Whats something that is only worth getting the expensive version of?
Whats something that is only worth getting the expensive version of?
I grew up with $20 walmart blenders, and hated anything that required a blender.
Recently bought a ninja and there is no going back. I'll never use a crappy blender again.
Anything else like that?
Boots.
The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... 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 a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
A cute little passage from Terry Pratchett, but it holds very true if you ever need boots.
Paying for quality boot work, especially the kind that can be re-soled, is worth it for anyone who has to wear boots with any regularity.
When I first got a job that needed boots I was using an old secondhand pair. It was hell. Eventually I saved up for a quality pair and was totally worth it. I've not underspent on boots since.
As for suggestions as to what brand to go with these days for that... I'm less sure on that because I'm researching new brands myself since Red Wings are a joke compared to what they used to be. Danner still seems pretty all right these days.
You don't truly appreciate a good pair a boots till you park a 2 ton pallet jack on your toes and laugh it off.
The shorter version of the Discworld quote is "being poor charges interest."
And the interest is paid out to the rich, one way or another. Lately it’s been through retail, since we don’t qualify for home loans anymore.
Redwing still makes some good stuff, but they also make some "fashion" stuff that looks similar. Unfortunately happens with a lot of quality workwear.
Rose Anvil on YouTube cuts boots and shoes in half and explains how and why they are designed the way they are, and where corners are cut, and what to look out for. He's a good resource for checking out a boot you are interested in.
Most of your "good" brands still have some crappy stuff in their lineup, but you might not be able to spot it by just looking at a web page.
I second boots. I went through 3 cheap pairs of hiking boots (between £40 - £70) all promising the world and dry feet. In the end, sacked it off and bought all leather boots with a vibram sole. Requires maintenance of waxing them but they've had many miles in them now and just as good as day 1.
Yes, second to boots is getting quality boot wax.
Upvote for discworld quotes. Pratchett was full of good advice. Some of that advice may have required living in a world full of magic and dragons but it was good advice all the same!
Clothes in general. Sure, you can get and Old Navy T-shirt for ~$3-4, but they break down quickly. However, even a mid-level shirt from someplace like Land's End or Eddie Bauer on sale can last year after year. Same with pants, jeans, coats, jackets, belts and other clothing. It's also why it sucks to be poor. Needs need to be met immediately, but since you're needing to keep food on the table and a roof over your head, so you buy what you can afford, even knowing that it's more expensive in the long term.
Old old navy clothes were actually well made. The newer ones are definitely hit or miss.
I wish I could wear down my old navy stuff so I could replace it.
Georgia boots are the shit...
Generally, don't skimp on anything that goes between you and the ground. Shoes, mattresses, tyres... your future you will hate you for cheaping out on those.
Anything that separates you from the ground. So a bed, shoes, your health..
your health…
:cries in American healthcare:
I can't even afford the cheap shit!
Floors, carpets, stairs, your feet, a bicycle, maybe even your car, dirt, gotta invest in good walkable dirt, uhhh, what else here... socks, probably chairs, ladders, flights, if you're flying always invest a lot in it, uhhhh. yeah probably some other stuff.
I dunno I guess the point of my joke is that I think this is one of those heuristics, or like, general expressions, that ends up taking longer to say than what it actually means. "invest in your shoes and bed" takes longer to say than "invest in anything that keeps you off the ground".
Isn't dirt a synonym for ground?
I'll add ladders to this list. You don't want a ladder to fail you when you're at its top.
Chair and tires too.
For most things in life I generally follow Adam Savage's advice: "Buy cheap tools until you know what you really need from that tool, then buy the best version you can afford."
However, when it comes to things that are related to safety or protect you from harm the more expensive/high quality they get, that advice goes out the window. Case in point, PC PSUs. You probably don't want your newly built PC to burst in flames because you skimped on it to buy a poorly rated PSU.
I sometimes buy pretty new (1-2yr old) premade computers from foreign exchange students at the end of a school year. They often sell them for the cost of just the GPU, sometimes lower. The number of garbage PSUs I've had to swap out is ridiculous. People buy like $3k+ computers and are content with $80 PSUs it's amazing. I've had them pop on me after only a couple months use. Meanwhile the PSU in my current machine was a major purchase for me back in 2010 and thing still runs every upgrade I throw at it.
Also a decent brand PSU will last and/or have warranty. My kids PC has a Startech PSU from like 2001 in it. I've used the same EVGA PSU in like 5 computers. Cheap ones die after a few years.
A PSU isn't a tool, so I think his advice actually holds even here. /pedantry
A low-quality one is a tool for setting houses on fire..
nice catch, haha!
Can't agree more, especially because I have a mom that likes to spend big for "the best". First of all you can often find excellent performers for cheap. Second of all, expensive tools can suck too. Third of all you can often improve the performance of tools if you know how to tune and use them properly. Forth of all, buying an expensive product you know nothing about is begging to be scammed. Fifth, avoid sets, as an expert in a lot of hobbies, the big sets always include a ton of shit you will never need, but are paying big for.
My mom has bought this expensive shitty "japanese" knife, made in China and it sucks. 20 years ago my father bought a massive Cutco set, the knives suck, most of them are never used and it was 2000$. My mom bought a eye wateringly expensive set of pots and pans. She bought them all because she didn't know better and we hardly use most of them. Not to mention their Teflon so once they are worn out, are garbage.
I do a lot of cooking and every day I use this vintage 20$ Japanese rust bucket of a knife. After thinning, lots of polishing, sharpening and rehandling, it's a beautiful and excellent performer.
Kitchen knives, definitely. A good knife is a fucking godsend.
Quality underwear (once you're an adult).
A good office chair (not necessarily one of those expensive as fuck mesh ones - I hate those... But something quality).
Also, I'd distinguish between pointlessly expensive and quality.
Idiots buy expensive gaming chairs. They feel like you're sitting on plywood. I don't care how many colors it has im going to be sitting on it for hours a day.
Put that into a good office chair, where they put research into making sure you're comfortable for that entire time
I bought a boring looking office chair from an ergonomic furniture store about 10 years ago. I spent about $600 and it’s still just as good as it was when I bought it.
That’s a sharp contrast from the shitty $150 chairs I would keep buying from Costco and having to replace because the foam or seat started to collapse after a couple years.
Ironically as someone who is physically very large, (I’m well over average height, and like 250lbs) gaming chairs are some of the only chairs that I can comfortably spend hours sitting in. Every single ergonomic chair I’ve tried has been garbage, and I’ve tried the ultra expensive ones through my job. Hell, I’m sitting in one right now as I type this. But ergonomic chairs all suffer from the same issue, that they’re built with the average body size in mind.
I far prefer my Arozzi gaming chair, because it’s one of the only chairs I’ve used that has actually been comfortable for extended periods. The seat cushion is foam, but it has a mesh “sling” underneath which stretches. So I get the firmness from the foam, but the flex of the sling. So it doesn’t go flat over time like cheap foam-on-plastic/wood chairs, and it doesn’t fit my ass in weird ways like mesh ergonomic chairs. And the entire seat is designed with bigger people in mind, so the armrests are a little bit wider, the back is taller and actually reaches my head, etc.
When I started working at home due to COVID, I decided to buy a new chair. I was tired of having shitty chairs with "genuine leather" (aka leather spray paint) that would peel off over time. So I looked into chairs and landed on a nice gaming chair. Sure, it's ugly, but it's gotta be comfy right? Nope. Sitting in this thing for hours at a time has quite literally translated into a pain in my ass. I had to eventually get a seat cushion to sit on, because it was killing me otherwise.
In hindsight, I should have just gone with a traditional office chair.
Plus gaming chairs seem intended to be as uncomfortable to sit on as possible. They're horrendous. The cheapest Ikea office chair for 130€ is worlds better than the priciest gaming chair you can find, since they all share the car seat form which is supposed to protect you during impacts, not be good for your back.
Allow me to sell you on my gaming chair that cured my back pain. I got a secret labs chair in 2020 because it was the only chair under a grand that could arrive in less than 3 days. It replaced a Herman Miller I used at work.
The Herman Miller can only be sat in one way. It's very light so climbing around it is just going to tip. You pretty much have to use it in the hr approved ergonomic position. Doing that for 8 hours a day just hurts. My gaming chair however is heavy enough that I can press my legs against the wall, or kneel on it without wobbling, or crosslegged. I can also sit with my neck on one handiest and my feet across another. Sometimes I lie with my legs at the head resting my head at the seat cushion.
The best sitting position is the one you don't stay in long, my gaming chair lets me do that and my back just stopped hurting. When the chair starts to age out I do plan on looking at ergo chairs as well, there seems to be a market for "weird chairs" that enable uncinventionak sitting but they seem to go a little too far as well, I do want to sit normally as well sometimes too. Gaming chairs really seem to hit my requirements of heavy, tall, wide and large armrests.
Shaving razor. I don't mean the big brand stuff but getting yourself something that isn't the cheapest available is a godsend. Stuff lasts you an entire month or two instead of going dull after 2-3 uses.
A good office chair (not necessarily one of those expensive as fuck mesh ones - I hate those… But something quality).
Man, I get they're not for everyone, but after having a mesh chair, I will never go back. Currently on my second one in about 8 years, so it's not exactly BIFL material but the first one lasted longer than a 'normal' chair ever did, and neither were particularly expensive, as quality chairs go (I paid ~$150 for the first and ~$225 for the second, got both during sales, so I'm not sure what the regular price would have been but I'd guess $300 or so).
Yeah, I get so uncomfortably sweaty on my back if I sit on leather for long
Also, I'd distinguish between pointlessly expensive and quality.
This is big RE: the kitchen knives. Science/engineering has figured out how to produce good steel, so it actually does not cost much to produce a very capable, good knife. Maybe you had to spend a lot for a good knife 200 years ago, but not now.
I got a Mercer chef knife from a restaurant supply store years ago. Just looking it up, it costs <$25, and it's designed to be used all day by professionals. The often recommended victorinox fibrox is similar. They are easily sharpenable, and can do whatever you need.
I also have a ~$200 chef knife I got as a gift. It's super nice, but the only real non-cosmetic differences are that the edges of the back of the blade are rounded over to make it a little more comfortable to hold while choking up on it, and it has a long warrantee that includes sharpening.
I second the desk chair as a fat crippled IT worker that spends 10+ hours a day in a desk chair. I used to get a new $500ish chair every 3 or so years when it fell apart. This last time I saved up and dropped about 2.5k on a really nice chair rated for 24/7 use by someone much heavier than I am and it’s a life changer for my back, and this thing should last a lot longer
Really depends on what you need. I've been using a $500-600 24/7 rated office chair daily for over a decade and it's still as fantastic as the day I sat in it on the floor.
The $700 one I have at my other desk is good, but not quite as good as the cheaper one, but I didn't sit in it at the show room before getting it either.
I bought a nice sharp knife for my Mom because hers were dull. She has a utensil drawer she throws all the knives on.
From the drawer, into cutting the cardboard box, then the veggies, and straight into the dishwasher. And people wonder why their knives go dull so quickly.
Tbf, I keep my crappy box-cutting, hole pokinng Ikea knives in the kitchen drawer too. But if you do that to my good knives, I will stab you (with the Ikea ones).
Agree with the underwear, I'm still wearing pairs daily that I bought from 2015. Around $15 a pair.
Quality knives do not have to be super expensive. The trick is to maintain them. Honing of course, and unless you are a super enthusiastic home cook, a proper sharpening by a pro on Japanese wet stone twice a year is all it takes. That's like at most USD 20 in most places, probably less. Even mid range knives are fine, so long as you keep them sharp.
And you don't need a lot. In theory a good chefs knife and a good paring knife will do. In practice, you also want a bread knife and filleting knife, but you can start small.
Instead of an office chair, I opted for a loveseat, on risers, that I can pull fit inside of my desk.
Risers end up being necessary for a standing desk, if you have a loveseat, apparently, because a loveseat sits much lower than most good computer desks that I've found, so to get comfortable typing position, you need good risers. You're also gonna need a couch that stands up higher than your loveseat's feet, so you can clear the feet and pull the desk in far enough (it might still not be enough, frankly). You might wanna opt for castors, though, since then you can make use of a standing desk, if you have one, which is probably a good idea instead of sitting on the couch for too long.
And, you know, after all that, I get a seat that's kind of frankly not that comfortable to sit on for extended periods of time, because nobody has engineered their couch for you to sit on for multiple hours. I would wager that's probably a bad thing anyways. I've been looking into standing-to-sitting desks, in order to overcorrect from this problem of sitting in one position, and get a desk that I can sit on the floor with, and basically whatever position I want. But that also kind of sucks, because there are only two and they are both like 1000 bucks.
On the other hand, a loveseat is much better for spooning, than having two office chairs. So that's a bonus, if you wanted to spoon at your computer. Or you could just cast your screen to the smart TV you probably already have and buy a bluetooth computer controller for like 20 dollars or less.z
I hope someone reading this gains some insight because of this. You should buy a regular chair. It's expensive but just buy it please I'm begging you, don't make my mistakes again.
It's almost always better to not buy a cheap sex toy. There's no regulation of the industry and many materials in cheaper toys are just straight up dangerous. Here's an article (it's NSFW, there are pictures) that goes over what materials are and aren't safe.
Like thinking you’re wearing a 100% silicon butt plus to an MRI….
For the unaware: A patient wore a buttplug into an MRI, because it was marketed as 100% silicone. It had a metal core. It was rocketed up into their abdomen. The patient survived with serious injuries.
Silicon is a crystal. You're thinking of silicone.
Ouchie!
My first toy was hard plastic. After a couple years the painted coating was coming off. After that I only buy medical grade silicone, sometimes with hard plastic bullet inserts which can be replaced but never even touch my skin unless I'm taking them out for washing or replacing the battery.
100% silicon butt plug
Anything that separates you from the ground for long periods of time. Shoes, tires, mattresses, computer chairs, couches, etc…
🤯
I mean seriously… totally true and I never thought about it like that.
This comment has come up a couple times. What's the original source?
I believe in the adage of, "If it sits between you and the ground, don't skimp".
Shoes, socks, desk chairs, lounge chairs, sofas, car( seat)s, mattresses...
You spend too much time in or on all of these things to be uncomfortable.
I also see posted here the Adam Savage advice of buying cheap tools first, and then upgrade after you better understand your needs. I also think that's great advice you can apply to most things. Just not the above things.
Custom building a computer? Don't cheap out on the power supply or you might end up with a smoke machine
Once you let the magic smoke leave, you can never get it back.
You got RGB but my PC is a smoke show
And if you pay for your own electricity it's probably worth it over the long run to get something gold certified.
I'll say a vacuum.
When I was a college kid in an apartment I bought the bottom-shelf, bagged Dirt Devil vacuums and dealt with it. All the clogging, hair in the brush, cheap quality/you get what you pay for, etc. Then I moved into a house I got a mid-range Bissell to help deal with all the pet hair. The thing was questionably designed, still got a bunch of the hair in the roll, and needed regular upkeep to make sure it functioned properly. When that one went out I wasn't going to pickup the same thing even though it technically lasted for years.
I recently picked up a Shark Rotator and it sucks in the best way possible. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I can vacuum my whole house knowing I'm getting as much dirt, dust, hair off the floor as possible. And I'm not going to have to deal with even half the problems the low-end vacuums have. It pivots and gets right up against walls. There is a clear window to see the brush roll from the top. It also uses fins that just don't collect hair anyway. The whole canister comes off in one easy motion and I can dump it without spilling all over the now clean floor. There are two roll speeds for hard floors and carpet. The brush roll doesn't spin when it's locked upright so it's not flinging stuff around or grinding into the carpet while I try to clean corners or the couch. And even though it's one of their "heavier" models it's still lighter than the Bissell I lugged around for years.
This is a case that better design and features comes with a price. And those design choices can directly make your life easier. So if you can afford it, go for it.
Sure, but I'd also avoid Shark at all costs because they're not really made to be serviced. Also bagless, which generally suck in a bad way. I'd suggest something like a Sebo model with the electric brush head. Easy to service, last a very long time, use bags which are just cleaner and avoid needing to think about cleaning out dust storage areas to keep airflow up, and have great canister options.
Yeah, ask anyone who uses a vacuum regularly (like a custodian) and they’ll tell you that bagged vacuums are far superior to bagless. Go get a Sanitare commercial, or an Oreck commercial. It’ll last forever, never break, be easy to service, and it’ll suck a fucking golfball through a garden hose. My Sanitare commercial literally lifts the carpet up off of the pad, and virtually every single part is replaceable, (though I doubt I’ll ever need to replace anything except the brushes, bags, and belts.)
Commercial vacuums lack a lot of the bells and whistles that home vacuums have, but that’s because they’re laser focused on two things: Reliability and suction power.
I could rant about vacuums forever. So many people complain about vacuums not working well, but also never pull out and clean or replace the filter.
If you're getting a BIFL buy-once-cry-once vacuum, I'd go straight for the Miele cannister vac. I went into an ADHD deep dive on vacuums a year ago when my own Shark needed replacing. Splurged on one and it completely changed how I feel about vacuuming. Of course, I'm 4'11, so ymmv on that, but using a good cannister vac that is lightweight VS pushing around something big and heavy makes a world of difference.
Plus, I like that it uses bags instead of a cannister; I was tired of emptying the cannister and getting a face full of dog hair and dirt that I then also had to clean up (again). That may also be personal preference, though.
I picked up a karcher shop style vacuum for my home, cost a bit more than the cheapest home style vacs, but a lot cheaper than the expensive home style vacuum, and boy does this baby suck (in a good way). I feel like most of the home vacs are only expensive to make them small and maybe a little quieter. But if you don’t care about that, you can get a very good vacuum for relatively cheap.
Some are expensive for filtering reasons. It can take some engineering to build HEPA or similar filtration along with seals that actually have the filters work, plus managing motors or filter designs that aid in the high speed airflow needed for a vacuum.
We have a Roomba for so many years now and what it taught me is that consistent daily effort > heroic occasional effort. It's not a great vacuum at all but it runs every day for a couple of hours and that keeps the floors so much cleaner than any good vacuum. No way am I going to vacuum every day everywhere like it does. Two dogs, two cats, three girls, so much hair, and clean floors.
For most things, imo, there's a middle ground. I don't think that getting the super-high end version of anything is worth it unless you truly use it enough to justify it, like for work or a serious hobby. But the cheapest option is usually junk that will do a poor job and won't last; if anything you'd save money by spending a little more for something decent, even if it's not world-class.
That's why I went ahead and got one of those 49" Samsung displays. I use it probably 300 days a year and I'll likely keep it for 10 years like my old ones. I could have saved money but this was a luxury that I can easily justify by how often I use it.
I have to say, the Odyssey line deserves some huge respect for the kind of response times Samsung has achieved with a VA panel, of all things.
I had one of those, but sold it after a couple of years. Turns out that a good majority of the games I played either didn't work in ultra-widescreen mode, or when it did, it didn't really make that much of an improvement. Last year I bought a 4K projector and found myself using it way more than my monitor, as gaming on a 100+" screen felt so much more immersive. So I ended up selling my Odyssey and bought a 16:10 monitor instead. I found the 16:10 ratio better for productivity, and also felt it also more suitable for the games I play (mostly RPGs/RTS).
Parachutes.
I guess this gets filed under "Anything that separates you from the ground for long periods of time."
You'll never make that mistake again.
I find orphans to test my parachutes so I can make as many mistakes as necessary for the advancement of science. Anyone want to test out my neurolink alternative?
Power supplies and motherboards for PCs
generally if either of them go the rest of your investment goes with it. Worst case scenario the power supply damages the motherboard meaning your cheap purchase made you lose more parts.
Yup, power supplies and batteries are also usually the first components to die. All the more reason to avoid cheap ones.
What you said + nicer motherboards often come with bios flashback which should (IMO) be a mandatory feature for motherboards on platforms like AM4. Makes CPU compatibility much better since a supported bios version can be flashed anytime, no matter what CPU is currently installed (if a CPU is installed at all!).
The current motherboard situation is a total clown fiesta though. There is no such thing as a cheap motherboard any more.
And you will have to upgrade them whenever you upgrade your CPU these days.
Almost like socket types aren't a thing anymore...
Toilet paper. Once you rip through cheap one, you'd pay anything to buy better one in the first plce.
One better: A bidet, leave the toilet paper behind and stop rubbing your butt raw with paper.
This is the way. This way you use way less TP and get the good stuff.
I'd really like to try a bidet - as unmanly as that may sound. I'd feel much cleaner and my butthole could sparkle in the sunlight.
I bought of pair of real, honest to goodness birkenstock sandals. They were stupid expensive compared to the shoes I normally buy.
.....now I almost never wear any other shoe. They fit, they're comfortable, the straps dont cut into my feet now that they're broken in, and I can take them to the store to get resoled for way cheaper than if I had continued my pattern of buying cheap sandals and running them into the ground every few months.
Lots of kitchen tools are like that. Expensive probably isn't the right word, more like minimum acceptable quality. Restaurant supply stores are great for this: a restaurant owner won't buy the fancy brands, but they also won't get something that won't do the job right. When you get something more expensive than the restaurant supply store, you are mainly paying for cosmetics.
Food processors and mandolins come to mind: they are a pain to clean, so unless they work really well, you're better off using a knife.
Stock pots you can get thin, crappy ones from Walmart that will never let a large volume of liquid get up to temp without scorching whatever is touching the bottom. Better to save your money for something with thicker material.
Also,
- Cookie dough and ice cream scoops
- Instant read thermometers
- kitchen scissors
- cutting boards
- enameled cast iron (cheap stuff flakes off)
- measuring cups (do everything you can by weight, but when necessary, you want them made from steel, and with markings embossed on them, not painted)
- charcoal (and probably propane) grills. Poor quality craps out so quick
- probably a lot more things
For non-kitchen stuff, one that immediately comes to mind cause I just bought one is plant grow lights. Even with LEDs, you need a pretty high power output for it to be worth anything, and power output isn't even the right metric. I'm far from an expert at it, but a couple of things to look out for is if it uses a USB port, it's junk. USB (specifically type a) cannot produce enough power to be remotely useful for plants, so all those weird no-name brands you see are just annoying purple lights. Good brands will tell you the wattage, the PAR, the brand of LED used, and so on.
charcoal (and probably propane) grills. Poor quality craps out so quick
Weber kettles are fantastic in this regard. They're not super expensive brand new and can be downright cheap secondhand, but if you take care of them they'll last decades. Also, Weber is pretty good about their warranty, and replacement parts can be found in most bog box hardware stores
Lol, that's exactly who I was thinking of. I have had several cheap kettle grills, and they only last a couple years, even taken care of decently. I got a weber, and it still looks new after a few years, plus the metal is way thicker so it holds steady temperature way better.
Cookie dough and ice cream scoops
I always just use a spoon (or sometimes two, in the case of portioning cookies) without issue. I never saw the appeal of these. Then again, there are probably people who eat more ice cream and make more cookies than I do.
Definitely agree on the rest. For measuring cups, also pay close attention to how the handle is connected to the body; I've had some that look like a single tack weld was done and they break off in now time.
That's the point, if they are super cheap grocery store quality, regular spoons will do the job better, at least for cookie dough. I've bent spoons using them to scoop ice cream.
When I talk about the expensive version of a cookie dough scoop, it's also still really cheap. Just checking prices online, I can get the restaurant supply store cheapest imported one for $5 (the brand is Choice). The made in America one that I have (Vollrath) goes for $12, and it seems like the exact same design.
For dedicated solid aluminum ice cream scoops with defrosting liquid filled handles, the cheap one is $3.50, and the fancy one I have was probably a whole $10.
The ones you'll see for sale at a grocery store end up being roughly the same price, but way crappier.
Pretty much all kitchenware is worth getting the good stuff if you can afford it, even if cheap versions will work.
Probably safety-related items.
One exception is one particular chef knife. Most cheap knives you get what you pay for. But there is one, the Victorinox Classic Chef Knife, that is around $30 but is competitive in comfort and sharpness with very expensive knives.
Edit: I was incorrect on the model, it's the Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife.
You're right! Their santoku is very good too. These knives are used by professionals in kitchens. I used one for years. I finally got a Wustoff set and a JA Henkels Zwilling Pro, and I do greatly prefer using those, but if you only have $30 then the Forschner/Victornox knives are outstanding values for the money.
I feel like there are too many exceptions to this rule. Maybe dont get the cheapest but you dont need to spend a lot to have a very good:
- Cast iron pan
- Carbon steel pan
- Enameled cast iron pot (seriously, look it up, I see people saying how much they love their Le Creuset all the time but I got one from KitchenAid of all brands at 50 euros in my local supermarket)
- Baking tray
- Cooling rack
- Baking bowls
- Spatula of any kind
- Peeler
- Electric mixer
- Kitchen scale
I could go on but I believe Ive made my point.
Enameled cast iron pot (seriously, look it up, I see people saying how much they love their Le Creuset all the time but I got one from KitchenAid of all brands at 50 euros in my local supermarket)
It used to be the case that cheap brands were prone to the enamel chipping off easily, so Le Creuset was considered "worth it" because it not only doesn't chip, but if it does it's got a lifetime warranty.
It seems like cheap enamel maybe has gotten better recently, though.
Man I misread your comment as going in the other direction and I was about to go off about how good a cheap Lodge cast iron pan is.
Cost doesn't mean quality, but at the same time be sure you pick the right item. I have a subscription to America's Test Kitchen, which has for the most part served me well. For more expensive items, they will often pick a favored item and a less expensive "best buy". I honestly use them more for their equipment reviews than for their recipes at this point.
There is one thing I would point to for needing to go for the expensive option. If you want a high quality stainless steel skillet, you want it to be fully clad, aka triple ply. There are cheap skillets with an aluminum disc on the bottom, sometimes deceptively marketed as "fully clad base" or "tri ply bottom". They perform poorly, scorching food and sometimes allowing the disc to detach. I have an All Clad skillet, but I hear Made In is also good.
- Chefs Knife
Depends on your definition of "expensive", but in general, (semi-automatic) espresso machine under $450 is probably not worth getting. Most of the time, Areopress ($30) or moka pot will make better coffee than anything under this price rage.
3D printers. Yes, there are lot of $100-$300 models out there. Unless you want 3D printer repair and maintenance to become your new hobby, just go buy a Prusa (or other well supported, full featured printer).
looks at remnants of two broken printers
Yeah you right. I really should save up a grand before trying again.
Yup. Though printers like the Bambu A1mini are very good and nearing that $300 level.
Only buy an ender if you want 3D printers to be your hobby. Buy something better if you want 3D printing to be your hobby.
The bambu is young butbut seems reliable. I’ve heard good things about the Qidi pro as well.
Just got a Bambu P1P this week for my first printer. It's incredible. I looked at the Press and while they are pretty highly spoken of, the $ to performance/quality wasn't there for me.
But to your point, yes. A good printer is a good investment.
I needed this comment 2years ago. An Ender3 sucked all the ambition out of me
Yes, this 100%!
I'm new to 3D printing myself, mainly got into it to make my ideas become reality - at the moment I don't want to get too caught up in the weeds modding and customizing my printer, I just want it to work, not turn it into a project
Extremely happy that I went for a decent used printer though (Delta style Flsun), instead of buying a new cheap one and being disappointed. My next printer will probably be a compact CoreXY, Voron 0.2 is what I have my eyes on but those kits carry a price tag and take days to assemble 😳
If I was buying a printer for my partner or friends though, 100% Prusa. The extra is worth it IMO for the highly refined UX, preconfigured slicer+filament combos, actual support, and most importantly their ongoing contributions to open source.
I've given similar advice. For 3d printing go directly to end game. Don't try to just get into it with cheap printers.
Nearly everything, TBH. You just gotta decide which things are important to you. Like, do you do a lot of working on cars? Spend some good money on tools - totally worth it. Tinker with something once every couple of years? Cheaper tools will get the job done, and maybe last several years at that rate.
This is true of your blender too, honestly. I don't blend stuff often and don't really care, a cheap blender is fine for me. Anyone who likes blended stuff and uses it often? Totally worth getting something really good.
I haven't seen it mentioned, so let me say: Outerwear. Especially if you are into snow sports, the difference between quality outerwear and cheap garbage is not just getting wet sooner. It could very well save your life if you're wearing something that will keep you dry while maintaining breathability. And nothing beats lifetime no questions asked warranty where you just hand it in and it gets repaired for you. In the long term this saves a decent penny whil also reducing your environmental impact
Same goes for base and mid layers. Cotton will kill you, and lots of cheap synthetics don't breathe well. Spend money or higher end synthetics or merino.
Lastly, don't get cheap goggles from Amazon or eBay. Heck, don't get the cheapest models from even more reputable brands. You will want your goggle lenses to provide good UVA and UVB protection, while also providing contrast enhancing features like polarization and very importantly: fog resistance. You will not have a good time if you can't see where you're going. I can't stress enough how big of a difference visibility makes for your enjoyment and safety.
Motorcycle helmets, and lawyers.
Most other things, I cheap out on -- for example for my professional tools, I buy a lot of good midrange Chinese brands. Usually quality is high and price is affordable. Same goes for phones, laptops, gadgets, and so on. I live near China though.
I disagree to an extent on motorcycle helmets. Yes, never ever buy a used helmet. ("Open box" might be okay.) Never buy a helmet off Wish, Ali Express, or similar; buy helmets from reputable motorcycle apparel dealers, like SportBikeTrackGear, ChapMoto, or RevZilla. But beyond that, you need to look at safety ratings. Don't get anything other than full face if you actually plan on riding, and that includes modular helmets (the chin bars tend to collapse in a crash). DOT approved (in the US) is bare-bones, and a helmet that's only DOT approved is not worth getting. Snell is... Okay. It's a North America-only standard. ECE is the global standard for helmets. The UK's SHARP - Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme - probably gives the overall best idea of how effective a helmet will be in real-world situations. (SHARP ratings can be frustrating at times, because they don't let you sort readily by date; that means that you can end up seeing a lot of helmets that are no longer produced, and newer helmets may not be listed at all.)
An AGV K1 is going to be as safe as an AGV Pista GP RR, and will be about $200 v. >$1400. My $150 AGV K1 is a better helmet in every respect than my Shoei Neotec, despite the Neotec being about 4x the price.
At the upper end, you're paying for fiberglass or carbon fiber shells (less weight), better aerodynamics, better airflow, and better sound isolation. You notably aren't paying for better safety.
There are new helmet safety standards that started to be rolled out about 3, 4 years ago; not many helmets meet the new standard yet, and it's not clear whether it's a serious improvement on old standards or not. IIRC the new standard is mostly affecting helmets that are used solely or primarily on the track at the moment.
Haha, we're talking about very different things, my friend! Let me give you a little slice of life here:
In my country, the situation is very different. 100% of cheap motorcycle helmets do not provide any real protection and are just there to help you avoid tickets from the police. Many are just baseball caps designed to look like a helmet at a distance. They are like 5 USD, and are universally bad.
A decent (good visor, OK head protection, no chin guard) helmet might start around 20 USD. Full face helmets would be a special order until fairly recently. You can forget about things like "safety standards". I would suspect it to be a sticker applied to the helmet without the standard even being followed.
Even now, a full-face helmet with chin guard costs at least a comparable amount to a used motorbike (~135$). The number of people that would spend 150$ on a helmet rounds down to zero, despite road accidents being frequent and severe.
There are many great things about my country, but compliance with safety standards is a... work in progress. One good thing at least is that the speed limit is 50km/hr on all roads, and is mostly followed. This plus traffic leads to fewer high-velocity collisions at least.
Niche musical instruments. A "cheap" hurdy gurdy can cost up to 2000 dollars and still sound like a bag of cats in a washing machine.
Some new recent models that are relatively cheap and sound okay exist now, but you really need to do your research.
I'm now really interested on how does it sound to have a bag of cats in a washing machine but there's some ethical problems...
Why hurt animals when you can just hurt your ears?
BearMcCreary used a Hurdy Gurdy to make the music for the TV show "Black Sails": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utLXgOnIwdo
Might give you an idea how hard this instrument is to master.
I'd argue yes most of the time but with some exception. I can't imagine something like a gut bucket or musical saw sounding considerably better even with more expensive materials and construction techniques. I'll admit I'm not like a music person I just dabble though so idk just guessing
I grew up playing a 1965 Yamaha FG-150. I got a Martin when I was 18.
Guess which one I’m still playing today? :p
Sometimes cheap instruments can turn out very well.
The key to what I said was "fringe", sure, cheap keyboards and guitars, etc. that sound great exist. Less popular instruments that are cheap are a massive gamble.
Caulk, screws. Very much not worth having saved a few dollars when these things end up not working.
Custom golf clubs versus off the rack. Took 30 strokes off my game.
Haircuts / hair dyeing
blender yes. Vitamix is really good
Most liquors, but gin and tequila in particular.
I would say depending on the purpose, you can get some cheaper stuff. Like I'm not gonna expect people at a college party to make rum and cokes with the nice stuff. And they're just shooting back tequila for fun.
But I also still wouldn't get bottom shelf. Its still worth avoiding that. I worked at an Albertsons liquor store back in about 2010. You could get a handle of Albertsons brand liquor for $10. Was always tempted to get some just to see how bad it is, but could never force myself to do it.
If you're just making cocktails or doing shots, get the third cheapest, unless it's something like a G&T comparison or something.
A mattress
And your pillow.
And my axe!
Husband and I just splurged on a king sized Wink Bed. Oh man. Night and day difference from our last one. I think the old one was just a mattress-firm brand name mattress that I had had since I was a tween, though, so it probably wouldn't take much to out do that lol.
Office chairs around 400 to 800$. It's god damn pricey but an absolute life change if you spend a ton of time at your computer. Are so much better for your back and butt and is worth the money 10x over considering the pain it'll save you.
If you can't fork up the cash, do a ton of research, learn a lot about specific models and then on Facebook marketplace (or any other local marketplace) search up "office chair". Oftentimes people sell premium office chairs without ever knowing, this way you can snag some for ridiculously cheap. Usually around 100-200$ but if you are lucky 10-30$.
Also avoid "gaming" chairs. Like most gaming related stuff, they're awful and you're just paying for the edgy look. I had multiple of these and each one was an ergonomic catastrophe, even expensive ones.
Wow lots of replies but here's another one. Anything that connects you with the world. Boots, glasses, headphones
Nah, glasses don't have to be expensive. I notice literally no difference between pairs I've had that were over $400 and pairs that were $50. It's just shaped glass... And whilst I mostly agree with you on headphones, there are a very small number of manufacturers out there who are doing some fantastic budget headphones. The earbuds I use now cost me $40 and shit all over any others I've had (and have lab verified frequency response curves to prove they are legit too). Should add, that even though they are budget, some of their products can easily cost over $1k, but then they are emulating headphones that cost over $5k...
Glasses are one I’d specifically advise against spending tons of money on. All of the different brands and designers are all owned and manufactured by the same two or three lens manufacturers for dirt cheap. I can guarantee that the $400 pair of glasses is using the exact same lenses and frame materials as the $40 pair, because they’re both made by the same companies on the same machines in the same factories using the same materials.
The only reason different designers and brands exist is to give customers the illusion of choice. The same way Nestlé owns an entire conglomerate of food companies that are on the shelves next to each other so you can “shop around”, the glasses brands you’re comparing in the store are all owned by the same company.
Glasses are only expensive because those lens manufacturers also own the major glasses retailers, and force smaller retailers to play by their rules if they want to be able to sell their glasses. The glasses only cost ~$10 to manufacture and ship, regardless of the style. The rest is pure markup.
Buy those fuckers online for like $50 a pop. Hell, if you want to spend $400, just buy like six different pairs. Now you can style them for your particular needs. Maybe you have a daily beater pair, then a more classy pair for going out, a sports pair for working out, etc… And they’re all made using the exact same machines that the $400 glasses were made on.
Google Luxottica (which is one of the main lens manufacturers) just for a glimpse of how wide their ownership goes. All of the big optics companies have focused on vertical integration. So they own the companies that produce the lenses, the companies that produce the frames, the companies that market the frames, etc… And they only keep them separate to give the customer the illusion of choice. When you walk into a LensCrafters, it doesn’t matter which glasses you buy; All the money is going to the same parent company regardless.
glasses don't have to be expensive
Someone's lucky enough to only need single strength lenses and/or have choices of lens suppliers.
My previous pair was single strength, cost me $60.
The ones I recently got are different strength in each eye and a reading field since I'm both near sighted and 41.
The new ones cost me almost 10 times as much WITH a Black Week discount. These aren't designer glasses or anything. They're the cheapest rims that could accommodate big enough lenses from the cheapest optician using the ONLY lens supplier available in Europe.
It's a huge fucking scam and the only way to avoid being taken advantage of would have been continuing to have truly atrocious vision.
Mattress
I used cheap mattresses my entire life and had back pain most of my adult life. We broke down and bought a good mattress a few years ago and my back pain went away almost immediately. It's crazy how much of an impact it has.
I like my 10€ headphones. The thing is, you don't really notice how bad the sound is if you never try the more expensive models.
- Boots
- Knives
- Ziploc bags
- Saran wrap
- Hand tools
- Power tools
- Yard tools
- Firearm optics
- Field optics
- Gasoline
- Oil filters
To name a few. I'll leave some stuff for other people.
Gasoline?
Probably a poor selection, or some who drives a “performance” vehicle for pleasure, or possibly an older vehicle The only real thing to concern yourself with is that there has has not been sitting for a long time (weeks/months), but any popular station will have multiple deliveries a week. Get the cheap stuff. If you feel guilty you can run a cleaner and dryer through the system occasionally, but modern consumer vehicles are pretty well designed to function efficiently on a range of gasoline-based fuels.
The additives in top tier gas will keep your engine running better longer.
Not sure about hand tools. I always buy the cheapest ones that apply to my needs, and they last. The only time I broke one was when I bought a screwdriver at Dollarama, but I understand that I went too far with the cheap tool. Power tools is correct 👍
Ha! Yes that is a few steps too far. One time when I was really poor I bought a chef's knife at Dollar Tree. I took it home and sharpened it, and it was dull before I even finished prepping a single meal. I'll never do that again!
For hand tools it's definitely going to depend on what you need and what your expectations are. I have hand tools I inherited from my Grandfather that are over 100 years old that I still use, so that's my expectation for my tools too. You might achieve that with mediocre tools if you rarely use them, but I use my tools all the time. I service all my own vehicles, work around the house, and have side projects that I do. I've stripped mediocre screwdrivers and wrenches before, and that causes enormous problems that are more expensive than the price of a good screwdriver. I'd like my tools to go to my son when I die and still have life left in them, despite me using them for a lifetime. When you can get that from your purchase you really are getting a great value, even when it costs more up front. Plus there's the issue of comfort and ease of use too. Good tools usually have better handles, better teeth, better release mechanisms, whatever. They're just more pleasant to use.
Saran Wrap doesn't stick as well as the Costco stuff. They removed the polyvinylidene chloride years ago. I'm unsure if the Costco film still has it.
That's quite an extensive list. Must be nice to be rich enough to afford the expensive version of so many things.
I'll quote Clint Eastwood for my tongue in cheek response:
"Well, l guess even a bonehead like you could understand that a man acquires this over a period of 50 years."
The thing is that when you buy high quality boots, or knives, or whatever, they last a lifetime. When you buy low quality instead, you have to replace the item every couple of years and it ends up costing you considerably more overall. Take your time, and build up a collection of high quality items that will last you forever. For stuff like Saran wrap, it's not that much more money and it works so much better that it's worth it. The generic stuff only sticks to itself and will just make you miserable.
Now that more devices are on USB-C, but the standard isn’t labeled well, it’s worth getting a good cable/charge block that will regulate power appropriately.
Adam Savage had the team that does CT Scans of various products and you really can start justify why some good charging cables cost $100.
I probably wouldn’t spend that kind of money but I’m willing to spend more on one really good one that I can use in many devices.
For me it's toner for printers: I have a Brother laser printer at home that is not heavily used but at least once a week. I thought I'd save some money when I bought some cheap ass toner from Amazon that cost about half of what a original Brother toner costs and promised something like double the capacity.
Oh boy... I had the worst mildly infuriating two years of printing you could imagine: always disappointed of the printing quality but not THAT disappointed to replace this shitty but still at 2/3 capacity toner. I paid money for that toner so I'd squeeze every last page of shitty quality prints out of this fucking toner!
Last week I gave up and bought an original Brother toner and it's a bliss. 🙄
A mattress, sheets, and at least one pillow. It can be expensive, but the first time you lay down in a bed that’s actually comfortable, you’ll know it was worth it.
Scissors comes to mind. Don't spend a lot, just don't be shit dollar store ones.
Office chair
Safety equipment, especially SCUBA. Also clothes, shoes, your bed, and your computer chair.
If you drive a lot, a "low-end" luxury model that isn't fully equipped will likely drive better, be more comfortable, and every feature it does have will be at least a little bit nicer than the equivalent in the "normal" brand.
You might even get a lower sale price on a used luxury car vs buying a new Toyota or something these days.
Maintenance will definitely cost more, but the experience of having that work done is a whole lot better than how it used to be on all the shitty cars I've had.
Not everyone will agree with this one, but I pay more for better seats on planes too, and tend to fly only with Delta for status. That's because I have extra blood clot risk and need the wiggle room, and because I have beef with most of the other companies due to many years of experience.
My travel curse has largely been managed after getting all the stuff that gets you through the lines faster, including global entry.
Recently we were about to miss our transfer and there was a dude waiting at the gate when we deplaned who loaded us into a Porsche and drove us around the runway directly to our next gate. That was probably random, but there's a 0% chance Southwest or Spirit would do that.
Also treat yourself to some fine dining if you are able, even if it's just once every year or two.
Maybe get someone to deep clean your place (even once a year) .
Note that I am in no way a baller when I say these things. I always thought you had to be rich to get anything cool like that, but it's not attainable than you think, assuming you're not in a paycheck -to-paycheck situation (which many are and I certainly was for like all of my 20's and a good chunk of my 30's).
What is this computer chair you speak of?
A true quality office chair, like the Herman Miller Aeron, and not one of those awful "racing chair" game streamer pieces of junk.
Doesn't even have to be brand new. I bought both of my Aerons used, and I think their manufacture dates are like 2008 and 2013. I've had them for many years, sat in the 2008 one every workday for the past 10 years, and it might as well still be new. I see no reason that I won't sit in it for the next 10 years. I could have gone through a bunch of crappy Office Depot chairs in that span.
I got a Steelcase Series 2 like 3 years back. I work from home and usually am on my home machine the rest of the day because I've got a problem. This chair is going to add years to my back I'd be losing if I got cheap or "gamer" chairs. I was hesitant to drop that kind of $$ at the time but I'm a convert now, only the good shit for me
Funny and true:
Porsche consistently has the second best brand rating for reliability of all major makes of vehicles on the market in the west. They take second place to Lexus. Some years they manage to beat Lexus (although not often). Yeah, repairs are expensive when you need them, and maintenance is too (IIRC oil changes use a lot of oil, and be a hassle to do on some models). On the other hand, they're actually more reliable than Honda, which sounds crazy. Conversely, VW--and the VW Group owns the Porsche brand--is not very reliable. When I looked up TSBs on my 2012 GTI, it was... A lot. And a lot of them were pretty bad, things like the time chain tensioner failing and needing to be replaced as a warranty item.
Which company is almost always dead last on the reliability lists? Land Rover. Do not buy a Land Rover, unless you can afford to buy two.
I drive a 2018 Mercedes GLA, and that thing is a tank compared to other vehicles I've owned. Last year I was involved in an accident with a semi, a convertable SLK, and an older Toyota land cruiser (I think).
I was the first one hit, but was able to immediately regain control (because AWD) and only had about 5k worth of damage (wheel, front quarter panel, side view mirror, headlight, and a couple other dents).
The Toyota that hit me (to avoid the semi) lost control, hit the semi anyway, then barely the SLK, (which lost control and hit the divider), then spun around and almost hit the divider too.
Those other two cars were totaled.
Granted the SLK was also Mercedes, but convertable and not AWD. Potential skill difference from the Toyota side since it was a younger driver.
Either way, all my previous cars would have likely been totaled. Drove a 2007 Ford focus with crank windows up until I got this car a couple years ago and it would for sure have gone flying.
Maybe the main takeaway is spring for AWD before the other bells and whistles.
I'd take issue with the "only," but setting that aside: musical instruments. Guitars, for example. You can find perfectly serviceable guitars for cheap and they'll be playable with a decent setup, and you can obviously find deals. But in general, if you try your $100-$200 Fender acoustic guitar or mandolin and then go to a guitar shop and try out a high-end Martin, for example, there's a world of difference.
I've actually heard that a lot of beginners quit because no matter how hard they practice it sounds like trash and feels bad to play, and it's to do with the cheap guitar they got.
Yes, this is especially true when dealing with a cheaper guitar with high action (distance of the strings from the fretboard). Without a proper setup (which will generally try to get the strings as low/comfortable as possible), it can make the process really hard on your hands, especially with an acoustic. You're much more likely to quit if, in addition to slow beginner progress, it also literally hurts you to play it or the strings won't stay in tune properly, etc...
I'm saying this mainly from bass perspective. But generally you have to get lucky in the cheap department to get decently good instrument. When you shift to like $500 range it gets better and for "normal use" $1000 is good enough (normal = not professional, just hobby player). Most things above $1500 are usually just waste of money to show off.
(All calculations including pre-owned prices.)
That used to be really true when I was a kid in the 79's, but not so much today. Back then, a quality guitar cost way more than the cheap stuff and the cheap stuff was rubbish.
Nowadays, with CNC machines everywhere, there are lots of modestly priced guitars that are very playable. The junk that we used to have to settle with back in the day only exists in the realm of "toy" instruments that almost aren't intended to be played.
Seriously, $300 can get you a very playable instrument, especially in electric guitars.
Guitars are definitely an anomaly in instruments just because of the economy of scale.
Then you have the other end of that spectrum like anything with the words "Contra Bass" attached to the front, where the acceptable ones start at $10k
A square cooking skillet pan. So many of these will bend if it's not made of cast iron, but found the scanpan one to work wonderfully.
Regarding cooking I just bought my first decent knife (from Fein in Solingen, which is a traditional knife-making company)
Not the absolute high end, but just one step better as most of the normal industrial stuff - ai couldn't be happier.
Anything that broke and you need a replacement of.
A refrigerator with a good ice maker is worth the extra expense. Our ice maker just gave out, and I'd forgotten how much a pain in the butt it is to make ice in plastic trays.
Made the leap to an undercounter ice maker when we renovated, since the fridge ones keep breaking, and it has been the best decision, despite the initial ridiculous cost.
I go through sooooo much ice and ice water every day now. It makes me so happy every time I open the door and see the heap of perfect clear cubes waiting to be scooped into my cup.
Not necessarily expensive nowadays, but I agree. Just bought a new fridge because our old one gave up. Icemaker is a must. I fucking love icewater. It broke once a year ago, until I fixed it, it was awful. Never going to not have fresh ice now, so of course our new one has that. Now it's on its last legs, and the icemachine doesnot work anymore :(. The new one also has a larger inside volume due to better insulation!
Sounds nice, I'm looking at buying a new fridge and they aren't that expensive, but it's worth it for the icemaker alone, I love ice water also (and tons of ice in my diet coke!). Living in Utah, the colder and wetter something is, the better. The air here makes your throat parched, so it's great to have that ice water pretty much year round.
For the few things that I do want chilled, I prefer reusable cubes - they don’t melt and make my drink all watery.
Hmmm, reusable cubes. I hadn't considered that, I want some!!
Everything that you use for prolonged amounts of time every day. For me it was ergonomic chair, keyboard, pillow. Expensive is a word, but I would rather think higher quality when choosing replacement for stuff I use.
Another category of things is hobby equipment, for me it's instruments. When I buy one it's to last. So when I was buying digital piano I went for one over my budget because I don't plan to get rid of it for next 5-10 years still, and it was 5years ago. Overall stuff that you don't usually think of buying frequently.
Last category I think of i go for higher quality stuff then generic ones are travel stuff. Last thing you want during your trip, short or long, distant or near, is to deal with faulty bag, broken wheel, or such.Toilet paper.
GPU's, usually the budget ones have worse performance per dollar ratios
Rtx3060 is loved so much with a reason
I am going to replace my 980ti this year. Most expensive GPU I ever bought, but I have been using it for almost 8 years. I am not optimistic about my next one lasting that long. Waiting for the Supers to release so I can get some benchmarks and see what prices do.
Windshield wipers (that don't go SQUEEAK SQUEEAK & actually let you see out the window).
I always buy shitty ones. They last just as long as the expensive ones, and when you wipe them off when installing, they work just as well too.
Ymmv if you live somewhere with actual temperature changes though.
In my experience,the cheap ones have worn out\ripped from Sun damage or lack of use about every year. I've had an expensive one for about 2-3 years now and they work amazingly.
I would argue blenders/mixers aren't on that list. Used my mothers fancy one, used fancy ones at school, used friends fancy devices. And used my rubbish $12 blender from BigW, so I do not see why anyone pays more than $12 for a mixer ever.
Boots, though, shoes, headphones, and laptop. Those are good to be quality.
Personally, I don't think most people need super high end headphones, but I know a few people who'll buy a new pair of gas station headphones every month. There are several companies making decent, affordable headphones that will sound better and last much longer. You don't need to spend $500, but you better spend at least $50
They can only last at long as I can find them.
$12 blenders are fine until you want to make a frozen drink without pea sized chunks of ice in it.
As far as mixers go generally agree, unless you want to use it weekly or to make dough. To be able to make dough balls you need to have something with some cojones.
It's one of those right tool right job kind of things. If the job is to mix Pillsbury cake mix, anything works.
In order to understand the usefulness of the blender you have to actually use it a lot. It has to be a common item of use in your life. As a kitchen person who loves cooking, that new blender is the best thing since I used a commercial robo coup in restaurant kitchens. A $12 blender is a piece of crap that has to be poked, prodded, messed with and talked nice to just to make a damn smoothie.
Shoes though. I'm with you there. Feet and teeth. You get one life with them and use them every day. Take care of em.
I mean my new blender has 3 blades that mean I never have to poke, shake, or worry. One blade at bottom, middle, then top, and the blades reach near the sides of the blender. There is nowhere my fruit can hide from my Ninja.
Those blenders that only have blades at the bottom always get stagnant and you have to like stir, poke, and prod. Like you'll get a frozen strawberry down by the blades, and it'll just kick it up higher into the liquid. Felt like it never evenly blended things.
Cheap headphones today are better than expensive ones were 20 years ago. Literally no point spending too much on them.
I'm gonna say phones. If you're getting a new phone and you're on a budget, always get a refurbished flagship from Samsung/Google (they support those ones for 5-7 years of updates now). They're often far better than new budget phones for the same price. They are built better, they last longer with far better specs, and are generally far more refined in all aspects.
Hard disagree here. My daily driver is a 5 year old Motorola phone here that cost me a whopping €159 back in 2019. It is fast enough for the things I do with it. If I'd bought a flagship phone by then, the OS updates would have stopped long ago (but things appear to have improved since).
I actually buy cheap budget phones $~200. I'd disagree with this. I've had more issues with the flagship phones especially Samsung. The budget phone I am using now has had no issues. The name brand phones run a lot of bloatware on them too. Unless you want to throw your own OS on there, then I will say budget is fine.
My experience has been the complete opposite. I've had a couple Xiaomi/Samsung phones in the 300$ range. They all worked like crap. The midrange chips were fast for about one year, and then kept heating and dropping frames in the simplest animations even in custom OSes. The cameras took really awful photos. The batteries degraded really quickly. The displays weren't bright enough, the vibration motors felt bad after a while. Even some of the little things like the touch response, raise to wake, double tap to wake or auto brightness never worked well on any OS. My Pixel 6 Pro refurb for 330$ US felt COMPLETELY different. It was such a big upgrade, the screen was so much better than the shitty LCD/OLEDs on budget phones. It was brighter, faster, more responsive to touch. The build quality is honestly excellent. This phone feels great to touch and hold. The glass doesn't scratch nearly as easily too. The cameras are amazing. And my god, all the little things like auto brightness, raise to wake, tap to wake just freaking works. And the vibration motor is honestly just freaking amazing. There is no way I'm buying new phones again from now on. The smartest move for me is to get a two-year old Pixel for like 350-400 US and flash GrapheneOS on it. In 3 years, when I get rid of my 6 Pro, I can get a 9 Pro and use it for like 5 years and it's going to be better than any budget phones I can get for the same price.
I don't consider my pocket 'puter a lifestyle accessory or a status symbol, so... no.
Like you, IDGAF about status symbols. It's just that a two year-old flagship/high-end phone will work better and longer than a new budget phone for the same price. Like you can get a 300-350$ Pixel 7 Pro right now refurbished from Amazon and you'll have a better experience than the myriads of new phones on sale for the same price. This holds true for the cheaper Pixel 7 as well. That saves you a ton of time and money. Not to mention it's better for the environment.
Some people value a fresh new battery that can last rather than gamble on a similarly priced refurbished flagship with unknown battery degradation.
It doesn't have to be a flagship. Just make sure the phone has a decent amount of RAM. There are even modern phones that come with Android Go and 2GB of RAM that are not futureproof and absolute crap.
I tend to look for phones that are supported by LineageOS so I know there will be community updates.
Throwing in Fairphone, when you can use it with your carrier. It's modular, as ecologically fair as possible and has 10 years of software support, many years of replacement parts. And it is sufficiently modern.
This is so hard to specify because it really depends on a lot of factors. It's usually more like there are specific models that are really worth getting, or pricepoints or brands depending.
Like, I don't think cordless drill/drivers that are sub $100 are really worth it if you're ever going to do more than screw into pre drilled or pre made screw holes. But a Bosch (blue), Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, etc are all pretty good. They're just usually over $100.
You're right about blenders - I never had a use for Oster blenders, but a BlendTec in 2008 changed my life (well, not really, but did do things that I have uses for at least).
Ohh, pressure cookers - I don't want to risk it exploding, so I avoid the $70 and under crowd. Actually, I went Kunh Rikon which is pretty expensive, but also really hard to screw up (like 6 layers of safeties), and easy to get refurb parts for seals and such.
Lots of safety equipment - there's all sorts of ... "fake" in that it won't actually work stuff at super cheap prices. I'm thinking like laser safety glasses or chain saw safety pants. Mid range is def worth it there.
Dishwashers IMHO. I've used cheap ones before and they clean poorly and are extremely loud. Depending on your house, you won't want to be in the next room to them. OTOH, Bosch higher end ones, like the 800 series, cost a pretty penny, but are darn near silent and actually live up to the washing claims - shit just comes clean in them. I'm usually surprised in a good way. Oh, and that third tray for silverware - I'm never going back to the basket (though lots of brands have that now).
Stand Mixers - especially if you want to get into bread or attachments for grinding things. I strongly recommend the Bosch Universal Plus. That thing is like a power tool for the kitchen. We've abused it for over 10 years and it's not slowing down. I know many people online who have had them for 30 years.
Vacuums - look into Sebo.
Definitely dishwashers. When we were poor students moving out of the dorms into our first real apartment, we cheaped out on as much as we could but shelled out more than 1k on a proper good Miele one. Got one with less features but better energy and water efficiency and it just does its job and does it well. Every time I am at someone else's place and they have to prewash their dishes I feel more validated in this choice.
Nutella.
If by expensive version you mean the original Italian gianduja spread. The Ferrero version is overly sweet and tasteless in comparison.
Interior wall paints (and rollers/brushes). I recently remodeled my house.and decided to buy the really good stuff instead of just the well known brands from the DIY store. Man, what a difference that makes. Painting is sooo much easier and it dries much nicer.
I've been happy with Home Despot's Behr paint. What brand(s) do you like?
Kelly-Moore!
I'm from Europe, so we don't have that brand here. I used Sikkens Alpha Rezisto. It's washable and scrub resistant. Perfect since I have pets and kids.
Cuisinart food processor
KitchenAid mixer
Vitamix blender
Kan chef knife
Silicone rubber spatula (won't melt)
Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons
You have to be very careful with KitchenAid mixers - I think the 700Pro is the only currently made one that's worth very much - the gears strip out in most of the cheaper ones, and all of them made from like 2000-2014 or so. At least if you mix anything in there you couldn't do about as easily with a hand mixer that's $20 on Amazon.
Nothing. I always pick the mid-range products
A good quality bread machine.
A good tip for bread machines is that a lot of people buy them but then don’t like them, so you can get good secondhand ones cheaply. I love my bread machine - it was about £120 new, but I got it in a charity shop for £10.
Huh. I just use a bowl, and the oven.
The difference between my Zojirushi and the Black and Decker we had prior is indescribable. My home made bread suddenly wasn't dry from the middle down and would last without losing freshness for a whole day extra. With the same ingredients. It's absolutely worth it to buy a quality bread maker.
After years of baking bread almost every day, I second this.
I grew up with the cheapest and most worn down vacuum cleaners. It was awful, everything from having to pull it out of a cabinet to finding an outlet and, having bad suction, awful cleaning heads and annoying hoses.
So when I got my own apartment and worked for a bit I decided to go all in on a Dyson Absolute V12 Detect. It's actually very painless and super quick to vacuum now. Also a bit fun.
With a rechargeable battery it's wireless and the battery lasts me about 4 vacuuming sessions in my apartment, no keeping track of vacuum bags and filters. All in all it takes me from touching my vacuum to being done cleaning my, albeit 1 room apartment, about 10 minutes. It's great!
I just bought a $16 personal blender from Walmart and I love it so far. I juice fruit and smoothies.
Most things work right after buying them. Give it a year and reassess
I just struggled with any blender where the blades were only at the bottom. Was always a fight to get it to blend everything.
I don't know if that's just a German thing, but: Swiffer.
The knockoffs are all crap.
OLED tv
Luggage.
You don't want to be repacking your shit while late a for a flight because you're a kg over the limit and it's gonna cost an extra $100 if you don't and mistakenly rip the zipper off your carry-on. You really, really don't.
You don't have to completely break the bank either, but if you value your sanity, I wouldn't spend too much less than $200 on a carry-on/check-in pair.
Condoms.
A laptop. Specifically one of the bussiness lines like a ThinkPad or Dell. And a phone wih an AMOLED screen. $350 will do that.
Helmets
Outdoor gear and clothes. You can go cheaper on the smaller less critical items, but if you're in any kind of backcountry setting you really do want everything to just work and not break or fail. It's a safety issue on the one hand, but it can also mean the difference between a pleasant excursion vs hours of suffering. Remember kids; the elements are the biggest danger in any backcountry endeavor. You are far more likely to die of hypothermia and/or exposure than you are from wild animals or other people.