not support all the features you wanted if it listed the right HDMI spec. That... is no longer a universal truth with HDMI 2.1 if you need something that will do 4K120 with HDR. There are cables that just don't like some ports, particularly on PCs.
Length is also a way this can be wrong. Go above 2.5-3m and you may start losing the ability to hit some of the spec. I have a HDMI setup that requires a longer cable and there are basic cables that work and some that don't for the application. To get a better chance on longer cables you end up having to go for powered cables or HDMI over fiber, which are both more expensive than normal cables and it can be luck of the draw even with expensive cables whether they will like your devices and be compatible with what you're trying to do.
So console plugged directly to your 60Hz TV over 1.5m? Sure, cheap cable will do. Longer distances or higher bandwidth requirements? Be prepared to shop around and try different options, potentially getting very expensive.
It's digital so you need reclocking essentially over long distance. Buy a couple black magic converters, HDMI to SDI run a BNC to the TV and SDI to HDMI and you're fine.
To a degree. I once bought HDMI cables at Dollarama thinking the same thing. For $4, it should work good enough, right? It took me a while to realize that the random interference that was pixalating and distorting the image was the cable and not my media PC, but not before swapping the video card to test.
You can buy cheap cables, but beware that not all cables are the same quality.
This was pretty close to being true for 1080p and lower resolutions. If you get a 4k 120hz HDR display then bandwidth and signal integrity start becoming very important. The article you linked is rather old and really only considers media up to 4k 30fps. Cable quality especially matters at lengths above 4 ft for uhd and higher.
There's a lot of snake oil so you can't just trust marketing claims. I've had terrible luck with cables that claim to support high resolutions from amazon and even monoprice. I've resorted to buying cables from actual electronics suppliers like digikey since their speed ratings should be accurate.
“There are major durability differences between different cables and many manufacturers offer additional features, beyond the ability to carry an HDMI signal, that could add value and cost” says Park.
There can still be a difference in physical quality, even if signal quality is relatively unchanged.
Yeah, it's the same with USB cables. Technically they should all be equal. But after having all 3 cables in a pack of 3 fail within a few months of buying I only get one of the at least recognised brands now. Considering some of the higher power charging modes available now, you want a cable that really can handle the currents it says it can.
HDMI it's generally the case, you want a decent brand for build quality. But when you see the "audiophile" rated stuff for digital signalling cables, then it's time to move on.
I think HDMI cables is a rabbit hole subject you can really lose some time with. I don't know how everyone is feeling about Linus these days (I never heard how his independent ethics audit went), but he did a big deep dive on this and found result all over the place. Some cables costing WAY more than they should being total garbage, and some cheap ones being relatively OK and meeting spec, with no real way to know who is safe without either 1) testing them yourself OR 2) finding someone doing a wide batch of testing.
Absolutely not. I finally got a 4K 120hz OLED TV which needs a HDMI 2.1 cable. Ordered a certified one and I couldn't get 120hz to run whatever way I tried. I managed to force it one time and the TV screen black screened every two seconds. After doing everything else (reinstall GPU drivers, messing with settings) I finally ordered a different HDMI cable.
Plugged it in, set 120hz, it worked. Both cables are certified, but one was trash.
Even with the new cable I sometimes get a short black screen now, but I have no clue if it's the cable's fault or the TV. HDMI cables are a total mess when you actually want to use the full bandwidth :-/
I switched to 4K 60hz for now as I don't really game on the TV anyway, it also allows me to use TrueMotion again (which seemingly doesn't run at 120hz). Either way I get anxious about HDMI cables now, lol.
Dish washer soap. Gotta rep technology connections for teaching me that not only is the powdered stuff cheaper, it's also just straight up better. Also store vs name brand shouldn't make a big difference either, at least not from my tests.
When I buy dishwasher soap now I just compare price per gram and grab the cheapest option.
My wife started buying and using name brand pods for some reason and after about a year we started noticing a film build up on the glasses. Clear glasses made it very noticeable but it's not noticeable on solid color dishes. Finally occurred to me maybe it's the pods... we switched back to basic detergent and add rinse agent to the dispenser and now a year later new, identical glasses we bought still show no film.
Wish i could figure out how to get the existing film off our old glasses.
I recently moved to a place with well water and figuring out how to get the dishes clean was a whole thing. For awhile I was sure we were gonna need a new dishwasher. There were wads of paper in various places in the machine, I'm guessing the previous owners didn't bother taking labels off before washing them, but that's not the point here. What ultimately worked for the mineral film was citric acid. There are citric acid dishwashing products, but you don't need to spend a ton of money, it's a common food additive and you can buy it super cheap. I got this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000OZFECU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title I just throw a spoonful in with the detergent once in awhile and the glasses come out sparkling!
I learned recently that most major brands add water softeners to their detergents; this can make the water too soft, which can lead to filming and etching.
If you already have soft water, look for detergents without added softeners; I think the base, cheapest Finish is one, but check the ingredients.
Two things that have been very relevant to me recently:
Car washes. If you want the best outcome, wash it yourself. If you're just trying to knock some grime off, the cheapest one will do. The finishing sprays don't last a week.
Also beverages when hosting a party. No need to buy name brand when store brand is half the cost and will get drank the same anyway.
Also beverages when hosting a party. No need to buy name brand when store brand is half the cost and will get drank the same anyway.
People will drink it, but they may also remember. I have a cousin at whose house I turn tea-totaller, because the beer & wine they offer at parties is literally the cheapest stuff available and it's fucking horrible.
FWIW I was mainly talking about things like soda. The difference between store brand and name brand drinks is almost unnoticeable in taste but costs half as much. I agree that the cheapest beer is borderline undrinkable though
I had this issue. I buy generics and had a couple friends literally complain that I didn't have anything to drink. Less of an issue as we actually grew up, now less people bitch and mostly got over it.
Kirkland frozen pizzas are the exception, they may come three to a box but it’s straight cardboard with bland toppings and sauce. Plus they don’t reheat worth a shit, might as well get 10 totinos
100% the other way around for me. My phone is the one thing I own, I use the most. To have a more fluid experience is worth a couple of hundred dollars. The hourly price difference is minuscule.
I have found that most mid tier phones and high end ones are pretty similar in practical performance and use. Even cheap phones around 300 or 200$ are pretty good nowadays and there's not much of a reason to get a really expensive one anymore. Expensive Phones simply haven't innovated much in the last couple years while cheap phones have gotten better and better, which is why phone sales are at a 10 year low right now.
Agreed. I've gotten expensive android phones, and I know plenty of people with expensive apple phones, but they all go to crap. A cheap phone last about as long and does 90% the same stuff and into photography or gaming, both of which have better alternatives at the high-end phone price ranges.
Or get several models previous, bought used. I had a Pixel 3 I bought for very little on ebay.... Now I have a Pixel 7, from a deal with my wireless company (which will of course cost me over time). And at least for my use, I can't say the 7 is any more useful or nice to work with than the 3.
A cheap phone last about as long and does 90% the same stuff
This is true. You can get an almost equal performance out of a cheap phone. But I learned that more expensive or high-end phones recieve more software updates than cheaper entry-tier phones.
For instance, I own an LG K8 (Model LG-M200E) from 2017. The battery still holds enough charge (although it is designed to be replaced), the camera works, the touch display still responds properly - but it only recieved one update (Android 7 --> Android 8) in 2018. I wouldn't consider it secure and I certainly don't have my online banking on the phone. Meanwhile it gets very hot and slow when I use Google Maps. Unfortunately, there is no way to replace its operating system with an alterntive OS, linke Grephene OS or Lineage. None of the many alternative operating systems offer suppert for this specific model.
Cheap as in a used iPhone that still works. Agreed
Cheap as in a new Android phone with Android Go and the bare minimum specs that will keep it going. Hard disagree unless you are using it as just a dumb phone.
Okay, and some are really good, like DF or CDDA or OpenTTD... But you're never going to find a free Dark Souls, a free Baldur's Gate 3 or a free Return to the Obra Dinn.
So I think it absolutely makes sense paying for quality games like those.
To be fair, they did say you can buy it discounted if you wait. To me, as far as the original question goes, pre-ordering the game or buying a marked up "deluxe" version isn't worth it when you can get it a year later for 50% or more off. If you're willing to wait a few years, you can easily get them often 80% off or more, and they're often less buggy because they've been patched already. Dark Souls 3 has already gone on sale for 50% off a few times, as has Return of the Obra Dinn(never heard of this, btw), and Baldur's Gate 3 has already gone on sale for 10% off despite having been released August 3rd.
At this point you should never be in a situation where you cannot buy games that are in the genres you enjoy that are 1+ years old, as a result patched up, and on a 30%-70% sale if you're willing to wait at most a few weeks for the next sale.
And since there'll be more than 1 such game, you can always have one on backlog while waiting for the next one to go on sale. There's 0 reason to buy the buggy full-price on-release version.
You don't really need an 8-core CPU and 12 gigs of RAM for making calls and browsing the web, which is what 95% of people use their phones for. Not even buying such phone for the sake of longevity is worth it since most manufacturers drop support for their phones after 5 years at most.
Soap. My mom and sisters always complement my hair and skin, asking what products I use. I just use 2$ Yardley bar soap for skin and hair. I also like them because they smell nicer than other cheap brands that just have a generic detergent smell.
Razors. For all shaving I use a safety razor. The initial investment is somewhat expensive but after that each blade is mere cents. Also much less wasteful. Make sure to store your used blades in an old medicine bottle to dispose of them safely (and for the garbage man's safety). Also find these to be way nicer on skin, 5 blade or whatever cartridge razors don't make a closer shave and remove and irritate skin much more.
Kitchen knives. Most cheap knives (and a lot of expensive ones) suck because of bad design. Most knives today are way too thick and chunky, to make them look more robust etc. what you need is a thin blade and a sharp, long lasting edge. Victorianox fibrox ($35) is excellent for the money and for most people you don't need any more performance. You can also use kiwi knives (10$). They are super cheap, perform well, but dull fast, a good cheap option if you know how to sharpen and hone. If you want more performance than the fibrox you can get a Japanese tojiro basic. These aren't very fancy but have excellent performance, being made of laminated vg-10 steel and having a much longer lasting edge. These are around 50$
If you cook and chop a lot and want a knife to take pride and pinnacle of performance then you'll want a hand forged Japanese knife. DO NOT fall for Japanese knife scams and do lots of research on YouTube. These will be around 200$ to 500$ (more expensive knives are for prettier, or famous blades). They are very thin, highly polished (it'll glide through food) and made of extremely sharp, extremely hard, hand forged laminated steel.
Definitely! I used to chase the largest number of blades. Mach 3, then Fusion. And then noticed that it was getting a bit insane paying $30 for a pack of four replacement heads. About ten years ago, I noticed a resurgence in double edged safety razor popularity. Bought a $50 Edwin Jaggar handle (which they replaced with a sturdier version for free when I broke it!), and have been picking up my Dorco blades $10 for 100 since. The shave is just as good, if not better, and getting straight lines is actually much easier. I feel like if more people knew, Gillette would just go out of business.
Agree on going with safty razors, but once you are there, you don't want to cheep out. The one option my local grocery store carries is a $20 that is complete junk. I invested $70 in a Henson safty razor and never looked back. They also have a $250 offering for people who want the benefits of a safty razor without the cost savings.
For blades, I actually splurge and buy the $0.20/piece offering from Feather instead of the $0.10/piece ones that Henson sells. Still cheeper than the $0.80 safty blades the grocery store sells, or the checks app $4.50/piece cartridge blades the store sells?!?
Moral of the story: go cheap, but don't be afraid of spending a little money to do so.
Soap. My mom and sisters always complement my hair and skin, asking what products I use. I just use 2$ Yardley bar soap for skin and hair. I also like them because they smell nicer than other cheap brands that just have a generic detergent smell.
Skin is waaay too individual to make recommendations. Some people can use dove bar soap on their face and never have acne or other skin problems. Others are acne prone and have to do multiple things in order to keep it under control.
For my shaving needs, I've had a lot of luck with the Norelco One Blade. The upfront cost is similar and the cartridges last for a good three months. It's not a sharp blade, so not only is it very safe to use but the TSA will let you take it in a carry on.
A lot of generic foods. Safeway's in-house brand, for example, has better crackers, pasta sauces, a handful of other items than the expensive name brands do. And yes, that includes Rao's. I'll never understand why that brand is so popular when Safeway Select exists and tastes better with perfectly good ingredients at a fraction of the cost.
I often see people say to buy the expensive toilet roll but I always go for the low end of the midrange rolls. I don't need 4ply, scented, quilted shit, I just need two pieces of paper stuck together.
There is a balance, you don't want to get the 1ply stuff you'd find in a stingy office. But just look at the label and price-per-sheet
(If you can afford it, buy a year's supply in bulk from the company)
Our bidet doesn't have an air dryer, so we did have to upgrade our paper from the cheap 1-ply stuff that turned to pulp on contact with any moisture. That said, we go through way less paper post-bidet.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a bidet attachment that fits my toilet. When we move, I'm getting one for sure but I'll still use toilet roll at times too
That being said, I'm not sure the cost-benefit really fits here. The initial cost (£100-500, depending on quality and type) plus fitting (£100-200 depending on plumbers in your area) would take about 10 years to break even when spending £40 on toilet roll per year. And by then, I'm sure I would have moved house or the bidet would have broken or something
Stuff that is used and immediately disposed of like trash bags, paper towels, and toilet paper. You need to be a little more careful with the cheapest trash bags and toilet paper, but it will still get the job done.
I actually disagree a bit on this one, it may be different for you but near me the cheap trash bags have a tendency to rip, the cheap TP is 1ply sandpaper, and the cheap Paper Towels always smell like mildew making my hands, beard, tables etc, smell like mildew. I don't have to go top shelf, but can't go cheapest.
You also have to take a look at the quantity, I have a family member that loves the dollar store but a lot of the stuff they get has much much less than if you just got it at the regular store for a few cents more, especially aluminum foil I can't stand that super thin stuff haha
Don't get cheap toilet paper, buy a bidet. The initial investment seems like a lot but I've had one for 8 years and I go through a roll or 2 a month now. Worth the investment.
table salt, iodized salt, himalayan... they're all the same for me. I don't think my taste buds are adapted to the subtle differences so cheaper ones are better.
show-off jewelry, wallet, purses
showing off jewelry is an invitation to be mugged (again, imo. ymmv) so the cheaper ones are the better options.
coffee
if only you're fine with cheaper ways to wake yourself.
wax-based lip balm
anything beeswax is good. then again ymmv since people can be allergic
pure or as-is things like land, electricity, internet, water, oxygen cans, gas/ heating, alcohol (disinfectant)
Salt isn't so much a case of different flavours but of different uses. Like how you'd use rock salt on an icy path, it's better to use maldon salt to garnish a salad and you'd chuck fine sea salt on a soup base. If you think MSG tastes like table salt, though, it's time to hand your tongue in at the front desk. You can also get smoked salt and that kind of carry on.
There certainly is a difference between regular and himalayan salt, with the latter tasting more, like...uhm...cavey? In a good way. The point of iodized salt is not the taste but the actual iodine, which supports your thyroid gland and other parts of the body.
Internet service may vary greatly in quality; also, for all pure and as-us things it's the source that may matter. I'd pay a little extra for more green options (as in solar electricity, properly treated water, etc. etc.).
Thanks for the input on the salt, I'll try it again and see what I am missing on the cavey sensation.
You have a good point with electric sources being a differentiator. This is like with watered bottles saying their water comes from a natural spring in a mountain.
Here's another viewpoint to that, if you will: maybe you are paying a mark up for the source (or the assurance of such source, depending on the marketing) and the pure commodity itself doesn't have to be marked up for it.
As for internet, I think quality happens because businesses tier it to be. And, of course, with pure internet you have to pay for what amount you have used. I still don't think you need to go full bells and whistles as it is more reasonable to just pay what you used. I understand though that some areas don't have much choice on this.
I love my speckled ax coffee beans, but if you didn't go down the rabbit hole of a good grinder and coffee machine then expensive coffee is not worth it.
I buy the cheapest coffee beans I can from supermarket, and have had coffee snobs comment how much they love the coffee I make and where I buy it from.
Salt is salt, it tastes the same.
Not sure on the land one.. That one is a bit odd admittedly.
this is where your-mileage-may-vary(ymmv) comes in.
I am sure everybody has different preferences to things and the point still comes across. You might still splurge on to some preferences but "better version" doesn't mean the "expensive" bells-and-whistles one.
I am happy reading each comment and knowing how people treat their salt, coffee and internet with different kinds of values.
Everybody is stuck on defending salt while I’m like….land? Like real estate? Because there are definitely reasons to buy nicer properties than cheaper ones. I’m confused.
table salt, iodized salt, himalayan... they're all the same for me. I don't think my taste buds are adapted to the subtle differences so cheaper ones are better.
Do yourself a favor and find some blue salt. It's absolutely better/different in flavor vs those other ones!
But as far as salt goes, you have to know when and how to use it. Finishing salts are generally added on top of food, and not mixed into recipes. You also don't want to use table salt as a finishing salt.
I buy good brands from China for my professional tools, phones, laptops, and gadgets. The key is knowing which brands in China are good. Nothing else can compete in terms of value for money.
Motorbikes (for commuting). My midrange motorbike cost under 2k USD brand new, and it gets me to work at the same speed as an expensive one (Asian traffic, haha).
Actually, that's super exciting! I would have a fun time taking it apart, analyzing it, and publishing it. Would be great publicity, and would probably make me more money than the laptop/phone/whatever cost me.
That being said, the USA has the most established history of compromising cryptography and security. It's not so much that I trust China or don't trust the USA, it's that I don't trust any superpower, am fairly wary of nations in general, and in fact don't have much trust for organizations of anything over a handful of people.
Cosmetics. Maybe not women cosmetics, but the expensive moisture cremes and so on only add stuff you don't want on your skin. Btw, "natural" marigold cremes are really bad there.
I have to disagree here. Some brands of mascara (especially the cheap ones but some of the expensive too) have chemicals in that are terrible for your health in the long term. It’s been a long time since I read the research but I remember that it caused local issues like cysts in/on the eye but also global issues like hormone imbalance
Interesting! I wonder if the formulas differ from country to country (I'm in the US). I use ELF, which I think is free from a bunch of that stuff and super cheap. This is a good reminder to always read labels. 🙂
Right? I use a mix of drugstore and mid-range cosmetics as a makeup enthusiast. Drugstore has stepped up their game!
My favorite foundation that I keep going back to over and over again regardless of anything else I try is the $5.99 Wet N Wild Photofocus Foundation. It's just so...perfect. I've had to have exceeded 10 bottles at this point.
Same with eye primer, brow pencils, eyeliner, and mascara. So much that ELF and Essence put out in these categories are so good.
I worked retail enough to say that there's a skill barrier to both the cheap and expensive stuff, and so to the difference being relevant.
Man, I hated gift wrapping when I worked retail. I sucked at it and as a customer you don't consider that you're just sitting there watching somebody do this thing live until you have to do it while being judged by some random stranger that has nothing better to do than stare at you.
One asterix to this, if you buy wrapping paper for "cheaper" at a dollar store, you are likely paying much more per square foot. So if you have space to store it and intend to wrap things again, probably worth it to buy a proper roll.
Yeah cheap is one thing, dollar store is bottom of the barrel for more cost per unit most of the time. Dollar stores are also just awful in general, awful to their workers, their customers, the communities they are in, etc.
Costco wrapping paper rolls have years worth of paper on one role and they are reversible with two different print’s. Nearly everywhere else I have purchased wrapping paper it is 90% tube not paper.
Bought a giant 250 meter roll of plain brown butchers paper a few years ago, it was like $45AUD from a wholesale packaging company.
Bought a "celebration" set of rubber stamps, and a few different colours of ink pads.
Now I just cut off the amount of wrapping paper I need, slap it with a relevant stamp a few times, wrap the gift, and voila, "custom" wrapping paper.
It's come in handy for all sorts of things, not just wrapping. Sewing patterns, arts and crafts, emergency table cloths for family BBQ's, grab 10 metres and roll it up to take to work for programs (I work in a community centre).
Headphones/ear buds. It really comes down to your use case. If you listen to podcasts and audiobooks 90% of the time then you only need good enough which is typically around $40.
Ooof, I dunno… You can probably get by with cheap headphones, but they’re probably one of the objects you’ll spend the most time with and a good set can really make a difference. Good noise cancelling is essentially a requirement for me to live.
Personally I had way too many quality issues at that price range. An earbud would be randomly quieter than the other, the battery of an earbud would die, the Bluetooth would suck, or they would be unusable for phone calls. I bought refurbished $100-something headphones for $70 and haven't needed to buy any more since.
I have multiple LG HB800 Bluetooth headsets that you wear around your neck. 50 backs a piece, great noise cancelling , great sound, and 5 years on and they're still running for a complete day.
Last year bought a set of Sony Bluetooth earbuds, we're reviewed everywhere as the best at 350 dollars. They have half the volume, half the time I can't hear people on calls, the noise cancellation was shit, and battery life new was about 4-5 hours, and now after a bit over a year, battery life is 5 minutes so I can throw them away.
Yup, really wanted ANC ones for on the train and very happy with my €50 Edifiers. Sound fine and the ANC is good. Watched tons of reviews on XM5s and Bose QCs which only seem to offer meaningless improvements.
I do also own good cans and DAC for when I'm at home, but paying over €300 euros for something you'll only use in noisy environments and fussing over audio quality you won't be able to optimally enjoy anyways is silly.
I'm admittedly not a huge audiophile, and these days I don't have many uses for earbuds or headphones in my daily life, but while $40 or so earbuds used to serve me just fine sound-wise, but I went through a lot of them. My earbuds lived a rough life, getting mangled up in my pockets, bags, the occasional trip through the washing machine, etc.
Then I got a pair of Shure earbuds after doing a bit of searching around for the most indestructible ones. I didn't get their highest -end model, I think they ran me about $100, but they've held up for like a decade at this point. Part of it is probably that I'm a bit more careful with them than I was with cheaper buds, but they've still seen plenty of abuse and neglect.
They don't get much use anymore since my phone doesn't have a headphone jack, but I'm pretty sure I can buy a Bluetooth adapter or USB cable and slap it on them if I felt the need because the cable is replaceable, which is nice.
I haven't gone earbud shopping in a decade so I can't really say if their quality has held up, or if there are better options today. I haven't quite gotten onboard with Bluetooth buds yet, so I can't really comment on them.
As an audiophile I agree. There are now a lot of quality cheap headphones and earbuds on the market and I still use a lot of my cheap ones despite have a pair of Sennheiser hd600s (300$).
For headphones use the Koss KSC75. For earbuds use moondrop chus, three are also some new cheap items and you should look at those too. Basically watch crinacle on YouTube. Also using an EQ to adjust the sound of your headphones can make them sound much better.
As a different audiophile I disagree. I lost my Fostex TH-X00PH and haven't found anything nearly so satisfying. I gotta have that wide open and unrestrained power coming from my cans and the difference is so so much!
Still though, if you're just into podcasts just shoot for convenience features. Any true wireless earbuds will be fine. I like the Soundpeats H1. $90 and they can thump better than my liberty pro 3.
There are only a few things, I find, worth shelling out a bit for. British tea brands (British émigré), boots, and ale come to mind. Some other things you're taking your chances a bit if you don't spend a bit more, like bikes, electronics, and musical instruments. Otherwise I'm a stingey aul get and it does me fine.
I'll go with shoes and clothes (not the work kind)
That does not mean that I'm going out to buy the cheapest I can find. I just mean to say that I don't buy expensive ones.
And my definition of expensive is $100+
I always make sure to not spend more than $50 on a shoe or any item of clothing (shirts, t-shirts, shorts, jeans)
There's a famous example of the poverty trap that uses boots that fall apart every season vs quality boots that last, and I think there is a quality level that is so bad it's more expensive in the long run. So I do buy shoes that cost money. But I'm not buying fashion shoes or luxury brand shoes which I think is what you're saying too.
"The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."
A well made pair of shoes will last far longer than a cheap pair. And a besboke pair of shoes is a treasure, more comfortable than any trainer and absolutely capable of outlasting the owner.
It matters with T-shirts, as well. It's harder these days, with online shopping driving down the bottom line, but a T-shirt made from quality fabric and good stitching will also last longer than a cheap one.
Price makes a huge difference in men's suits, as well. Again, fabric and stitching at the most basic level, but tailoring, custom, or bespoke has a massive impact on how comfortable it is, and on how good it looks.
Now, women's shoes and clothes? Maybe you're right. With fast fashion and a larger influence of branding on price, you may be right. Although, here there are exceptions. A quality jacket or overcoat - like mens' jackets - will look better and last longer than a cheap one.
Many people do pay a premium for branding alone, and there I agree with you: that's not worth it.
My point was about myself actually. I didn't mean to generalize to any group as much.
Also, I do agree that super cheap t-shirts don't really last very long. And my point wasn't that I'd buy t-shirts only if they're under $5. But rather that "I'm not spending more than $50 on a t-shirt".
Bespoke boots are amazing especially if your foot width is out of the norm. Very few brands have width options. But I have 2 pair of boots (one pair tall, one pair below the ankle) custom to my foot shape and size and they fit so well. I expect them to last, though I expect to replace the sole several times.
I wish I could buy cheaper shoes. I have fairly wide feet. I've only found one pair of shoes for under $100 in the last 15 years that even fit properly. If I buy cheap runners the sides blow out in less than a year. On the other hand, I bought a pair of dress shoes for about $200 over 15 years ago which would look a lot better if I gave them a good polish, and the only real problem is the rubber soles are getting worn out.
My problem is the opposite, my foot is about as narrow as they get. I can get runners that fit (but laces are always pulled nearly as close as possible), but boots are impossible except from the custom boot companies, though my dad's 1960s leather navy boots for me fine - I guess they sized width and length
I can pay 80 dollars for a gaming mouse that dies in 6 months or I can buy a 7 dollar walmart mouse that dies in a year. Realistically how your mouse settings are configured matters more than the type of mouse you have and I have had bad experiences with more expensive mice dying under the strain I put them through. i.e usually the middle mouse wheel/button dies first because I use it A LOT. And if the damn thing is going to die in 6 months to a year anyway I may as well buy them in 6 packs and not bother throwing 10+ times tge money at them.
Personally, I couldn't disagree with your general statement more, as I have had the exact opposite experience in that paying more for good gaming peripherals from trustworthy brands is worth every penny - BUT to be fair, I am only comparing the gaming peripherals to other gaming peripherals. As an example, I will never buy a Razor product as every single one I've had has been cheap trash that dies in 3-6 months. I learned to pay the money for Logitech. I've been using one of their gaming mice for about 3 or 4 years now and it is just now starting to show some signs of age with wheel clicks occasionally not registering, and all like 15 other buttons still work as expected just fine. I think the big problem is that there are a lot of crappy "gaming" brands that jack the price way up for cheap crap just because they slapped some LEDs on it and give it an edgy name. They throw a ton of money at marketing and advertising, and the price point is high, so the general population start to think of them as a high-end premium brand when they are (probably) just taking a $7 walmart mouse and slapping a new outer shell on it with some cheap RGB (so they can convince you to install their bloatware while they are at it).
No hate intended, as these are all just our personal opinions and there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. I personally cringe at the idea of going back to a cheap "$7 walmart mouse", but if it works for someone else I'm not trying to tell them they are wrong. :P
I am not saying all peripherals are like this, just mice. Keyboards, headsets, microphones, monitors those you often get what you pay for. As for reputable brands, its up to you whether razer is reputable or not.
I've bought 2 Logitech mice in the last 15 years, and the first one didn't even die, it was just showing its age and I wanted something new when I rebuilt my PC. My wife still uses it at her desk lol. Really enjoy the M50X series mice
I feel like all gaming mice are terrible, except for maybe a few. I usually buy more office/corporate centered mice because they're usually more ergonomic and robust. I love the Logitech MX Vertical for work, and the MX Ergo for the couch. Both have been going strong for years. But the most intense game I play is Civ V, so your mileage may vary.
I have a simailar strategy: I bought a mouse, considered it good enough to work with, bought the same mouse again to put it away for when the first-bought mouse is failing.
I do the same with shoes since I wear the same brand and model for years, so that an internet purchase is without any risk for me.
The deathadder was the one that died in 6 months. And back then the version of it that I got was 80 dollars which isn't as easy to justify given how fast the middle mouse button gave up on life.
I feel like it would be safer to say that there is an upper limit. Slogging away with the cheapest mouse you could find is just awful, if only for your wrists.
It's going to be your main tool of interaction for years. Splurge a little.
I got myself a vertical mouse and no longer grind down my wrist on the table. Definitely worth every penny.
I used to have the Microsoft Explorer mouse which is a bit larger, I used it for over 5 years per mouse. The old version is no longer available and the new one looked terrible, that got me into looking for alternatives in the first place.
But if you're okay with the default mouse sizes and don't have other issues they are fine too.
Shaving foam: its so much worse for the environment and always with horrible perfume. Shaving soap is amazing, like in the old days.
Safety razors: the old one-blade ones are sometimes more of an investment (10-15€) but the blades are way cheaper and standardized. You never need to buy overpriced stuff again.
Agree on Soap. All the fluid stuff with perfume is money waste.
New tech. Wait 2 years and get some used ones for ⅓ the price.
Clothes: there are cheap quality brands, but expensive ones are often made in the same factories. Nike, Adidas, Gucci, LV, ...
Toilet paper: simply buy recycled. Its the last process of paper recycling (lol) so why?? Why would you buy brands that have weird contracts with logging companies and destroy forests?
Conventional Food brands doing fruit Joghurt, dairy products, meat, with only fake seals. Its literally the same bullshit in there. Same for Crisps, ...
Flour, sugar, electricity, coffe, ... they are all different cathegories. If you buy ecological, full-grain etc. they have different growing standards, so its a huge difference.
Often its about investing more one time, and then keeping it. Capitalism prevents that, as it doesnt make much sense for companies today, to survive.
Totally depends on the pet then. My cat is not a good predator, so breakage is not a problem, but she's very picky with what she wants to play with and most new toys can't keep her interest for longer than 2 weeks, so it's absolutely a waste of money to spend more. The only toy that she consistently plays with is still a random piece of rope 😅
So the pet's personality plays a part, but seeing the other comments, I also see a cat vs dog difference.
Plus rabbits love cardboard. Toilet rolls and plain boxes get your surprisingly far with two rabbits! The only toys I'll buy are the edible ones - willow tunnels for example. Watching them play with something you make is part of the joy.
Going to have to disagree with this. Never cheap out on things that get between you and the ground. Mattresses, tires, and shoes are good examples. A good pair of shoes will last a lot longer and will be better for your feet and posture overal in my personal experience.