this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2024
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I saw this post and wanted to ask the opposite. What are some items that really aren't worth paying the expensive version for? Preferably more extreme or unexpected examples.

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[–] BartyDeCanter@lemmy.sdf.org 172 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Medicine. The house brands and generics are the exact same, tested the same, made the same.

[–] Shadow@lemmy.ca 68 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (5 children)

But real Advil has the candy coating on the outside, and I haven't found a generic that does =(

Otherwise 100% identical yes.

[–] Raptor_007@lemmy.world 40 points 10 months ago (2 children)

A few years ago, I wondered why that was and googled it. I came to an Advil site with an expandable FAQ, and one of the questions was β€œwhy does Advil taste sweet?”

So I expanded it out to reveal this shocking answer (or something similar): β€œAdvil tastes sweet because it is lightly coated in sugar.”

Thanks, I guess. I just closed the tab in mild irritation and moved on with my day.

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[–] nis@feddit.dk 95 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Water. At least here in Denmark. Bottled water is less regulated than tap water.

[–] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 30 points 10 months ago (17 children)

In parts of the Alps, the stuff coming out of the fountains in the town square is cleaner than the stuff that comes out of the tap lol πŸ˜‚

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[–] Caomh_Cynbel@lemmy.world 86 points 10 months ago (7 children)

In the UK, baked beans.

In my work we did a blind taste test of 10 different brands of baked beans, with participants ranking them in order from best to worst. The name brand options such as Heinz, HP, and Branstons ended up in the middle, with the cheaper options from Aldi and Asda being the best. The most expensive beans were from Marks and Spencer and were voted the worst ones.

If you're paying more than 50p a can its not worth it.

[–] Yerbouti@lemmy.ml 27 points 10 months ago

Got to respect the dedicated UK baked beans eaters.

[–] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago

Does that not just prove which ones have the most salt and sugar in them?

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[–] workerONE@lemmy.world 84 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Speaker wire. Expensive speaker wire will not sound any better. You could use a coat hanger and get great sound. Tip: every few years cut the wire ends and expose fresh wire to use. Over time the wire can oxidize if I recall correctly.

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 45 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Take two minutes and tin the ends with solder and you're good for years... My favorite in ear monitor brand just was sold and they changed the headphone cord to ultra thin shite that is "more pure" I'm an audio engineer....it's horseshit.

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[–] Vode_An@lemmy.ml 78 points 10 months ago (7 children)

Dogs, rescues are just as doglike and mostly free compared to the Hapsburg simulator known as breeding

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[–] bluyonder@lemmy.world 64 points 10 months ago (7 children)

My rule of thumb: Buy the cheap one. If it wears out or breaks, buy the good one.

[–] OmgItBurns@discuss.online 39 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Note: this advice should not be applied to condoms.

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[–] MrAlpharius@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

For me actually the other way Around. There is a saying in Spain that says "el pobre siempre paga dos veces" that translates as "the poor always pays twice".

It refers to the fact that you buy something cheap that barely covers the need and after it breaks you are forced to buy the good one. This is specially important for hand tools or similar.

In my opinion, for using it a couple times is better renting/asking someone to let you use theirs. For several uses it is almost always better paying more for a better use and higher resell value.

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[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 47 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (11 children)

Digital cables, like HDMI and USB. If they meet the spec, they should operate identically.

ETA: It's a digital signal: either it works or it doesn't. There's no "higher quality" version of the same image. Sure, if you have a 4K 120hz HDR signal you might need an HDMI 2.1 spec cable, but as long as it meets that spec, it'll either work or need to be returned. The signal won't be washed out, or crackly, or static-y (all the concerns we had with analog video cables back in the day); the signal might not work, or it might drop out from time to time, which means it doesn't meet spec.

Same with USB-C. If it doesn't charge your phone correctly, or have the transfer speeds you want, because you bought it at a Dollar Store and it isn't in spec, the problem isn't USB-C, it's the fact that the manufacturer sold you an out-of-spec cable.

[–] skulblaka@startrek.website 29 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Getting good quality cables can make a difference.

Getting gold-plated cables will not ever. I fucking see you Monster. For $40 a cable that thing better also come with a free handy and an ice cream.

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[–] TheKracken@lemmy.world 20 points 10 months ago (2 children)

USB -C would like to talk to you. So many bad terrible cables.

[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago (1 children)

"If they meet specs" is the important thing, and unfortunately that's hard to know, though that $0.99 cable at the gas station isn't going to cut it.

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[–] baseless_discourse@mander.xyz 44 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (15 children)

I personally do not find expensive wine and liquor worth it. That obviously don't mean all cheap wines are good, but I find the percentage of bad wine I had at $50 - $70 range is pretty much the same as wine around or under $20.

I find the best way is to research online before you buy or go for couple known-good brands. Most of the results actually tend to be on the cheaper side (around $20 for wine, around $35 for liquor).

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[–] idunnololz@lemmy.world 42 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (14 children)

Dish washer soap. Gotta rep technology connections for teaching me that not only is the powdered stuff cheaper, it's also just straight up better. Also store vs name brand shouldn't make a big difference either, at least not from my tests.

When I buy dishwasher soap now I just compare price per gram and grab the cheapest option.

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[–] xkforce@lemmy.world 41 points 10 months ago

Cheap pregnancy tests work just as well as expensive ones do. Theyre highly regulated either way.

[–] Thevenin@beehaw.org 38 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Fashion accessories. For most fashion (not workwear), the expensive stuff is made from the same material and in the same factories as the cheap stuff, they just market it harder.

Body wash. It's watered-down soap. Just buy a bar of soap.

Amazon Prime. Amazon used to be space-age Sears. Now it's just Aliexpress. Fake reviews and bribery are rampant, dangerously nonfunctional products get top recommendations, used and broken products get resold as new while untouched returns get thrown into landfills, Amazon Basics violates IP, and they're putting ads in Prime Video now.

Microwaves and space heaters. The boxes may try to convince you otherwise, but the amount of heat these devices can deliver is bottlenecked by the power outlet. Every 1100W microwave is just as effective as the others. If you're paying more, it's for looks and for features you'll never use like popcorn mode.

Electronics, for most people. Most people won't get more use out of a new $1500 phone than a last-gen model from the same manufacturer for $500. Do you really want a $200 smart coffee maker, or a $20 dumb coffee maker with a $10 plug-in timer?

Software. Obligatory FOSS plug. I don't blame people for sticking to what's familiar, but if you have the time and energy to spare tinkering, most software out there has a good free or open-source equivalent these days. At least for personal use. In my use case, LibreOffice beats Microsoft Word, Photopea beats Photoshop, and Google Sheets beats Excel.

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[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 36 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Two things that have been very relevant to me recently:

Car washes. If you want the best outcome, wash it yourself. If you're just trying to knock some grime off, the cheapest one will do. The finishing sprays don't last a week.

Also beverages when hosting a party. No need to buy name brand when store brand is half the cost and will get drank the same anyway.

[–] chillhelm@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago (10 children)

Also beverages when hosting a party. No need to buy name brand when store brand is half the cost and will get drank the same anyway.

People will drink it, but they may also remember. I have a cousin at whose house I turn tea-totaller, because the beer & wine they offer at parties is literally the cheapest stuff available and it's fucking horrible.

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[–] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 35 points 10 months ago (4 children)
[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Kirkland frozen pizzas are the exception, they may come three to a box but it’s straight cardboard with bland toppings and sauce. Plus they don’t reheat worth a shit, might as well get 10 totinos

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[–] Asudox@lemmy.world 33 points 10 months ago (7 children)
[–] ribboo@lemm.ee 27 points 10 months ago (5 children)

100% the other way around for me. My phone is the one thing I own, I use the most. To have a more fluid experience is worth a couple of hundred dollars. The hourly price difference is minuscule.

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[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 16 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Agreed. I've gotten expensive android phones, and I know plenty of people with expensive apple phones, but they all go to crap. A cheap phone last about as long and does 90% the same stuff and into photography or gaming, both of which have better alternatives at the high-end phone price ranges.

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[–] kionite231@lemmy.ca 33 points 10 months ago (13 children)
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[–] DichotoDeezNutz@lemmy.world 32 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Video games, there's thousands for free online at itch.io and even on steam.

You can always buy games discounted if you wait, and paying for microtransation games is a recipe for wasting money.

[–] sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 31 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Okay, and some are really good, like DF or CDDA or OpenTTD... But you're never going to find a free Dark Souls, a free Baldur's Gate 3 or a free Return to the Obra Dinn.

So I think it absolutely makes sense paying for quality games like those.

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[–] owiseedoubleyou@lemmy.ml 28 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Phones

You don't really need an 8-core CPU and 12 gigs of RAM for making calls and browsing the web, which is what 95% of people use their phones for. Not even buying such phone for the sake of longevity is worth it since most manufacturers drop support for their phones after 5 years at most.

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[–] Pratai@lemmy.ca 23 points 10 months ago (9 children)
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[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 22 points 10 months ago (2 children)
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[–] weeeeum@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Soap. My mom and sisters always complement my hair and skin, asking what products I use. I just use 2$ Yardley bar soap for skin and hair. I also like them because they smell nicer than other cheap brands that just have a generic detergent smell.

Razors. For all shaving I use a safety razor. The initial investment is somewhat expensive but after that each blade is mere cents. Also much less wasteful. Make sure to store your used blades in an old medicine bottle to dispose of them safely (and for the garbage man's safety). Also find these to be way nicer on skin, 5 blade or whatever cartridge razors don't make a closer shave and remove and irritate skin much more.

Kitchen knives. Most cheap knives (and a lot of expensive ones) suck because of bad design. Most knives today are way too thick and chunky, to make them look more robust etc. what you need is a thin blade and a sharp, long lasting edge. Victorianox fibrox ($35) is excellent for the money and for most people you don't need any more performance. You can also use kiwi knives (10$). They are super cheap, perform well, but dull fast, a good cheap option if you know how to sharpen and hone. If you want more performance than the fibrox you can get a Japanese tojiro basic. These aren't very fancy but have excellent performance, being made of laminated vg-10 steel and having a much longer lasting edge. These are around 50$

If you cook and chop a lot and want a knife to take pride and pinnacle of performance then you'll want a hand forged Japanese knife. DO NOT fall for Japanese knife scams and do lots of research on YouTube. These will be around 200$ to 500$ (more expensive knives are for prettier, or famous blades). They are very thin, highly polished (it'll glide through food) and made of extremely sharp, extremely hard, hand forged laminated steel.

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[–] Evia@lemmy.world 20 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I often see people say to buy the expensive toilet roll but I always go for the low end of the midrange rolls. I don't need 4ply, scented, quilted shit, I just need two pieces of paper stuck together.

There is a balance, you don't want to get the 1ply stuff you'd find in a stingy office. But just look at the label and price-per-sheet

(If you can afford it, buy a year's supply in bulk from the company)

[–] GlitchZero@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Buy a bidet and suddenly the ply won’t really matter. Plus you’ll spend way less on TP long term.

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[–] pistachio@lemmy.ml 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] 31337@sh.itjust.works 17 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Stuff that is used and immediately disposed of like trash bags, paper towels, and toilet paper. You need to be a little more careful with the cheapest trash bags and toilet paper, but it will still get the job done.

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