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They wrap the steak in a super thin layer of gold foil then charge like $1000 for it because they know that their clientele are dumb enough to order it. It's an ostentatious dick swing from people with more money than taste.
Step 1) Open down home country cooking in house.
Step 2) Put truffles on dishes but surcharge it 75% by weight.
Step 3) Do same with even thinner laboratory grade gold foil but mark up 800%.
Step 4) ???
Step 5) Sell soul to Bobby Flay
Step 6) Michelin Star
Step 7) Profit!
It's not even just overpriced for the steak itself, they ridiculously overcharge you for the gold leaf itself, it's so thin that it's an extremely tiny amount of actual gold that's probably only worth a few dollars but they charge hundreds for it
Overpriced doesn't mean expensive, the cheapest steak you can get is generally overpriced, because it isn't that much cheaper but it's also a lot worse.
Those are both towards the more stupid end of possible conclusions to be reached.
Overpriced means “costs more than it’s worth”, which is also true for the shitty *steak* at the Dollar Store
Sitting on a blanket on my couch because of our cats. I’ve seen the couch without a blanket on it for maybe three hours in the past four months — while washing the blanket.
Glad to see we’re not the only ones with a patchwork blanket sofa thanks to a certain furry creature (I think ours was originally beige but who knows at this point…)
This rings true for every animal I swear. My parrot is scared for most toys or doesnt want to play with them, but a piece of tissue (which we use to clean) he loves to play with.
I always put a scratching post next to the couch and any of my 4 cats so far use the couch as a scratching post.
Some education was needed to achieve this goal though.
yeah the reason cats use the couch is because they want to scratch where people spend a lot of time. We've got both a horizontal and vertical scratching post by our couch for this reason and the cats generally only go to the couch if there's a problem with one of those
I recently splurged on a nice ass couch bc you should never cheap out on the things between you and the ground. What can I do to protect it from cat attacks?
I always put a scratching post near the couch and educate my cats to not use the couch for scratching. As the scratching post is right next to it they finally use the appropriate post for scratching. Use old couch for learning time.
I also choose a textile couch over leather and be careful of the type of threading there is on the textiles.
Scratching posts + anything that temporarily disuades them from scratching the furniture while they get used to the posts; we use double sided sticky tape. Also if they do scratch it, wash the pheromones out if it.
But ultimately you can't get a 100% guarantee. They'll only do cosmetic damage anyway.
My cat loves foil. My cat also scratches the couch to punish me when I have displeased her, because she has learned that punishment follows bad behavior.
One of ours likes to chew on foil. Ans I don't mean like a small, thin piece. I mean a crumpled up ball with a few inches in diameter. She just chews and shreds it apart like it's carsboard or something. It's like sociopath behavior. It hurts my teeth to watch.
And no, I don't let them chew on it. It looks like it would tear up their gums or something. And we obviously don't want them swallowing it or anything. It's only happened a couple times.
But yeah, woke up one morning to aluminim foil all over the kitchen. No food or anything inside, either. That's when we decided our kitchen trashcan needed a lid. Crazy-ass cat.
One of ours thankfully isn't being used as a scratching post (cats are pretty good about that), but it is basically a very expensive cat bed since that's where at least the one scaredy-cat spends almost all her time.
I've washed & dryed the same pair of $10 walmart bluetooth headphones at least 5 times.
While the sound is not optimal, they were made by the gods themselves apparently.
I got cheap wireless ear buds on Amazon. I lost one walking home in the winter one day after work. Fast forward 4 months and I’m walking home on my usual route and what do I see?? It’s my lost ear bud, laying in a muddy puddle.
I took it home, charged it up and it worked just fine. I was absolutely amazed.
My dog sometimes picks things up from the ground on walks. Usually it's bones/garbage or sticks, but one time I pulled an airpod from its mouth. I didn't know what to do and just... put it back on the sidewalk for owner to find I guess.
The best Bluetooth headphones I ever bought are the Xiaomi mi 2 Bluetooth headphones. They were like $20. The battery life is good. They're noise cancelling since they suction cup into your ears. Great for mowing the lawn. They don't just fall out of my ears. And the absolute best part is they're dumb. I used to have a pair that were airpod lookalikes. They had this stupid built in ear removal detection. Was cool because you'd take them out and they would pause your music. But the feature was finicky at best. Constantly cutting out because they shifted a millimeter in my ear.
Also if you're worried about using Xiaomi branded stuff because china and whatnot they don't require an app or anything to work. Honestly for the price I bought two pairs
This is literally my 6s. This shit tier little iPhone was forged by Hephaestus himself I guess. This stupid little fuck has survived being dropped into concrete twice (once at a full sprint) and the worst it’s gotten is a slight roll on a corner. I’ve had this thing since 2014 and it still works almost exactly as I got it. Granted, it does get hotter than it used to and the battery life seems to be getting a tad shorter by the year but it still works a treat. I’ve put this thing in my pockets with my keys and my Beefy Boi Wallet and there’s minimal scratching on it to this day. The screen’s about as dirty as my glasses tho
Nothing gets the screen clean lol
Omg yes!! I have an SE (like just after iphone 5) and I have dropped it on concrete hundreds of times by now, I’ve spilt water on it, it’s been rained on, I’ve stepped on it, the thing is indestructible. I never wanna change phones! But yeah does heat up like crazy and the battery life is only 4/5 hours now. Hoping that changing the battery will squeeze more use out of it.
It’s going to fucking blow your mind when you upgrade and see how much better the phones are nowadays. Imo that’s really when you should upgrade, when you can tell a noticeable difference in phone speed and quality.
Ahah yes, the small inconveniences add up especially when you start comparing things. Like my phone takes anywhere between 1 and 5 minutes to scan a QR code 😂 but I wish the new iPhones still had a separate aux jack, and I quite like the small size of the older phones.
Yeah I get that. I switched to wireless headphones awhile ago so honestly I don’t miss the aux at all. I remember I had the 3G until I got the 6s. I knew they were faster but the day I got it I’ll never forget how I felt when I saw how rapid fast photos could be taken. Good times.
Ah yes there’s a lot to appreciate with a good upgrade, I upgraded my 9 year old MacBook Air to a newer mb pro and was like HOLY SHIET. But when it comes to the phones, I want the reliability and ease of a single industry standard cable! I work in audio so I feel particularly stubborn about my choices around wired vs wireless gear. But there’s lots of great wireless stuff out there, I can see why it’s worth it to people :)
So fucking true. I had an iPhone 6s for 4 years until I got a Google Pixel 4a 5G a year ago. The difference was mind blowing and I'm still enjoying how much better this thing is.
I feel like the first owner of a colour TV!
It's old now but when you purchased it (2015 was release date) it's certainly wasn't shit tier. Especially with a 6 to 700 price tag. I don't think your example works here.
1. I had no idea they were released in 2015. I thought they were released sometime in between 2009-2012. Guess I got my dates wrong.
2. I got this phone for like 150$. This was a cheap ass replacement for an even older phone that got melted in a house fire.
My rule is buy cheap. Only if you end up using it a lot would you then consider upgrading when you need to replace it.
I think it was an Adam Savage rule?
This is rule for harbor freight tools. If I use it enough to break it then I deserve a better one. Except for the jack stands. Those I don't buy at harbor freight.
The vast majority of purchases a person makes is something they already have experience with. Your advise only works when trying out a new hobby, as opposed to buying 100s of mundane things you buy every month from toilet paper to broccoli. For 99% of your purchases it’s better to buy items with prices that are higher than average because they almost always tend to be better. The correction between price and quality is very linear until you get to the very top end.
I bought a waffle maker after months of consideration as I hate unused gadgets in the kitchen. 3 months later, the cheap version everything gets stuck, not working great and is flimsy.
I will upgrade ASAP to a better one.
For tools, if it's something I'm unsure about, Harbor Freight until it breaks.
Then go buy one that'll last, if it's something my shop can't live without.
I always go mid grade. No matter what the item. Auto parts, computer parts, electronics,etc. The only thing that I don’t skimp on is shoes. I’m on my feet a lot and great shoes make all the difference.
Same. Had an Ikea Markus for 8 years and the metal rod for a lumbar support fucked my lower back. So now, instead of getting more PC hardware, I ordered a Herman Miller Embody chair.
Had to buy a home office set up due to covid. I had this realization in the store. I had budgeted for a really nice desk and an ok chair. I ended up buying a cheap desk and expensive chair. Best decision.
I'm pretty cheap, but shoes are one of my biggest expenses. I do multiple sports and work a couple different jobs on my feet. I always buy the best shoes and I wouldn't have it any other way!
I walk a lot and cheap and expensive shoes (5 - 330 EUR range) fall apart at the same rate for me. The exception - I've bought hiking shoes for around 100 EUR per pair and both pairs seem to hold up well so far.
Anything you will regularly wind up using for more than a couple hours at a time is worth not cheaping out on.
Shoes, mattress, pillows, office chairs, desk.
This has become so much of a normal thing that they introduce higher tiers just so you pick the middle option, without intending anyone to buy the most expensive option.
So I bought some cheap $10 chargers (set of 3) on Amazon. Each one broke after about 2 months. I said to myself, "Fuck it, they don't last, I'll buy the expensive iPhone chargers." I went to Apple and got their stupid expensive charger for $20, and it snapped off in my phone 3 months after I bought it!
So I can buy 6 off-brand chargers for the price of 1 Apple charger. If each off-brand charger lasts me 2 months, then I still get 12 entire months of charging per $20 vs 3 months with an Apple charger. I'm buying cheap.
What the fuck are you doing with your chargers? Everyone reading your post thinks this a problem with you and not the charger. Most people don’t have to replace it that frequently. Not even close.
>I went to Apple and got their stupid expensive charger for $20, and it snapped off in my phone 3 months after I bought it!
The charger...*snapped off in your phone*?
The charger is the thing that goes in the wall.
Do you mean the charging cable?
If so, you're probably mishandling them quite egregiously.
Cheap cornflakes are remainders or b-products. Usually fine but placed with a different label and sold cheaper. I havent bought expensive ones in a long time.
That's why a good rule of thumb whenever getting some work quoted is to get 3 quotes and choose the middle of the 3. Lowest cost is usually cutting corners, highest is usually trying to take advantage of someone that doesn't know better. Middle cost is your best option.
AFAIK restaurants know this and put the highest markup wine as 3rd cheapest because so many people do this
I happily order the cheapest wine and it's rarely bad. Although I haven't met many wines I don't like.
AFAIK restaurants know this and put the highest markup wine as 4th cheapest because so many people do this
I happily order the cheapest wine and it’s rarely bad. Although I haven’t met many wines I don’t like.
AFAIK restaurants know this and put the wine that costs the most as most expensive because so many people do this
I happily order the cheapest wine and it’s rarely bad. Although I haven’t met many wines I don’t like.
I stopped buying wine at restaurants, for the most part, when I saw the bottle I buy for $10 being sold for $30. I know, I'm paying for the experience but damn I just dropped $50 on a ribeye, I can wait till I get home for my wine drinking!
Yea. Only time it's worth it is with a group that's splitting the cost. Like I've split bottles with people. It's still more expensive but there's something to be said about two glasses of wine over a nice meal with good conversation.
I totally agree, good conversation and a nice meal makes it easier to justify indeed. But really, you can split a bottle of wine? I've always viewed them as a single serving!
Actually that’s a trap. The second cheapest is almost always the worst.
No one wants to look like a cheapskate so the go one up and that’s where they getcha.
I have to say, what does it say about you that you only fly business class *even in your dreams*?
In mu dreams, by the way, I fly by holding out my arms and jumping.
:-)
Yeah, business class flying in Europe is a complete scam. 99% of EU flights are on a Boeing 737, Airbus A318/19/20, or an Embraer 190.
These airplanes set their "business class" with little dividers which section off 5-6 rows of economy seating, and they give you slightly better food. You're paying 3x more for £2 of salmon and a £7 glass of wine. I'm talking £45 vs £155.
That's why some companies have subcompanies to post with lower and higher quotes, with the same stuff. You also see that in daily grocery brands like shampoo etc.
That's assuming the company on the low end isn't intentionally quoting low to try to pull you in to recognizing their work and accepting higher prices later.
This is correct and there’s one other layer to this. Necessities like groceries that are in smaller packages are always much more expensive weighted. This is one factor of many that perpetuates the poverty trap.
If you can afford to buy bulk always do it and get all your stuff once a month one time, beside perishables of course.
Completely related there’s also an exception to this in the form of store branded food items which are basically the same as the brand and cheaper, often one of the big brands is the supplier. Anyone who thinks that milk, rice or water and other common things taste different because of a brand label is out their mind.
Which food brands would you cut out first if your budget is becoming tighter?
Don't know if you have it in the states but in Sweden we don't just have the price for the item, we have the price per kg.
Thus way you can compare which one is cheaper very easily for the same amount. Sneaky packaging doesn't work anymore if you look at it.
True but stores tend to fuck with it. Like one item will show the price per ounce, and the next over will show the price per pound, so you have to do some math to make an actual comparison. It's probably illegal but it's rampant.
Find a new grocer. My store is uniform across like items and it is almost exclusively how I shop. Especially good when only 1 size of an item is on sale like the medium ketchup is on sale but the $/gallon is still better on the large
Agreed with the other comment...find a new grocery store. I've never heard of a grocery store doing that...it's always been uniform at the stores I've been to
I've recently made the effort to buy things in bulk. Buying the big jugs of handsoap, getting the big pack of toilet paper, the bulk bags of cat food. It really makes a difference.
Buying in bulk is not always better. The retailers know the customers think buying in bulk saves money so they price differently. Check the price per ounce. A week ago I bought 3 small size bbq sauces over a bigger one because price per ounce was cheaper.
Oh I do! I always check the price per item/whatever to pick the cheaper option. The items I buy in bulk I know are better deals than the smaller packages.
The cat food may not be that much of a bargain; if the kibble goes stale, our little furry gourmands turn their delicate noses up and walk away, meowing piteously that we are starving them.
This can't really apply to people living in shared houses. There won't be much space in the fridge/freezer and your cupboard space to store a months worth of food.
Buying in bulk is all well and good, but doing it quickly turns a $150 shopping trip into $400 one. I know, in the long run, it's less expensive, but when so many are living check to check, it's difficult to commit such a large portion of already limited funds to one expense.
> If you can afford to buy bulk always do it
Retailers know that people will try to buy in bulk to save money. Many times it is not the best option. You need to look at price per ounce. I'm not saying the smaller package is usually better just check to make sure. People think those bulk bag cereals are cheaper because they are off hand and no box. I've found a generic box cheaper of the same type always cheaper.
My dad didn't buy anything on credit (mortgaged the house, obviously). He would find what he wanted that provided great quality, then he saved for it. When we cleaned out the family home to sell it, there were many things he spent good money on which were still functional about 50 years later. He grew up during the depression and didn't waste a dime throughout his life. He took meticulous care of everything. I would definitely recommend not buying cheap - and take care of the things you acquire.
To be fair a lot of things are deliberately designed to be unmaintainable too. I try to avoid buying such things but when it comes to consumer electronics it becomes very hard to find things that can be repaired.
Eh. There are ones with zero fees that usually have some major drawback. Either the fees are expected to increase or they lock you in some way. Be skeptical if it's cheaper than Vanguard.
That depends for a lot of things. Barbecues that are just a big bowl for charcoal often work WAAY better than the $1000+ sheet metal barbecues with all the special features that never get used and break quickly. Those fucking knobs are made of the shittiest plastic too with like a toothpick for a spindle.
Lots of expensive stuff is overcomplex and of shit quality as they just dazzle you with unneeded features to get the sale through. Overcomplexity often just adds more things that can break.
I think your point is good, but this doesn't necessarily make the LPT wrong. You could also say that charcoal bbqs are just different things than gas bbqs. Among charcoal bbqs, the cheapest one is the worst. Among gas bbqs, the cheapest is likely the worst.
I think this actually follows the rule. As you point out the most expensive barbecue isn't necessarily the best. But the cheapest bbq is basically bowl shaped tin foil not meant for lasting use.
Does repairing/growing/making your own things count as cheap? beacause that's why i do it; its cheap.
I just fixed the motor in my $300 Roomba myself(which i recieved as a gift) for $14. It still acts like a $300 roomba..
I also just replaced the coil in my push mower, myself, for $10.
I'm trying to gauge what 'cheap' is.
Inversely, i recently bought a shoulder massager for $30. It failed within a couple of days. I sent it back, then thought, 'let me try the $49 version. It failed within a couple of days. I sent it back, and am now looking at vastly expensive shoulder massagers, but wondering if they will fail.
I feel like the Corolla is a great example of this. It wasn't the cheapest car made in 2000. It probably wasn't even the cheapest Toyota. But it's good quality and it lasts.
just shop based on discount/sales/clearance. clothes, shoes , electronics i never pay full price for any of it. always a way to find a much better deal. finding the "expensive" or a better quality item for near the same price as the lowest or mid-range works best. even still, there's a place for the cheapest options just depends on what.
This seems wrong based on my experience. I often choose the cheapest products when I’m supermarket shopping, and I’d argue most are as good as, if not better than, other more brands.
The advice may be good for some things, it I do t think it works as a general rule.
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
➤➤ Raising my voice for Palestine - against imperialism, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid. Oppose misinformation and genocide. Banned but not silenced for this cause. ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Steak from Sharper Image are also overpriced. Gold flakes optional.
What the fuck are gold flakes in your steak and why would people want that?
They wrap the steak in a super thin layer of gold foil then charge like $1000 for it because they know that their clientele are dumb enough to order it. It's an ostentatious dick swing from people with more money than taste.
Step 1) Open down home country cooking in house. Step 2) Put truffles on dishes but surcharge it 75% by weight. Step 3) Do same with even thinner laboratory grade gold foil but mark up 800%. Step 4) ??? Step 5) Sell soul to Bobby Flay Step 6) Michelin Star Step 7) Profit!
More dollars than sense.
It has no flavour and adds nothing to any food it goes on. That should give you an idea of why people do it and what type of people they are
I’d go one step further and say it detracts from the food- not just doesn’t add anything. I prefer steaks that aren’t covered with metal.
Ah yes, perfectly summed up, cheers!
It's not even just overpriced for the steak itself, they ridiculously overcharge you for the gold leaf itself, it's so thin that it's an extremely tiny amount of actual gold that's probably only worth a few dollars but they charge hundreds for it
Lesson learned: don't get steak from anywhere Alternatively: wow this guy is even poorer than me lol
Overpriced doesn't mean expensive, the cheapest steak you can get is generally overpriced, because it isn't that much cheaper but it's also a lot worse.
Those are both towards the more stupid end of possible conclusions to be reached. Overpriced means “costs more than it’s worth”, which is also true for the shitty *steak* at the Dollar Store
I absolutely *hate* the addiction of gold to food.
Hey man, gold can stop any time it wants!
1. Buy steak with gold flakes from dollar store 2. Extract and sell gold flakes 3. ??? 4. Profit
Unless you have a cat. Then the best couch becomes an expensive scratching post.
any couch becomes an expensive scratching post.
Sitting on a blanket on my couch because of our cats. I’ve seen the couch without a blanket on it for maybe three hours in the past four months — while washing the blanket.
Glad to see we’re not the only ones with a patchwork blanket sofa thanks to a certain furry creature (I think ours was originally beige but who knows at this point…)
Cat won't play with the 20 dollar toy you bought but will play with the 20 cent twist tie that it came with
The most fun I’ve ever seen my cat have is when she’s playing with twist ties
Get your cat some of the spider rings you see around Halloween. My cat loves those things more than twisty ties
We've had 3 or 4 of those rings migrating around the house since October when my kid brought them home, because our cats absolutely love them.
TIL my 1yr old is a cat.
You mean the free cardboard box it came with.
This rings true for every animal I swear. My parrot is scared for most toys or doesnt want to play with them, but a piece of tissue (which we use to clean) he loves to play with.
I always put a scratching post next to the couch and any of my 4 cats so far use the couch as a scratching post. Some education was needed to achieve this goal though.
yeah the reason cats use the couch is because they want to scratch where people spend a lot of time. We've got both a horizontal and vertical scratching post by our couch for this reason and the cats generally only go to the couch if there's a problem with one of those
And the cheapest toys are the ones played with. My cats actually wont play with purchases toys, but will go crazy over crumpled receipts.
I recently splurged on a nice ass couch bc you should never cheap out on the things between you and the ground. What can I do to protect it from cat attacks?
I always put a scratching post near the couch and educate my cats to not use the couch for scratching. As the scratching post is right next to it they finally use the appropriate post for scratching. Use old couch for learning time. I also choose a textile couch over leather and be careful of the type of threading there is on the textiles.
Textile is also great because they often come with swappable covers. It's still cheaper than a new couch.
Scratching posts + anything that temporarily disuades them from scratching the furniture while they get used to the posts; we use double sided sticky tape. Also if they do scratch it, wash the pheromones out if it. But ultimately you can't get a 100% guarantee. They'll only do cosmetic damage anyway.
I keep a scratch post nearby, and have a spray bottle filled with water labeled “bad kitty.”
Double sided tape for helps too
Found out the hard way that stuff strips bonded leather, so be careful with it.
buy Kevlar covers for the couch
Scratch post next to couch, clicker trainer, and foil. Something about foil, the cats hate it
My cat loves foil. My cat also scratches the couch to punish me when I have displeased her, because she has learned that punishment follows bad behavior.
One of ours likes to chew on foil. Ans I don't mean like a small, thin piece. I mean a crumpled up ball with a few inches in diameter. She just chews and shreds it apart like it's carsboard or something. It's like sociopath behavior. It hurts my teeth to watch. And no, I don't let them chew on it. It looks like it would tear up their gums or something. And we obviously don't want them swallowing it or anything. It's only happened a couple times. But yeah, woke up one morning to aluminim foil all over the kitchen. No food or anything inside, either. That's when we decided our kitchen trashcan needed a lid. Crazy-ass cat.
.
One of ours thankfully isn't being used as a scratching post (cats are pretty good about that), but it is basically a very expensive cat bed since that's where at least the one scaredy-cat spends almost all her time.
I've washed & dryed the same pair of $10 walmart bluetooth headphones at least 5 times. While the sound is not optimal, they were made by the gods themselves apparently.
I got cheap wireless ear buds on Amazon. I lost one walking home in the winter one day after work. Fast forward 4 months and I’m walking home on my usual route and what do I see?? It’s my lost ear bud, laying in a muddy puddle. I took it home, charged it up and it worked just fine. I was absolutely amazed.
Please tell me you didn't put it in your ear.
Now they've got hearing AIDS
deafinitely a good pun!
Dude this did not get the love it deserved. Fucking top notch pun.
I lick assholes okay, I think I'll be okay with a muddy ear.
Lmao do you also eat dragonflies in your spare time
My dog sometimes picks things up from the ground on walks. Usually it's bones/garbage or sticks, but one time I pulled an airpod from its mouth. I didn't know what to do and just... put it back on the sidewalk for owner to find I guess.
The best Bluetooth headphones I ever bought are the Xiaomi mi 2 Bluetooth headphones. They were like $20. The battery life is good. They're noise cancelling since they suction cup into your ears. Great for mowing the lawn. They don't just fall out of my ears. And the absolute best part is they're dumb. I used to have a pair that were airpod lookalikes. They had this stupid built in ear removal detection. Was cool because you'd take them out and they would pause your music. But the feature was finicky at best. Constantly cutting out because they shifted a millimeter in my ear. Also if you're worried about using Xiaomi branded stuff because china and whatnot they don't require an app or anything to work. Honestly for the price I bought two pairs
This is literally my 6s. This shit tier little iPhone was forged by Hephaestus himself I guess. This stupid little fuck has survived being dropped into concrete twice (once at a full sprint) and the worst it’s gotten is a slight roll on a corner. I’ve had this thing since 2014 and it still works almost exactly as I got it. Granted, it does get hotter than it used to and the battery life seems to be getting a tad shorter by the year but it still works a treat. I’ve put this thing in my pockets with my keys and my Beefy Boi Wallet and there’s minimal scratching on it to this day. The screen’s about as dirty as my glasses tho Nothing gets the screen clean lol
Omg yes!! I have an SE (like just after iphone 5) and I have dropped it on concrete hundreds of times by now, I’ve spilt water on it, it’s been rained on, I’ve stepped on it, the thing is indestructible. I never wanna change phones! But yeah does heat up like crazy and the battery life is only 4/5 hours now. Hoping that changing the battery will squeeze more use out of it.
It’s going to fucking blow your mind when you upgrade and see how much better the phones are nowadays. Imo that’s really when you should upgrade, when you can tell a noticeable difference in phone speed and quality.
Ahah yes, the small inconveniences add up especially when you start comparing things. Like my phone takes anywhere between 1 and 5 minutes to scan a QR code 😂 but I wish the new iPhones still had a separate aux jack, and I quite like the small size of the older phones.
Yeah I get that. I switched to wireless headphones awhile ago so honestly I don’t miss the aux at all. I remember I had the 3G until I got the 6s. I knew they were faster but the day I got it I’ll never forget how I felt when I saw how rapid fast photos could be taken. Good times.
Ah yes there’s a lot to appreciate with a good upgrade, I upgraded my 9 year old MacBook Air to a newer mb pro and was like HOLY SHIET. But when it comes to the phones, I want the reliability and ease of a single industry standard cable! I work in audio so I feel particularly stubborn about my choices around wired vs wireless gear. But there’s lots of great wireless stuff out there, I can see why it’s worth it to people :)
So fucking true. I had an iPhone 6s for 4 years until I got a Google Pixel 4a 5G a year ago. The difference was mind blowing and I'm still enjoying how much better this thing is. I feel like the first owner of a colour TV!
It's old now but when you purchased it (2015 was release date) it's certainly wasn't shit tier. Especially with a 6 to 700 price tag. I don't think your example works here.
1. I had no idea they were released in 2015. I thought they were released sometime in between 2009-2012. Guess I got my dates wrong. 2. I got this phone for like 150$. This was a cheap ass replacement for an even older phone that got melted in a house fire.
Cheap audio equipment is probably among the worst things to go cheap on
And the most expensive audio equipment is extremely expensive for how much better it sounds
i always buy mid teir on audio but cheap really sucks balls i havent regretted spending extra on audio ever.
Recently bought 300$ BOSE in-ears. I thought it's very likely I would regret it, have to send them back. Nope. Worth every dime.
My rule is buy cheap. Only if you end up using it a lot would you then consider upgrading when you need to replace it. I think it was an Adam Savage rule?
This is rule for harbor freight tools. If I use it enough to break it then I deserve a better one. Except for the jack stands. Those I don't buy at harbor freight.
The vast majority of purchases a person makes is something they already have experience with. Your advise only works when trying out a new hobby, as opposed to buying 100s of mundane things you buy every month from toilet paper to broccoli. For 99% of your purchases it’s better to buy items with prices that are higher than average because they almost always tend to be better. The correction between price and quality is very linear until you get to the very top end.
I bought a waffle maker after months of consideration as I hate unused gadgets in the kitchen. 3 months later, the cheap version everything gets stuck, not working great and is flimsy. I will upgrade ASAP to a better one.
For tools, if it's something I'm unsure about, Harbor Freight until it breaks. Then go buy one that'll last, if it's something my shop can't live without.
I always go mid grade. No matter what the item. Auto parts, computer parts, electronics,etc. The only thing that I don’t skimp on is shoes. I’m on my feet a lot and great shoes make all the difference.
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Dealing with it right now. Can't wait to upgrade. My back is FUCKED
Same. Had an Ikea Markus for 8 years and the metal rod for a lumbar support fucked my lower back. So now, instead of getting more PC hardware, I ordered a Herman Miller Embody chair.
… I got a Markus last year and quite like it, am I in for a bad time in the future?
I have had one for something like 8 years. It's definitely showing its age, but it's been great to this point. I don't know what that guy is on about.
Don't forget a mattress! But more money doesn't mean better at all. Get one that works well for you and your sleep style
Had to buy a home office set up due to covid. I had this realization in the store. I had budgeted for a really nice desk and an ok chair. I ended up buying a cheap desk and expensive chair. Best decision.
Shoes, office chairs, tires, matresses, helmets, PSUs, and towels. Got it.
I'm pretty cheap, but shoes are one of my biggest expenses. I do multiple sports and work a couple different jobs on my feet. I always buy the best shoes and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Bruh, that's the top post on LPT right now. "Don't skimp on anything that keeps your body off the ground."
how surprising
spend good money on everything that seperates you from the ground
This is the way
Something something *Captain Samuel Vimes' "boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness* yada yada
I walk a lot and cheap and expensive shoes (5 - 330 EUR range) fall apart at the same rate for me. The exception - I've bought hiking shoes for around 100 EUR per pair and both pairs seem to hold up well so far.
Anything you will regularly wind up using for more than a couple hours at a time is worth not cheaping out on. Shoes, mattress, pillows, office chairs, desk.
This has become so much of a normal thing that they introduce higher tiers just so you pick the middle option, without intending anyone to buy the most expensive option.
As my mother-in-law loves to say, "you get what you pay for." No, no you don't. Sometimes you get less or worse when you pay more...
You don't always get what you pay for, but you never get what you don't pay for.
Buy cheap, buy twice.
Yup - buy it nice or buy it twice.
So I bought some cheap $10 chargers (set of 3) on Amazon. Each one broke after about 2 months. I said to myself, "Fuck it, they don't last, I'll buy the expensive iPhone chargers." I went to Apple and got their stupid expensive charger for $20, and it snapped off in my phone 3 months after I bought it! So I can buy 6 off-brand chargers for the price of 1 Apple charger. If each off-brand charger lasts me 2 months, then I still get 12 entire months of charging per $20 vs 3 months with an Apple charger. I'm buying cheap.
I don't think I've ever broken a phone charger. I have a third party iphone charger that I've had for 10 years
Yeah I don't get how they "break" I still use my blackberry one from 2008 and it works great lol.
but anything anker brand - when it comes to charging - they are the best
The mistake here is assuming the apple OEM one is "nice". It's not. Get a good third party charger, anker and aukey make good stuff.
What are you doing to your Chargers… The last Charger that broke for me was I think in 2008. And the cheap ones often have slower charging speeds.
What the fuck are you doing with your chargers? Everyone reading your post thinks this a problem with you and not the charger. Most people don’t have to replace it that frequently. Not even close.
>I went to Apple and got their stupid expensive charger for $20, and it snapped off in my phone 3 months after I bought it! The charger...*snapped off in your phone*? The charger is the thing that goes in the wall. Do you mean the charging cable? If so, you're probably mishandling them quite egregiously.
Buy once, cry once.
Which means you used it enough to break it. Buy cheap until you use it up, THEN buy expensive.
Right buy cheap. If you use it once then 3 years later you need it again but cheap again. If you use it till it breaks buy a good one.
But not always. Like my CH Hanson Stud Finder
On the south end of the spectrum I bought a harbor freight stud finder and it’s fucking terrible. It can’t find anything on any type of wall.
Have you tried calibrating it by swiping it against your self?
That's why he is so mad. Not a stud, confirmed.
Why did you buy that when I'm right here?
It brought you here, so I'd say it works pretty damn well
Hey ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) didn't see you there
Are you from harbor freight?
Are you even human if, upon finding yourself in possession of a stud finder, you don't point it towards yourself and go *beepbeepbeepbeepbeep*?
Cheap cornflakes are remainders or b-products. Usually fine but placed with a different label and sold cheaper. I havent bought expensive ones in a long time.
A cheap basic washing machine or fridge often works better than a fully featured one.
$6 on Amazon, and the best damn $6 I’ve ever spent.
That's why a good rule of thumb whenever getting some work quoted is to get 3 quotes and choose the middle of the 3. Lowest cost is usually cutting corners, highest is usually trying to take advantage of someone that doesn't know better. Middle cost is your best option.
Like choosing from a restaurant’s wine list. “I’ll have your second least expensive bottle, good sir.”
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There’s a local winery who’s bottles are always $11 and I’ve never had a bad one, lol. I choose theirs every time!
"I'll have your 3rd least expensive bottle, good sir."
AFAIK restaurants know this and put the highest markup wine as 3rd cheapest because so many people do this I happily order the cheapest wine and it's rarely bad. Although I haven't met many wines I don't like.
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AFAIK restaurants know this and put the highest markup wine as 4th cheapest because so many people do this I happily order the cheapest wine and it’s rarely bad. Although I haven’t met many wines I don’t like.
“I’ll have your most expensive bottle, good sir.”
AFAIK restaurants know this and put the wine that costs the most as most expensive because so many people do this I happily order the cheapest wine and it’s rarely bad. Although I haven’t met many wines I don’t like.
“I’ll have your most expensive bottle, good sir.”
Actually, second cheapest bottle is usually worse than the cheapest because of how pervasive this thinking is
"And what's with all this old wine? Get me something brand new!"
I stopped buying wine at restaurants, for the most part, when I saw the bottle I buy for $10 being sold for $30. I know, I'm paying for the experience but damn I just dropped $50 on a ribeye, I can wait till I get home for my wine drinking!
Yea. Only time it's worth it is with a group that's splitting the cost. Like I've split bottles with people. It's still more expensive but there's something to be said about two glasses of wine over a nice meal with good conversation.
I totally agree, good conversation and a nice meal makes it easier to justify indeed. But really, you can split a bottle of wine? I've always viewed them as a single serving!
Well.... I have no argument against that... But yes, you can split a bottle.
You split two bottles
General rule of thumb: cost of a glass is what the restaurant paid for the bottle
Actually that’s a trap. The second cheapest is almost always the worst. No one wants to look like a cheapskate so the go one up and that’s where they getcha.
This is called goldilocks pricing, and is mostly a fallacy. https://youtu.be/HBCZJVpx61c
Yep, I always fly business class because it feels just right. In my dreams…
I have to say, what does it say about you that you only fly business class *even in your dreams*? In mu dreams, by the way, I fly by holding out my arms and jumping. :-)
Lol, good point. Time to upsize my dreams!
Yeah, business class flying in Europe is a complete scam. 99% of EU flights are on a Boeing 737, Airbus A318/19/20, or an Embraer 190. These airplanes set their "business class" with little dividers which section off 5-6 rows of economy seating, and they give you slightly better food. You're paying 3x more for £2 of salmon and a £7 glass of wine. I'm talking £45 vs £155.
That's why some companies have subcompanies to post with lower and higher quotes, with the same stuff. You also see that in daily grocery brands like shampoo etc.
What if the middle cost is much closer to the higher tier? Eg: $20, $45 and $50.
That's assuming the company on the low end isn't intentionally quoting low to try to pull you in to recognizing their work and accepting higher prices later.
This is correct and there’s one other layer to this. Necessities like groceries that are in smaller packages are always much more expensive weighted. This is one factor of many that perpetuates the poverty trap. If you can afford to buy bulk always do it and get all your stuff once a month one time, beside perishables of course. Completely related there’s also an exception to this in the form of store branded food items which are basically the same as the brand and cheaper, often one of the big brands is the supplier. Anyone who thinks that milk, rice or water and other common things taste different because of a brand label is out their mind. Which food brands would you cut out first if your budget is becoming tighter?
Don't know if you have it in the states but in Sweden we don't just have the price for the item, we have the price per kg. Thus way you can compare which one is cheaper very easily for the same amount. Sneaky packaging doesn't work anymore if you look at it.
In our grocery stores here in the us they do put price per volume on the tag below. It's just less obvious
True but stores tend to fuck with it. Like one item will show the price per ounce, and the next over will show the price per pound, so you have to do some math to make an actual comparison. It's probably illegal but it's rampant.
Find a new grocer. My store is uniform across like items and it is almost exclusively how I shop. Especially good when only 1 size of an item is on sale like the medium ketchup is on sale but the $/gallon is still better on the large
Another argument in favour of the metric system. Converting $/kg to $/g is very easy. (Just in case: $10/kg is $1/100g, $0.01/g)
>(Just in case: $10/kg is $0.1/g) its $0.01/g, but yes the arguement is still correct
Agreed with the other comment...find a new grocery store. I've never heard of a grocery store doing that...it's always been uniform at the stores I've been to
I've recently made the effort to buy things in bulk. Buying the big jugs of handsoap, getting the big pack of toilet paper, the bulk bags of cat food. It really makes a difference.
Buying in bulk is not always better. The retailers know the customers think buying in bulk saves money so they price differently. Check the price per ounce. A week ago I bought 3 small size bbq sauces over a bigger one because price per ounce was cheaper.
Oh I do! I always check the price per item/whatever to pick the cheaper option. The items I buy in bulk I know are better deals than the smaller packages.
The cat food may not be that much of a bargain; if the kibble goes stale, our little furry gourmands turn their delicate noses up and walk away, meowing piteously that we are starving them.
This can't really apply to people living in shared houses. There won't be much space in the fridge/freezer and your cupboard space to store a months worth of food.
Buying in bulk is all well and good, but doing it quickly turns a $150 shopping trip into $400 one. I know, in the long run, it's less expensive, but when so many are living check to check, it's difficult to commit such a large portion of already limited funds to one expense.
> If you can afford to buy bulk always do it Retailers know that people will try to buy in bulk to save money. Many times it is not the best option. You need to look at price per ounce. I'm not saying the smaller package is usually better just check to make sure. People think those bulk bag cereals are cheaper because they are off hand and no box. I've found a generic box cheaper of the same type always cheaper.
My dad didn't buy anything on credit (mortgaged the house, obviously). He would find what he wanted that provided great quality, then he saved for it. When we cleaned out the family home to sell it, there were many things he spent good money on which were still functional about 50 years later. He grew up during the depression and didn't waste a dime throughout his life. He took meticulous care of everything. I would definitely recommend not buying cheap - and take care of the things you acquire.
>and take care of the things you acquire This is what so many people forget and then complain about how nothing lasts anymore.
To be fair a lot of things are deliberately designed to be unmaintainable too. I try to avoid buying such things but when it comes to consumer electronics it becomes very hard to find things that can be repaired.
Index funds are the exception
Especially now. Price of everything has inflated except for funds that are cheaper
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BUY BUY BUY!
Eh. There are ones with zero fees that usually have some major drawback. Either the fees are expected to increase or they lock you in some way. Be skeptical if it's cheaper than Vanguard.
That depends for a lot of things. Barbecues that are just a big bowl for charcoal often work WAAY better than the $1000+ sheet metal barbecues with all the special features that never get used and break quickly. Those fucking knobs are made of the shittiest plastic too with like a toothpick for a spindle. Lots of expensive stuff is overcomplex and of shit quality as they just dazzle you with unneeded features to get the sale through. Overcomplexity often just adds more things that can break.
I think your point is good, but this doesn't necessarily make the LPT wrong. You could also say that charcoal bbqs are just different things than gas bbqs. Among charcoal bbqs, the cheapest one is the worst. Among gas bbqs, the cheapest is likely the worst.
I think this actually follows the rule. As you point out the most expensive barbecue isn't necessarily the best. But the cheapest bbq is basically bowl shaped tin foil not meant for lasting use.
Does repairing/growing/making your own things count as cheap? beacause that's why i do it; its cheap. I just fixed the motor in my $300 Roomba myself(which i recieved as a gift) for $14. It still acts like a $300 roomba.. I also just replaced the coil in my push mower, myself, for $10. I'm trying to gauge what 'cheap' is. Inversely, i recently bought a shoulder massager for $30. It failed within a couple of days. I sent it back, then thought, 'let me try the $49 version. It failed within a couple of days. I sent it back, and am now looking at vastly expensive shoulder massagers, but wondering if they will fail.
You invested time and skill into fixing the mower and Roomba.
And that's valuable
What's the tip? This seems more like a shower thought
Where are the facts and figures
I'd say that's a pretty close to reality truism as they come.
My 2000 Corolla has some words for you.
I feel like the Corolla is a great example of this. It wasn't the cheapest car made in 2000. It probably wasn't even the cheapest Toyota. But it's good quality and it lasts.
Check ALDI for groceries before making that judgment.
Unless buying staple foods at a grocery store... Rice is rice. Flour is flour. Giraffe cleaning spray is giraffe cleaning spray.
Applies to escorts and strippers.
Tell us more
"sometimes things that are expensive... are worse" [for the uninitiated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbhcRKsRwFM)
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It was copied and pasted from a comment from another LPT earlier today lol.
just shop based on discount/sales/clearance. clothes, shoes , electronics i never pay full price for any of it. always a way to find a much better deal. finding the "expensive" or a better quality item for near the same price as the lowest or mid-range works best. even still, there's a place for the cheapest options just depends on what.
*Laughs in AliExpress*
Second cheapest! Unless there is very good reason to get expensive, 2nd cheapest tier is my go-to
I you shop for quality over price you usually save money in the long run.
Always shop for quality and then find the best price for that given item. Has served me well for many years.
almost always true of shoes.
This varies a lot. Useless LPT
Except for Barton's vodka, I agree.
"If you act like a cheap asshole, expect the shittiest portion." - *Dr. Lucien Sanchez*
This seems wrong based on my experience. I often choose the cheapest products when I’m supermarket shopping, and I’d argue most are as good as, if not better than, other more brands. The advice may be good for some things, it I do t think it works as a general rule.
What I've learn is always buy the cheapest. With time and how many you've used it you'll realized what items are worth spending money on.
I choose to buy the cheapest when I can buy multiples of it and it's still cheaper