Saving money can be quite a hard task, especially when everything seems to cost millions. And so, you usually look for the cheapest stuff, so at least a little money would be left over after your purchase for the next one. Apparently, this action might be a relatively flawed one. When it comes to certain items, people say that you splurge on them once rather than continuing to do it over and over again.
Today’s list is the handbook of what these items are. From towels to tires, there are plenty of things you shouldn’t skimp on. So, let’s dive in and make a mental note for the next time you’re in need of them, shall we?
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
Shoes. So many people in my life have told me to not spend money on shoes when I can, "buy the same thing at Walmart for 20 bucks." I finally started buying some more expensive shoes in my mid twenties, and I found that they're more comfortable and last way longer than the 20 dollar Walmart alternatives. If you have the money, invest in a good pair of shoes.
Hiring movers. Every time I moved in the past I did it myself, with the help of friends and family, got frustrated, sweated all day, tensions ran high -- movers make it SO much easier. It's absolutely worth the extra expense. Your time and happiness are valuable. I'll never go back.
Maple Syrup. Growing up, we always had that cheap "Pancake Syrup" stuff that's basically corn syrup and food coloring. It never even occurred to me to buy ACTUAL Maple Syrup ($12 for a tiny bottle??) until I was in my 20s, and had it at a friend's house.
Guess what? That s**t is delicious and worth it.
To note, according to a friend who grew up with his family tapping maple trees and processing honey, it does not matter what state it comes from in USA.
It’s no secret that the high prices nowadays force people to come up with ways to save money – from simple budgeting to full-blown thrifty lifestyles.
So, when you’re in money-saving mode, it seems that buying the cheapest things is the way to go, doesn’t it? Well, in some cases, it might be, but others paying a little (or not so little) bit more can be cheaper in the long run.
As this Guardian article (rather an old, but still relevant) by Madeleine Somerville points out, many products tend to not be built for long term use, so, despite costing relatively little, they wear out quickly. At the same time, items with higher costs tend to be of higher quality.
Toilet paper.
I have to say towels, cheap ones don't dry well or aren't soft enough or both... Those who've used standard issue military towels understand.
Butter. I'll still cook with regular butter but on bread I'll only eat Kerrygold now.
Basically, quality costs more upfront, but over time, when you don’t have to keep replacing the cheaper item, even if it’s at a lower price, the expensive one turns out to be more cost-effective.
Take the things presented on this list, for example. They were collected from netizens’ opinions expressed in a Reddit thread under the question: “What's something you used to cheap out on until you tried the expensive version and could never come back?”
While it’s true that most of the time it’s worth buying more expensive items (especially when it comes to things listed here), it also has to be acknowledged that sometimes people like buying costly stuff for other reasons.
Steak. I grew up poor, all we ever had was chuck steak, first cut. I first tasted flank steak when I was 14, and thought THAT was great. When I was 21, however, I went to a New York City steakhouse, and had filet mignon. Oh, My God, it was delicious. Once I was making decent money, I go to the butcher and get a whole tenderloin sliced into 1 1/2" thick steaks to take home. Simple to cook, heavenly to eat.
Food in general .... I would say, quality over quantity ... and this doesn't mean just brand-names, necessarily.
Work boots.
Yeah quality work shoes are esential. Not just because you are spending 8-9 hours in them, but for your own safety.
For instance, there’s a phenomenon called the “marketing placebo effect.” In a nutshell, it’s when a person's brain perceives cheaper products as those with higher risk and lower satisfaction.
There was one experiment conducted where participants were presented with wine and were told that it cost either $45 or $5. Then, when they drank it, both taste and brain activity showed that they viewed the more expensive one as better. And that’s just one of the experiments we mentioned that showed such results. There are more of them.
So, basically, that’s why some people opt for more expensive stuff – they simply view it as a better option, even if it isn’t.
Good quality, high thread count cotton sheets. People with eczema can relate.
Bread.
The advertisers love to exploit this phenomenon. They're sure to use it when tailoring the brand to what the consumers expect and then have to guarantee that assumption isn’t ruined.
At the same time, some argue that opting for expensive things isn’t inherently bad. In fact, they say it should be encouraged. As this article by Anthony J. Yeung vocalizes, focusing on “being cheap” can negatively impact your mindset, leading you to sabotage yourself and set you up for a relatively destitute lifestyle.
So, maybe the best thing to do is buy whatever you can and want to, and not worry about whether you’re falling victim to the marketing placebo effect, impacting your mindset, or whatever else. After all, it seems we can’t fully win either way, can we?
Chocolates.
After eating my first expensive chocolate bar, I knew there was nothing on earth that could make me eat those cheap over-sweet chocolate bars.
Hershey and Nestles have descended into junk, but thankfully we have an Aldi's near us that carries good chocolate from Belgium and Germany where they still use cocoa butter instead of vegetable oil and extra sugar.
Olive oil.
For sure. The taste of quality ones it's incomparable with the lower priced ones. A quality olive oil is best consumed with just some bruschetta.
Weirdly specific one but saddles. I had a cheap one for my first year taking up riding again at 30. My horse got sore, I struggled with my position for ages thinking it was me. Tried a different saddle and 90% of my issues evaporated.
Not just this, but also a saddle-fitting to make sure the type of saddle works with your horse! I had a horse with a high wither and finally got a professional fitter out who sold me a roping saddle. Fit him perfectly, the white spots disappeared from his shoulders and he was more comfortable too.
Coffee.
I'm an avidavidavid coffee drinker. I like bitter, strong, black, unsweet. I can find many lower-c ost grinds that are very good. Same with wine. I like a bit of a bite, very dry, red. I have faves in low end and mid range. Won't fork over the $$ for high end.
Garbage bags.
I buy the Hefty black ones. The white ones are see through, and I don't like that people can see my garbage. Yeah, I'm weird. I'm reasonable in that I know people aren't driving by and pointing and stopping to ogle at my garbage, it's just some hang up I have.
I can’t stress this enough: SOCKS.
Argh. I had a default brand of socks that was perfect. And then Hanes cheaped out and started making them an inch and a half shorter. I want my crew length socks to go -over- my calf, not end right at the widest part. Uncomfortable as heII. I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement.
Shampoo. Not the CRAZY expensive stuff, but definitely the higher priced ones. My hair cannot handle the Pert or Finesse stuff. It kind of worked out nicely since I buy half as much… it works twice as well! And my hair actually feels manageable.
I don't know these brands, so I will give the price: the ones between 5-9 euro are better for me. like those, what you can buy for 2-3 euros, and expensive ones startig with 10 euro don't make so much of a difference.
Haven't seen this..
Vacuums/carpet cleaners
The cheap ones have awful suction, and are extremely prone to jams and wire tears. In my experience the cheap ones are a miserable experience to try to fix, I assume because most people won't have a 60 dollar vacuum serviced.
Expensive vacuum? Designed not to break because if it does you're definitely going to go back and use that warranty. Designed to be easily cleaned and serviced because they don't want you doing warranty claims.
Have had a nice pet Dyson for over 10 years and it's solid, very easy to service because all the parts are easily accessible and labeled.
Got a cheap Hoover and it died after a year. Hair was bypassing their crappy single stage filter and started to fry the motor, when I tried to self service imo it was intentionally hard to take apart and it appeared they cut a screw head off so I couldn't access the motor without additional effort.
Edit: Dyson's aren't good anymore according to the 100 people who keep commenting the same thing.
Then the remaining commenters are dyson owners who love their dysons.
I regret mentioning brands on this comment.
Best vacuum I ever had was one of the original Sharks. It was just like the old timey rollers but it had a vacuum function. Simple to the point.
Jeans. For most of my life, the only criteria I judged a pair of jeans on was "do they fit". One day, I was talked into buying a ~$70 pair of jeans from an expensive clothing store and I was blown away by how comfortable they were. They look good, the material is softer, doesn't squeeze the backs of my knees, etc.
I often wear shirts I bought from Goodwill for $2-5, but have not purchased a cheap pair of jeans in several years.
SEVENTY DOLLARS FOR JEANS? Honestly what’s criminal is how expensive they can make the bare minimum of comfort and practicality.
Headphones. I used to burn through a cheap pair every few months until I got a nice pair. Not only is the sound better but they have lasted me years with the replaceable parts.
I used to buy cheap earphones from the convenience store every 6 months. Then I got a pair of AirPods and they were amazing, and have lasted for so long. In terms of cost, I still need to wear them for another year or two for them to equal the amount of money I would spend on the cheaper ones, but just having these ones has created a lot less waste.
Oh you can get much better for the price and you wouldn't look like a douche with other brands.
I got the ones from Lenovo that are shaped like a ball. I prefer over the ear and I use just one at a time because I sleep on my side. I use them because I have insomnia and don't want to wake up anybody else.
I've had my Sennheisers for a decade, they are pricey, but worth it.
For studio quality over the ear semi closed headphones, I use the AKG K240. Had them for years. Super accurate audio.
I wont say i have cheap ones but mine are pretty reasonable priced. But they are superb...
(Curly) hair products.
Blender.
At 6am in the morning, a Danby will cause brain hemorrhaging due to the ballistic noises.
A Vitamix on the other hand..
This message is not sponsored by Vitamix.
Come on Vitamix! Give me free s**t!
Basic shirts. I used to buy those $8 or less shirts because "it's just a shirt". Women's clothing is always either too tight or too loose, the shoulders/waist/hip ratio can be awkward, and it's always made with some thin material to encourage "layering" (and cut costs!).
Unless it's cold, I don't want to layer my damn clothes. The quality of a soft shirt that fits and doesn't see-through is a game changer. I'll drop $20-25 on a nice shirt that lasts a long time and fits right before I buy any more s****y shirts.
EDIT: For fellow shirt wearers asking for recommendations, I find that Eddie Bauer and LL Bean have great basic shirts for all genders. Eddie Bauer also has an outlet shop online at good prices! That said, I'm sure other Redditors also have great suggestions for places I don't know about yet!
Dental floss. I hated flossing because I thought all dental floss just shreds apart and breaks. Nope, just the cheap brand I was buying.
Switched to a water flosser and never looked back - now I actually floss. I hate the thready stuff cos it makes my gums bleed, gets stuck between my teeth, and makes my fingers hurt.
Poll Question
Do you think that more expensive are better, as a rule?
For sure! If you want something good - you've got to get ready to spend big.
Only for select items, definitely not for everything!
I think you can find great items even by being frugal.
I am not familiar with the concept of money. I sleep under the stars.
Washing machines and tumble dryers. I have bought cheaper brand washing machines and tumble dryers and they have stopped working the second the warranty has run out and it cost more to repair than it would to replace. I would rather spend it bit more in a decent brand that I know will be reliable and will last a good few years.
Papaw told me to spend the money on anything that is between you and the ground. Shoes, tires, bed, etc.
For middle income and above: buy the best you can afford. I am sitting on a good sofa my mother bought 1967 (around the time of my high school graduation). Recovered once. Classic design. Still looks elegant and timeless. On the floor is a “oriental” wool rug. Bought by me 1980. Cleaned only twice. Still looks great. And a big etc. There are better ways to save money. Ps. I myself also bought decent real wood furniture in junque stores.
I just got 3 great good brand sunglasses for 6 bucks at a thrift shop. Would've cost me hundreds of I would've bought them new. You can buy a lot of great quality stuff second hand. Better then new cheap stuff, with most things you can see the difference in quality of materials and craftsmanship.
I know toilet paper was mentioned previously, but please stick with 3 ply loo roll. I mean, unless you like accidentally having a slip and ending up with s**t all over your hands, then... go whatever ply you like.
Ditch your mud wipes and get yourself a quality bidet. It cleans better and is better for the environment. At worst you will only need a couple of squares of tp to dry yourself afterwards.
Load More Replies...Organic food is amazing, even if expensive. It doesn't have any traces of pesticides and herbicides (which are one of the top causes of cancer, actually) so it's much healthier for you
Organic foods use tons of pesticides too, just different ones. There is zero difference in health benefits.
Washing machines and tumble dryers. I have bought cheaper brand washing machines and tumble dryers and they have stopped working the second the warranty has run out and it cost more to repair than it would to replace. I would rather spend it bit more in a decent brand that I know will be reliable and will last a good few years.
Papaw told me to spend the money on anything that is between you and the ground. Shoes, tires, bed, etc.
For middle income and above: buy the best you can afford. I am sitting on a good sofa my mother bought 1967 (around the time of my high school graduation). Recovered once. Classic design. Still looks elegant and timeless. On the floor is a “oriental” wool rug. Bought by me 1980. Cleaned only twice. Still looks great. And a big etc. There are better ways to save money. Ps. I myself also bought decent real wood furniture in junque stores.
I just got 3 great good brand sunglasses for 6 bucks at a thrift shop. Would've cost me hundreds of I would've bought them new. You can buy a lot of great quality stuff second hand. Better then new cheap stuff, with most things you can see the difference in quality of materials and craftsmanship.
I know toilet paper was mentioned previously, but please stick with 3 ply loo roll. I mean, unless you like accidentally having a slip and ending up with s**t all over your hands, then... go whatever ply you like.
Ditch your mud wipes and get yourself a quality bidet. It cleans better and is better for the environment. At worst you will only need a couple of squares of tp to dry yourself afterwards.
Load More Replies...Organic food is amazing, even if expensive. It doesn't have any traces of pesticides and herbicides (which are one of the top causes of cancer, actually) so it's much healthier for you
Organic foods use tons of pesticides too, just different ones. There is zero difference in health benefits.