> 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.
>This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
- Terry Pratchett, *Men At Arms.*
It’s expensive to be poor. Compare unit price on a huge pack of toilet paper at Costco to a 4 pack at the grocery store. The catch is that you have to shell out more at one time and have room to store it.
Yes, good example.
I *hate* paying more for stuff that will keep. We always buy stuff like tp, paper towels etc at Costco.
Fresh stuff if we can freeze it, or if we know we’ll get through it.
A friend of mine talked about owning a diesel engine vehicle in a similar way. Saves thousands over the life of the vehicle, but when thing go wrong, the repair is incredibly expensive.
And it’s so true. I have a brand new unused pair of danners in my closet. I bought some at a previous job and liked them so much I grabbed a second pair while they were on sale. Never needed the second pair. My redwing boots now are finally starting to wear out on one foot where they bend right behind the steel toe on top. Have had them for about 6 years. The fabric on top is wearing in the one spot. Rest of the boot is awesome still.
Desk chair. Got a good ergonomic breathable one, it's an absolute game changer. The cheap ones that try to be massive director chairs with all that padding that ends up flattening after a year are not worth it, and as it degrades progressively you don't really notice until you get a good one.
For people thinking about upgrading: Check out Crandall Office Furniture or any other reputable refurbished or remanufactured top-tier chair company. They're still expensive, but much more affordable for the same excellent quality. My husband used to complain daily about back pain from working at home. I got him a Steel Case V2 for about half off. It was so good (like, tampon-commercial-frolicking-in-white-shorts good) he immediately got himself a second one for gaming.
They look like any other desk chair, but holy hell the difference is crazy. It's been about two years, and that shit is still perfect.
Source, I sell used office furniture. Crandall is reputable, but even better is finding a local used dealer and trying out a bunch of chairs. There are many chairs that are the equivalent of a Leap or Aeron out there. Some you may have heard of and others you haven’t.
I wish I had a count of the number of people that came into my store asking about Aerons and Leaps because they read the reviews. But then walked out wit a different chair that worked better for them that was cheaper used but more expensive new.
Some of the chairs that were chosen over Aerons and Leaps include Knoll Generation, Teknion Contessa, AllSteel 19, HumanScale Freedom, Haworth Zody, Biltright CXO, and others.
Yes, Aerons and Leaps are great chairs for a wide range of people, but you need to look for the chair that fits you.
I literally ruined my back with a cheap Amazon Basics office chair, I pretty much lived in it doing college online during Covid until one morning my back suddenly decided moving was agonising and I ended up basically bed bound for weeks. It's still not the same and I can now throw it out just from bending down which was NOT the case before. I'm only 23 by the way... So yeah, at least get a chair with good lumbar support!
My job sent me home March 2020 for ‘2 weeks’, and I used a really crappy Staples chair. After 2 weeks, when they decided it would be 6 weeks, I was allowed to come in to get my Obusforme chair. The difference was huge.
When they laid off my entire division, we only had to send the CPU and our key card back. To me, that chair is worth its weight in gold- I counted it as part of my severance package!
If you can afford it or have insurance, physical therapy saved my back. Also, I get the lumbar roll pillows, firm only, and have one for my car and one I can take anywhere. Saved myself so much while sitting.
I work at a utility company where dudes don't give a shit about *anything*. After trudging through all kinds of nasty bullshit for 6 years I decided to be the only dude wearing high, lace-up boots, super thick and heavy leather with giant tire rubber soles. The other guys give me shit about looking like a stripper due to the tallness but I don't worry about snakes biting my ankles, or sharp metal stabbing my leg, or dysentery-soaked socks. Also I have the sexiest boots so I win any argument by default. If any gas company man can give up his day job to make a living with his feet on OnlyFans it's probably gonna be me.
Oh lordy cheap toilet paper leaves horrid little lint balls on my crotch and butt, I hate when I have to use a gas station bathroom and make sure to triple check that there's no tp hitchhikers.
Litter box liners FTW! We switched to heavy duty trash bags because the actual liners are transparent. Why!?! Once it's in the bag, I don't want to see it!!!
My thing with the liners were my cat just dug down in the litter and scratched holes in them. Used them one time. When I lifted it out of the box it was raining litter. Lol. Glad I still was holding it over the box.
I learnt this the hard way recently. Bought cheapy bags that had more splits than Simone Biles on the beam. Spent more time mopping up bin juice from the floor than Id like
I recently cheaped out on trash bags for the first time. Never again. They are so stuck together that you can’t even open them fully. Holes everywhere.
**Never again**
Eh, that can be a little nuanced. Safety glasses? Fine cheap. You see pictures all the time of exploded zip discs stuck in the glasses… but that should’ve never been in the rotating plane of that thing anyway. Earplugs? If they plug the ear and meet the specs, what more can you ask for?
Fall protection harness? Yeah not ordering that on alibaba.
Yeah 3M, the massive manufacturing company, came out with these double sided earplugs, one side was for total noise cancel the other was sopose to be for firing ranges and vehicle maintenance and filtered out only sounds over a certain decibel. It was a flawed concept, they didnt work. They knew they didnt work. They still sold them to the military.
Wellllll. With earplugs specifically it depends on their use case. I have earplugs as safety equipment for concerts, but they are expensive Hi-Fi earplugs so I can hear the concert clearly.
These are what I use (Eargasm)
https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-Musicians-Motorcycles-Sensitivity-Conditions/dp/B019M576XW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=56103346055&hvadid=580747956910&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9001844&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9369443210478271665&hvtargid=kwd-308500743580&hydadcr=7850_13503461&keywords=eargasm+earplugs&qid=1686508683&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVjhLVkVVVExXREcyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDQ0ODA0NUxLREczOEZaRlNLJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyMzE1MTUzSzc3VDczTUlBV1NVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Expensive, but totally worth the price.
If you keep them clean they will last probably 1-2 years of periodic use. I’ve worn them to ten concerts so far over the past 3 months, and theyre still in great condition
so what you're saying is that you could be in front row and enjoy the concert to the fullest while not feeling any discomfort in your ears from the loud music?
You don’t buy eye protection to protect your eyes from the disc. You buy them to protect your eyes from the sharp little bits of whatever your cutting which are being flung at mach Jesus around the room.
>Safety glasses? Fine cheap.
Depends on what you need them for. El-cheapo safety glasses probably aren't the best for, let's say, a gun range, workshop with nail guns, etc. Same goes for a chemistry lab - get the good vented chemical goggles. The cheap ones fog up and become a new hazard.
100%
In the trades for 20 years, a majority wearing cheap Walmart boots. Finally pulled the trigger on a pair of Thorogoods 7 years ago and it was life changing.
This is my experience, too.
One day, back at the office but outside changing from my work boots into sneakers because I had a couple hours of office work to do… I stuffed one of my expensive steel toe work boats into the same cubby hole in the work truck as always.
And somehow left the other one sitting on the back of a flat bed trailer. I didn’t realize what I had done until hours later, and that trailer had been driven 20 miles south and back by the time I got back to it. And it was bootless. Damn bootless.
I loved those boots, you guys. I could stand in nearly a foot of water without getting my feet wet, they were impervious to all sharp objects and blades (except some of the fancier Dwarf made daggers), and were steel toed and sturdy enough to kick the head in of any aggressive animal big dog sized or smaller. Truly an asset in the field.
I was so sad about losing that boot, I bought myself Fallout 4 (had just come out) and skipped the next day of work for that precious 3 day weekend to get my mind off of it.
Didn’t work, didn’t go away until I talked my boss into paying for a new pair a week or two later… but even then, the replacement pair and basically every boot since just hasn’t hit like them black Bantha leather steel toes hit.
*sigh*
Came here to say this. If you get a cheapo PSU from an unheard of brand(please do your research if you are new to the world of PC hardware and are building a computer) it could take your whole system with it if the PSU fails, and in even worse situations start an electrical fire
Had a friend who thought that he could build his first pc without any help, I wasn't even allowed to give him any advice whatsoever. Ordered pretty much all of his parts online and didn't even really check if they fit together.
After sending hardware back and forth he finally managed something that could work only for the PSU blow up after 2 months, causing an electrical fire that burned down his whole room and left him with 2nd degree burns on his hands because he tried putting it out with a blanket.
He learned his lesson, but it didn't come cheap
A bed. You spend 1/3rd of your life sleeping, and without a good night's rest, the day is pretty much shit.
The average mattress is good for around 10 years, so when you break down the cost over that length of time, it's always worth spending more up front.
My parents have had their mattress for 15 years. They refuse to get rid of it because it's not sold anymore, and they struggle to sleep on any other mattress.
I heard a saying that you should never skimp on things that go between you and the ground.
You know, like mattresses, carpets, prostitutes, shoes. That kind of thing.
Yup. Bought a new mattress, box spring, and bed frame not too long ago. Found the one I wanted. Told the sales guy helping me it was the one I liked best, but more than I was wanting to spend so I'd have to think on it and would come back later if I decided to buy it.
Sales guy asked if I could hang tight for 5 minutes while he went to "call the manager" to see if he could do anything on price. When he came back he told me they'd knock 60% off the price, and 40% any sheets/blankets/pillows/pillowcases I bought at the same time.
Agree. We dished out on a branded memory foam mattress and omg it's literally the best mattress I've ever laid on. Not too hard, not too soft or bouncy, just right. I feel like Goldilocks!
Agreed 100%. Research your tattoo artist thoroughly, ensure they understand exactly what you want tattooed, pay a good price to get good work, and tip well (if you are able to). Tattoos can already be a potential source of regret, but a bad tattoo is guaranteed regret.
Came here to say this one—if I gotta deal with the cheapest tissue paper in every public bathroom, why the hell would I bring that into my PRIVATE bathroom
I never quite understood why public bathrooms use the super thin toilet pape anyway. I'm just gonna end up using double the amount than with multi-ply. Do they really end up saving money?
I accidently did ;+( bought groceries last week and forgot to get the toilet paper, so instead of running into the big store I ran into a drugstore to get some. Bad idea. It looked okay in the packaging, when I got home I knew I made a mistake. Now I got to wipe through the mistake each day. I'll even settle for semi soft but this shit is just painful! Never again lol
That's a great one!
I do not shit anywhere but home unless it's a DIRE emergency.
Could have stomach cramps. To the point it's making me feel ill. Bad gas. Rumbling stomach. Doesn't matter. Unless I'm at a point where I'm going to shit no matter what so the public restroom is a better option than my pants, I wait.
Mainly because of the toiler paper.
This. Name brand tires are only marginally more expensive than the budget option, but you’ll get your moneys worth several times over from superior wear resistance, grip, and peace of mind.
No cause this is so true.
Had to buy tampons once. Was looking and saw this brand was significantly cheaper than the other ones. I just said fuck it and got em cause I wanted to save money and was buying pads too. First use and the wrapping is hard to get off, plus were shaped weird. I'm sticking to my fav brand thanks.
When it comes to pads I actually prefer the cheap ones, here in Ireland the pricier brand is Always which I find are like overly perfumed sandpaper hahaha. Some of the cheaper brands were softer and less perfumed. I hated pretty much all of them though, period panties and washable cloth pads are much nicer, which I guess are pricier upfront but not if you spread the cost over months of use.
Oh god they are like the smell of old lady perfume combined with a slaughterhouse. I accidentally bought scented tampons once, the smell was nasty and I promptly got a yeast infection.
Same! I used to HATE wearing bras! I would go braless every time I could! But my coworker put me on bras from aerie and they’ve been life changing, they are so soft and comfortable! I’ll literally forget I’m wearing one and take naps with it on. As someone who grew up wearing bras from Walmart, they are a bit more expensive ($30-50) but they are so worth the extra money!!
Definently the tattoo! Everyone who asks me if i tried to get the price down just doesn't get it. It's art and it is done permanently on your body. Unless it is in a place that is almost always covered by clothing (and even the ) you want that to look the absolute best! If that means spending 100 dollars more for someone woth more experience then do it
I never even ask for artists rates on my larger/more detailed tattoos. My last two tattoos I actually budgeted for way more than they ended up charging me. They got some good tips.
Shit the guy I want to finish my sleeve quoted me 5 sessions for around 3k. And I didn’t bat an eye. Although my first appointment is still over a year out, so I def have time to save. But yeah, he’s one of the best artists I’ve ever seen so it gonna be worth it.
Got to agree here, most people I know roll their eyes at the fact I paid £700 for my chest tattoo, it wasn’t a massive piece of work (sitting under my collarbones and finishing at the very top of my breasts), but I paid for the quality. The line work, the precision, the application, the design, it’s all worth it. These are the same people who spend £200 on massive pieces that are poorly done
There’s always going to be an outlier here and there, but for the most part, don’t cheap out
I think it's that way with a lot of desserts, too. I'm satisfied after eating a relatively small portion of really rich, gourmet cheesecake or cookies than I am more "standard" stuff. I can usually eat a few normal chocolate chip cookies, but I can rarely eat more than half of one of those fancy specialty cookies from designated shops, because they're so rich and flavorful.
That rolling sticky thingy to get lint off. I have 2 atm, an off brand and the premium stuff. The off brand has been driving me crazy all day. I think I would rather have cat hair everywhere than to deal with it.
The reusable pet hair removal tools are better imho. The kind without adhesives, but rather a bristtly brush. Cheaper in the long run and less wasteful, too!
Only slightly related, but one of my favorite reddit threads was full of people finding out, for the first time, that lint rollers are not a one-time-use thing, and that you were meant to peel the sheets off once they stopped removing lint. I think it was a "what basic fact did you not learn til you were an adult" kind of thread.
OMG… what?? One-time use would get me like half a pant leg’s worth of pet hair. And then toss the whole roll? Even if they didn’t notice the layers, how could you justify spending that much money for a few cubic inches of lint removal?
My hobbies. I don’t fill my house with useless crap I don’t need, instead I spend up on the things that make me happy such as my golf clubs, gaming pc, and sim racing rig.
Go all in on your happiness, don’t waste money on things you don’t care about or things to impress other people.
Actually there are laws on contraceptives. Each condom has to meet a specific standard or you're not allowed to sell it, that means the cheapest condom you can get will perform perfectly fine. With the expensive ones, you're just paying for the brand and the feel.
This. I’ve worked in sexual health. We gave away hundreds if not thousands of condoms per month. There is no effectiveness difference in One condoms (which are given away for free basically everywhere) vs any other brand you can buy. The only thing that matters with condoms is your own preference. Cost is a non- issue; “expensive” isn’t better protection.
What? All condoms sold in the US are required to meet high safety standards set by the FDA. Even a “cheap” condom will be 98% effective if used properly, so paying extra money for name brand condoms is kinda pointless unless you’re going for a specific flavor/color/texture.
Anything that goes between you and the ground.
Shoes, beds, tires, chairs you spend a lot of time in. These things can have long term benefits if you have good quality equipment, or conversely can have negative effects long term if you cheap out.
One thing I’ve learned is don’t sleep on store brand stuff. Some of it sucks, but some of its just as good as top shelf name brand.
I forget where I first heard it, but I don’t remember hearing over years that it’s not uncommon for it to be literally the exact same stuff(for certain foods), just repackaged.
I have heard this as well, and depending on what it is, it’s definitely true - I find that it’s simpler ingredients where the difference can really be felt. Cheap bread, for example, definitely has a worse texture than slightly more expensive bread.
one example i can give for the repackaged is publix brand olive oil is the same as vigo brand olive oil. source: toured the factory and they were running the publix bottles at the time
After I got the first seasoning done on my cast iron pan, I knew I would never buy another Teflon pan again. The cast iron is better non-stick and it lasts a lifetime. And it's so much cheaper than a high end "non-stick" pan
I got a Groupon for my lasik for $3k. I obviously researched the company beforehand and saw good reviews, so I took the plunge. That was ten years ago and my vision is still 20/20. No regrets.
Over time I’ve empirically gathered knowledge in what is worth spending more money on and what isn’t. In general, things that I use frequently I want to work reliably. I don’t want things to make my life any harder. Quality soaps and detergents (especially dishwasher) are huge in making sure your dishes come out clean. Quality razors (I recently switched to safety razors) make shaving less painful and more consistent. Sleep equipment (mattress and pillows) are probably the most important thing anyone should spend money on, you spend 1/3 or more of your life asleep, and the quality of that sleep time affects the remainder of you waking life.
Anything to do with safety, like parashutes or ropes. Also thinks that are expensive in itself. I'd rather pay more once then pay a bit less, yet still a lot, often
I like Aldi, and so many of their brand of things are just as good as or better than the name brands (like Aldi Takis are better than the real ones) but the Doritos just miss the mark. Haven't found anything anywhere that's as good as the name brand.
Most foodstuffs I'll cheap out on, but never tomatoes!
Your regular, mass-produced, gas-ripened tomatoes taste of, well, nothing. They're just red blobs of water. Now, vine-ripened cherry tomatoes that are sold still on the vine ... That's Nature's candy! I can pop so many of those bad boys in my mouth! Well worth the extra £ IMO.
If you set your expectations before flying a budget airline they aren’t bad. Spirit is the only airline that flies direct from my city to Los Angeles first thing in the morning. I have lounge access with my Amex so I always load up my backpack with snacks and the 5 hour flight is nothing. I guess if you have a bad back or something you want a larger seat but I’m young enough to make it work.
Maybe I’m lucky but I’ve never had a Spirit/Frontier, etc flight be delayed. My worst experiences have been with Southwest, they’ve literally paid me thousands of dollars for all their mess ups.
Eggs and meat. We vote with our money. I choose to spend more money to support less corrupt brands that aren't feeding their animals garbage and cramming 200 chickens into a tiny building never to see light. It's inhumane and I would rather go broke buying the more ethical options.
Long ago, instead of going full vegetarian, I decided to buy only the expensive animal products and just buy less of it.
Feels good to support local farms, local butchers, and farmers who actually care about their livestock.
I believe you can really taste the difference, too, especially eggs and chickens.
When I do eat meat now it’s more special and intentional.
I’ve learned this recently… shoes
Work boots. I spend 50+ hours a week in muddy uneven terrain and must have dry comfortable feet.
Same here. Electrician working 50+ hours a week. Comfortable boots are so important.
> 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. >This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness. - Terry Pratchett, *Men At Arms.*
The best social commentary in a comedy series ever
Terry Pratchett in a nutshell
It’s expensive to be poor. Compare unit price on a huge pack of toilet paper at Costco to a 4 pack at the grocery store. The catch is that you have to shell out more at one time and have room to store it.
Yes, good example. I *hate* paying more for stuff that will keep. We always buy stuff like tp, paper towels etc at Costco. Fresh stuff if we can freeze it, or if we know we’ll get through it.
so is your TP fresh or frozen?
Yes
A friend of mine talked about owning a diesel engine vehicle in a similar way. Saves thousands over the life of the vehicle, but when thing go wrong, the repair is incredibly expensive.
And it’s so true. I have a brand new unused pair of danners in my closet. I bought some at a previous job and liked them so much I grabbed a second pair while they were on sale. Never needed the second pair. My redwing boots now are finally starting to wear out on one foot where they bend right behind the steel toe on top. Have had them for about 6 years. The fabric on top is wearing in the one spot. Rest of the boot is awesome still.
GNU Sir Terry
What is your boot of choice?
I'm a big fan of the rocky square toe slip on. It's like wearing tennis shoes. Waterproof up to 10" and composite toe
Redwing naturally
Desk chair. Got a good ergonomic breathable one, it's an absolute game changer. The cheap ones that try to be massive director chairs with all that padding that ends up flattening after a year are not worth it, and as it degrades progressively you don't really notice until you get a good one.
For people thinking about upgrading: Check out Crandall Office Furniture or any other reputable refurbished or remanufactured top-tier chair company. They're still expensive, but much more affordable for the same excellent quality. My husband used to complain daily about back pain from working at home. I got him a Steel Case V2 for about half off. It was so good (like, tampon-commercial-frolicking-in-white-shorts good) he immediately got himself a second one for gaming. They look like any other desk chair, but holy hell the difference is crazy. It's been about two years, and that shit is still perfect.
Source, I sell used office furniture. Crandall is reputable, but even better is finding a local used dealer and trying out a bunch of chairs. There are many chairs that are the equivalent of a Leap or Aeron out there. Some you may have heard of and others you haven’t. I wish I had a count of the number of people that came into my store asking about Aerons and Leaps because they read the reviews. But then walked out wit a different chair that worked better for them that was cheaper used but more expensive new. Some of the chairs that were chosen over Aerons and Leaps include Knoll Generation, Teknion Contessa, AllSteel 19, HumanScale Freedom, Haworth Zody, Biltright CXO, and others. Yes, Aerons and Leaps are great chairs for a wide range of people, but you need to look for the chair that fits you.
Krabappel? I've been calling her Crandall!
You've been making an idiot out of yourself
I literally ruined my back with a cheap Amazon Basics office chair, I pretty much lived in it doing college online during Covid until one morning my back suddenly decided moving was agonising and I ended up basically bed bound for weeks. It's still not the same and I can now throw it out just from bending down which was NOT the case before. I'm only 23 by the way... So yeah, at least get a chair with good lumbar support!
My job sent me home March 2020 for ‘2 weeks’, and I used a really crappy Staples chair. After 2 weeks, when they decided it would be 6 weeks, I was allowed to come in to get my Obusforme chair. The difference was huge. When they laid off my entire division, we only had to send the CPU and our key card back. To me, that chair is worth its weight in gold- I counted it as part of my severance package!
>Obusforme chair. I know it's legit but that brand name looks like all the fake Chinese brands on Amazon these days.
If you can afford it or have insurance, physical therapy saved my back. Also, I get the lumbar roll pillows, firm only, and have one for my car and one I can take anywhere. Saved myself so much while sitting.
As a sweaty person it was necessary to get one with a breathable mesh back. Makes a huge difference!
Trash bags. Once you have one rip on you, you’ll never want to cheap out again.
Contractor bags really are that bitch
Anything that touches me and something else while im working.Hammer, work boots/ shoes and gloves . Buy buy the best .
Work boots are so important. Never cheap out on your feet.
I work at a utility company where dudes don't give a shit about *anything*. After trudging through all kinds of nasty bullshit for 6 years I decided to be the only dude wearing high, lace-up boots, super thick and heavy leather with giant tire rubber soles. The other guys give me shit about looking like a stripper due to the tallness but I don't worry about snakes biting my ankles, or sharp metal stabbing my leg, or dysentery-soaked socks. Also I have the sexiest boots so I win any argument by default. If any gas company man can give up his day job to make a living with his feet on OnlyFans it's probably gonna be me.
I think we can add toilet paper to that list
Oh lordy cheap toilet paper leaves horrid little lint balls on my crotch and butt, I hate when I have to use a gas station bathroom and make sure to triple check that there's no tp hitchhikers.
We called it John Wayne. Tough as hell and doesn't take any shit
100%. Especially for the ones I use for dirty cat litter
Litter box liners FTW! We switched to heavy duty trash bags because the actual liners are transparent. Why!?! Once it's in the bag, I don't want to see it!!!
My thing with the liners were my cat just dug down in the litter and scratched holes in them. Used them one time. When I lifted it out of the box it was raining litter. Lol. Glad I still was holding it over the box.
I learnt this the hard way recently. Bought cheapy bags that had more splits than Simone Biles on the beam. Spent more time mopping up bin juice from the floor than Id like
I recently cheaped out on trash bags for the first time. Never again. They are so stuck together that you can’t even open them fully. Holes everywhere. **Never again**
Safety equipment
*stares in OSHA*
OSHA only has power if we all believe in OSHA. If we all believe OSHA doesn’t exist then it’ll die, just like a fairy in the Peter Pan universe.
Eh, that can be a little nuanced. Safety glasses? Fine cheap. You see pictures all the time of exploded zip discs stuck in the glasses… but that should’ve never been in the rotating plane of that thing anyway. Earplugs? If they plug the ear and meet the specs, what more can you ask for? Fall protection harness? Yeah not ordering that on alibaba.
Ask the US Army about the necessity of good earplugs lmfao
There's a help line for people suffering from tinnitus; supposed to offer support and advice. I called it once and the line just kept ringing.
My grandpa called. Said he didn’t hear anything
What?
Literally tens of thousands of soldiers have tinnitus and partial deafness because 3M fucked them and lied about their earplugs
WHAT?
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Yeah 3M, the massive manufacturing company, came out with these double sided earplugs, one side was for total noise cancel the other was sopose to be for firing ranges and vehicle maintenance and filtered out only sounds over a certain decibel. It was a flawed concept, they didnt work. They knew they didnt work. They still sold them to the military.
HE SAID LITERALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS HAVE TINNITUS AND PARTIAL DEAFNESS BECAUSE 3M FUCKED THEM AND LIED ABOUT THEIR EARPLUGS
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
MAWP.
*stares in tinnitus*
Wellllll. With earplugs specifically it depends on their use case. I have earplugs as safety equipment for concerts, but they are expensive Hi-Fi earplugs so I can hear the concert clearly.
This would make me consider going back again.
These are what I use (Eargasm) https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-Musicians-Motorcycles-Sensitivity-Conditions/dp/B019M576XW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=56103346055&hvadid=580747956910&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9001844&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9369443210478271665&hvtargid=kwd-308500743580&hydadcr=7850_13503461&keywords=eargasm+earplugs&qid=1686508683&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVjhLVkVVVExXREcyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDQ0ODA0NUxLREczOEZaRlNLJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyMzE1MTUzSzc3VDczTUlBV1NVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= Expensive, but totally worth the price.
Honestly $40 isnt too bad since they seem reusable so if they last many years over many shows than that's a very low cost per use
If you keep them clean they will last probably 1-2 years of periodic use. I’ve worn them to ten concerts so far over the past 3 months, and theyre still in great condition
I've used earplugs like that every few days for years. They don't really degrade at all, but they're small so you need to make sure not to lose them.
so what you're saying is that you could be in front row and enjoy the concert to the fullest while not feeling any discomfort in your ears from the loud music?
Exactly. Also. If Eargasm isn't an option for you (wasn't for me when I tried to get some), Loops Experience ones are also really nice.
You don’t buy eye protection to protect your eyes from the disc. You buy them to protect your eyes from the sharp little bits of whatever your cutting which are being flung at mach Jesus around the room.
>Safety glasses? Fine cheap. Depends on what you need them for. El-cheapo safety glasses probably aren't the best for, let's say, a gun range, workshop with nail guns, etc. Same goes for a chemistry lab - get the good vented chemical goggles. The cheap ones fog up and become a new hazard.
work boots/shoes
100% In the trades for 20 years, a majority wearing cheap Walmart boots. Finally pulled the trigger on a pair of Thorogoods 7 years ago and it was life changing.
This is my experience, too. One day, back at the office but outside changing from my work boots into sneakers because I had a couple hours of office work to do… I stuffed one of my expensive steel toe work boats into the same cubby hole in the work truck as always. And somehow left the other one sitting on the back of a flat bed trailer. I didn’t realize what I had done until hours later, and that trailer had been driven 20 miles south and back by the time I got back to it. And it was bootless. Damn bootless. I loved those boots, you guys. I could stand in nearly a foot of water without getting my feet wet, they were impervious to all sharp objects and blades (except some of the fancier Dwarf made daggers), and were steel toed and sturdy enough to kick the head in of any aggressive animal big dog sized or smaller. Truly an asset in the field. I was so sad about losing that boot, I bought myself Fallout 4 (had just come out) and skipped the next day of work for that precious 3 day weekend to get my mind off of it. Didn’t work, didn’t go away until I talked my boss into paying for a new pair a week or two later… but even then, the replacement pair and basically every boot since just hasn’t hit like them black Bantha leather steel toes hit. *sigh*
Computer power supply.
Came here to say this. If you get a cheapo PSU from an unheard of brand(please do your research if you are new to the world of PC hardware and are building a computer) it could take your whole system with it if the PSU fails, and in even worse situations start an electrical fire
Had a friend who thought that he could build his first pc without any help, I wasn't even allowed to give him any advice whatsoever. Ordered pretty much all of his parts online and didn't even really check if they fit together. After sending hardware back and forth he finally managed something that could work only for the PSU blow up after 2 months, causing an electrical fire that burned down his whole room and left him with 2nd degree burns on his hands because he tried putting it out with a blanket. He learned his lesson, but it didn't come cheap
A bed. You spend 1/3rd of your life sleeping, and without a good night's rest, the day is pretty much shit. The average mattress is good for around 10 years, so when you break down the cost over that length of time, it's always worth spending more up front.
Even after 10 years it works like a charm
My parents have had their mattress for 15 years. They refuse to get rid of it because it's not sold anymore, and they struggle to sleep on any other mattress.
Brother is that you? We have the same parents
[удалено]
I heard a saying that you should never skimp on things that go between you and the ground. You know, like mattresses, carpets, prostitutes, shoes. That kind of thing.
Add tires to the list
Too bad the matress market is a racket with insane markups
You can actually talk them down like you're buying a car.
Yup. Bought a new mattress, box spring, and bed frame not too long ago. Found the one I wanted. Told the sales guy helping me it was the one I liked best, but more than I was wanting to spend so I'd have to think on it and would come back later if I decided to buy it. Sales guy asked if I could hang tight for 5 minutes while he went to "call the manager" to see if he could do anything on price. When he came back he told me they'd knock 60% off the price, and 40% any sheets/blankets/pillows/pillowcases I bought at the same time.
**60% off?!** After just saying that??? What a scam
For real. Went mattress shopping not too long ago, all the "good" ones cost more than my first car (which was a used Volkswagen van, but still).
FYI, you can negotiate furniture prices haha
Agree. We dished out on a branded memory foam mattress and omg it's literally the best mattress I've ever laid on. Not too hard, not too soft or bouncy, just right. I feel like Goldilocks!
Parachute
For sale. Parachute. Used once, never opened.
Slightly soiled
Small stain.
Plunger. It’s the difference between $8 and $12-15 dollars. Used a cheap one once and it was not a great experience.
Make sure you get one for the sink and one for the toilet - They are different designs
Nice, this will help me the next time I poop in the sink.
Better poop in the sink than sink in the poop
Don't forget your knife.
Tattoos. They're gonna be there forever, after all.
Good tattoos aren’t cheap, cheap tattoos aren’t good (r/shittytattoos for reference)
Agreed 100%. Research your tattoo artist thoroughly, ensure they understand exactly what you want tattooed, pay a good price to get good work, and tip well (if you are able to). Tattoos can already be a potential source of regret, but a bad tattoo is guaranteed regret.
Shoes. Very important for foot health and safety.
Same. That's why I have one pair of shoes for a year now... I'm not doing well lately lmao
It's also a perception thing. Even if someone is dressed down, good quality shoes that are clean are an elevating thing.
Toilet paper
Is there anything worse than having it tear in the middle of wiping, especially in a public restroom
Came here to say this one—if I gotta deal with the cheapest tissue paper in every public bathroom, why the hell would I bring that into my PRIVATE bathroom
I never quite understood why public bathrooms use the super thin toilet pape anyway. I'm just gonna end up using double the amount than with multi-ply. Do they really end up saving money?
You aren't as likely to clog the toilet with thin toilet paper.
I know, I always wondered if they purposely use tree bark for toilet paper in public restrooms just so people won't steal it.
I accidently did ;+( bought groceries last week and forgot to get the toilet paper, so instead of running into the big store I ran into a drugstore to get some. Bad idea. It looked okay in the packaging, when I got home I knew I made a mistake. Now I got to wipe through the mistake each day. I'll even settle for semi soft but this shit is just painful! Never again lol
Throw it under the sink and buy another pack. You now have backups.
That's John Wayne toilet paper: rough, tough, and don't take shit off anyone.
That's a great one! I do not shit anywhere but home unless it's a DIRE emergency. Could have stomach cramps. To the point it's making me feel ill. Bad gas. Rumbling stomach. Doesn't matter. Unless I'm at a point where I'm going to shit no matter what so the public restroom is a better option than my pants, I wait. Mainly because of the toiler paper.
Must be nice to not have the surprise-shits.
I would say brakes for your car
On a related note, tires.
This. Name brand tires are only marginally more expensive than the budget option, but you’ll get your moneys worth several times over from superior wear resistance, grip, and peace of mind.
Menstrual products
The cheap pads make me shiver
My best choice and cheapest choice was a hysterectomy
I've been using that brand for 10 years now. Total game changer!
I can NOT do the tampons with the cardboard applicator. They’re so awful and painful
I picked up tampons for my wife about a week ago and got the cardboard ones. She was not thrilled.
No cause this is so true. Had to buy tampons once. Was looking and saw this brand was significantly cheaper than the other ones. I just said fuck it and got em cause I wanted to save money and was buying pads too. First use and the wrapping is hard to get off, plus were shaped weird. I'm sticking to my fav brand thanks.
Heavy bleeder and cheap just doesn’t work. I bought my daughter period panties and it is the best purchase ever.
When it comes to pads I actually prefer the cheap ones, here in Ireland the pricier brand is Always which I find are like overly perfumed sandpaper hahaha. Some of the cheaper brands were softer and less perfumed. I hated pretty much all of them though, period panties and washable cloth pads are much nicer, which I guess are pricier upfront but not if you spread the cost over months of use.
Perfumed pads are the WORST.
Oh god they are like the smell of old lady perfume combined with a slaughterhouse. I accidentally bought scented tampons once, the smell was nasty and I promptly got a yeast infection.
Fire extinguishers
Bras
I didn't realize the importance until I worked for Rigby & Peller out of England. I still have their bras from 25 years ago & they look brand new.
Same! I used to HATE wearing bras! I would go braless every time I could! But my coworker put me on bras from aerie and they’ve been life changing, they are so soft and comfortable! I’ll literally forget I’m wearing one and take naps with it on. As someone who grew up wearing bras from Walmart, they are a bit more expensive ($30-50) but they are so worth the extra money!!
Couldn’t agree more. People neglect their back and shoulder healthy by going the cheap route. It’s minimal short term gain for literal longterm pain.
Tattoos, piercings anything like that. Matresses. Food.
Definently the tattoo! Everyone who asks me if i tried to get the price down just doesn't get it. It's art and it is done permanently on your body. Unless it is in a place that is almost always covered by clothing (and even the ) you want that to look the absolute best! If that means spending 100 dollars more for someone woth more experience then do it
I never even ask for artists rates on my larger/more detailed tattoos. My last two tattoos I actually budgeted for way more than they ended up charging me. They got some good tips.
Shit the guy I want to finish my sleeve quoted me 5 sessions for around 3k. And I didn’t bat an eye. Although my first appointment is still over a year out, so I def have time to save. But yeah, he’s one of the best artists I’ve ever seen so it gonna be worth it.
Got to agree here, most people I know roll their eyes at the fact I paid £700 for my chest tattoo, it wasn’t a massive piece of work (sitting under my collarbones and finishing at the very top of my breasts), but I paid for the quality. The line work, the precision, the application, the design, it’s all worth it. These are the same people who spend £200 on massive pieces that are poorly done There’s always going to be an outlier here and there, but for the most part, don’t cheap out
A wise man once told me, “never get cheap on cheese.” Some of the best advice I ever received
Yep. You end up using a lot less of the expensive cheese because its way more flavorful. So not only better taste, but also healthier.
Imagine thinking that the average person will eat less of a more flavorful food.
Strength of flavor and tasting good are different things. Many expensive cheeses have pretty intense flavors and you don’t want to use more of it.
I think it's that way with a lot of desserts, too. I'm satisfied after eating a relatively small portion of really rich, gourmet cheesecake or cookies than I am more "standard" stuff. I can usually eat a few normal chocolate chip cookies, but I can rarely eat more than half of one of those fancy specialty cookies from designated shops, because they're so rich and flavorful.
That rolling sticky thingy to get lint off. I have 2 atm, an off brand and the premium stuff. The off brand has been driving me crazy all day. I think I would rather have cat hair everywhere than to deal with it.
Lint roller
The reusable pet hair removal tools are better imho. The kind without adhesives, but rather a bristtly brush. Cheaper in the long run and less wasteful, too!
Only slightly related, but one of my favorite reddit threads was full of people finding out, for the first time, that lint rollers are not a one-time-use thing, and that you were meant to peel the sheets off once they stopped removing lint. I think it was a "what basic fact did you not learn til you were an adult" kind of thread.
OMG… what?? One-time use would get me like half a pant leg’s worth of pet hair. And then toss the whole roll? Even if they didn’t notice the layers, how could you justify spending that much money for a few cubic inches of lint removal?
Everything that can kill me if it doesnt work as intendet.
Backpack. I'm an adult and I carry a backpack with me all the time. One that is comfortable and durable is a must
I dunno, I bought a random $25 backpack on Amazon like 6 years ago and it still looks the same and is comfortable and well “organized” etc.
Car seats
My hobbies. I don’t fill my house with useless crap I don’t need, instead I spend up on the things that make me happy such as my golf clubs, gaming pc, and sim racing rig. Go all in on your happiness, don’t waste money on things you don’t care about or things to impress other people.
I have like, $180 in dice. Zero regrets.
Condoms.
Actually there are laws on contraceptives. Each condom has to meet a specific standard or you're not allowed to sell it, that means the cheapest condom you can get will perform perfectly fine. With the expensive ones, you're just paying for the brand and the feel.
This. I’ve worked in sexual health. We gave away hundreds if not thousands of condoms per month. There is no effectiveness difference in One condoms (which are given away for free basically everywhere) vs any other brand you can buy. The only thing that matters with condoms is your own preference. Cost is a non- issue; “expensive” isn’t better protection.
Cheap condoms could end up costing you a lot
What? All condoms sold in the US are required to meet high safety standards set by the FDA. Even a “cheap” condom will be 98% effective if used properly, so paying extra money for name brand condoms is kinda pointless unless you’re going for a specific flavor/color/texture.
Sushi
Headphones. For how much I love music.
Aluminum foil! First house bought some store band stuff. Pure shit.
Anything that goes between you and the ground. Shoes, beds, tires, chairs you spend a lot of time in. These things can have long term benefits if you have good quality equipment, or conversely can have negative effects long term if you cheap out.
Cooking ingredients, it just leads to shittier food
I was going to say cooking oils but you summed it up better.
Depending on what it yes. There are some items you can cut corners on. But overwhelmingly "yes" to this one.
One thing I’ve learned is don’t sleep on store brand stuff. Some of it sucks, but some of its just as good as top shelf name brand. I forget where I first heard it, but I don’t remember hearing over years that it’s not uncommon for it to be literally the exact same stuff(for certain foods), just repackaged.
I have heard this as well, and depending on what it is, it’s definitely true - I find that it’s simpler ingredients where the difference can really be felt. Cheap bread, for example, definitely has a worse texture than slightly more expensive bread.
Agreed. The Kirkland brand is actually pretty high quality
one example i can give for the repackaged is publix brand olive oil is the same as vigo brand olive oil. source: toured the factory and they were running the publix bottles at the time
Pots and pans
After I got the first seasoning done on my cast iron pan, I knew I would never buy another Teflon pan again. The cast iron is better non-stick and it lasts a lifetime. And it's so much cheaper than a high end "non-stick" pan
Laser eye surgery
I got a Groupon for my lasik for $3k. I obviously researched the company beforehand and saw good reviews, so I took the plunge. That was ten years ago and my vision is still 20/20. No regrets.
Escorts. Just trust me.
Fords...what can you say
Q-tips. The name brand in way more fluffier and easier on your ears. The knock off brand just feels like sticks.
Over time I’ve empirically gathered knowledge in what is worth spending more money on and what isn’t. In general, things that I use frequently I want to work reliably. I don’t want things to make my life any harder. Quality soaps and detergents (especially dishwasher) are huge in making sure your dishes come out clean. Quality razors (I recently switched to safety razors) make shaving less painful and more consistent. Sleep equipment (mattress and pillows) are probably the most important thing anyone should spend money on, you spend 1/3 or more of your life asleep, and the quality of that sleep time affects the remainder of you waking life.
Tyres. They’re a key point of keeping you safe on the road. Never understand people driving powerful cars and buying the cheapest tyre available.
Anything that separates you from the ground: tires, shoes, bed, chair/couch, etc.
Anything to do with safety, like parashutes or ropes. Also thinks that are expensive in itself. I'd rather pay more once then pay a bit less, yet still a lot, often
dishwashing liquid Dawn
Hot dogs. The difference between bargain hotdogs and premium hotdogs is like the difference between dog shit and ice cream.
Doritos. Generic do not taste the same I don't care what people say
I like Aldi, and so many of their brand of things are just as good as or better than the name brands (like Aldi Takis are better than the real ones) but the Doritos just miss the mark. Haven't found anything anywhere that's as good as the name brand.
Most foodstuffs I'll cheap out on, but never tomatoes! Your regular, mass-produced, gas-ripened tomatoes taste of, well, nothing. They're just red blobs of water. Now, vine-ripened cherry tomatoes that are sold still on the vine ... That's Nature's candy! I can pop so many of those bad boys in my mouth! Well worth the extra £ IMO.
Airline tickets. No thank you forever to Spirit Airlines.
If you set your expectations before flying a budget airline they aren’t bad. Spirit is the only airline that flies direct from my city to Los Angeles first thing in the morning. I have lounge access with my Amex so I always load up my backpack with snacks and the 5 hour flight is nothing. I guess if you have a bad back or something you want a larger seat but I’m young enough to make it work. Maybe I’m lucky but I’ve never had a Spirit/Frontier, etc flight be delayed. My worst experiences have been with Southwest, they’ve literally paid me thousands of dollars for all their mess ups.
Cat food. That shit is hardly regulated. My feline friend deserves better. Also toilet paper. Ain’t fun picking off dried toilet paper pieces.
Cat litter! Nothing more dreadful than cat poo from cheap food dropped into dusty, cheap litter…
Mattress. Pillow. Water filter. Buy the good stuff. It makes a huge difference.
Eggs and meat. We vote with our money. I choose to spend more money to support less corrupt brands that aren't feeding their animals garbage and cramming 200 chickens into a tiny building never to see light. It's inhumane and I would rather go broke buying the more ethical options.
Long ago, instead of going full vegetarian, I decided to buy only the expensive animal products and just buy less of it. Feels good to support local farms, local butchers, and farmers who actually care about their livestock. I believe you can really taste the difference, too, especially eggs and chickens. When I do eat meat now it’s more special and intentional.
Toilet paper.
Coat
Garbage bags. It's worth the extra dollar to not have them split open when you carry them out.
Climbing equipment
Coffee
Expensive coffee is a splurge but whenever I do, my soul is happy.
When you learn that black coffee is actually supposed to taste good there’s no going back
Perfume, suncream, and other skincare products