TBH, I’m always trying to find new ways to save money.
Times are tough, and a few extra dollars here and there could really make a big difference. So when a Reddit user asked, “What’s something you WON’T spend more money on as better quality doesn’t exist?” I took note of every response and rounded up the most interesting of the bunch for you all to see below. Here’s what 25 people said:
(I’m still curious about #7.)
1. “I usually buy generic medications, as the formulations are the same.”
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2. “Household chemicals.”
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“Pool chemicals, pool salt, softener salt, yard fertilizer and herbicide, vinegar, etc.”
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3. “I’m going to take this in a strange direction, but pets.”
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“Getting pets that are from the streets, the shelter, and anywhere other than breeders. Not only is this just better ethically, but all my animals that were street animals or from shelters have been incredibly good, hardy pets.”
4. “Glasses. Not the lenses, but the frames.”
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“Cheaper frames are fine. So far in my life, my prescription changes enough year to year that I buy new glasses every 2 to 3 years, but even then. My dad bought some of the more “premium” frame options when he got his pair. For the price of his frame, I would be able to get 3 to 4 of my cheaper frames.”
5. “I will always keep 1-2 ‘beater’ kitchen knives.”
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“There’s always going to be something I want to cut/take apart, where I’m uncomfortable using an expensive knife. You can get surprisingly high-quality, comfortable, cheap knives nowadays.”
6. “Gas.”
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“If my car’s manual or the car manufacturer says the car takes regular (87), then it’s only getting regular.”
7. “It seems trivial in the grand scheme of things, but…Greek yogurt.”
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“I just make my own with (of all things) an Instant Pot. I’ll never pay for it again.”
8. “Period products.”
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“Huge aisles of novelty advertising, and microscopic level differences in performance. I just use the cheapest washable fabric types and the cheapest silicone cups. Products promising better results, durability, comfort, etc., have just failed to be worth the cost difference if they’re disposable. And even the reusable ones, the name brands just lack justification for the cost. But they keep adding new names for new lines, new eye-catching packaging, just try to confuse people, lol.”
9. “Garbage cans.”
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“It’s for trash! I don’t need a smart trash can with Bluetooth connection. What in the world!?”
10. “Everyday drinking glasses.”
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“The more expensive they are, the thinner the glass, the easier they are to break. I seek out drinking glasses from the dollar store because the glass is thick AF and if it does happen to break, it’s cheap and easy to replace.”
11. “Ladies’ stockings (tights, nylons, etc).”
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“I’ve purchased the expensive tights and the cheap Amazon brands. Both last about the same amount of time because I’m the one wearing them. Accidentally snagging them, putting fingers through them, wearing them out…now I just look at them as a disposable product.”
12. “Sunglasses.”
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“I’ll either misplace them or treat them like crap or both. Happy with my $30 pair of knockarounds.”
13. “Shower curtain liners.”
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“I’ve gone with the $30 anti-microbial and the $3 cheapies. They’re the same. I’ve tried using cloth, and that just doesn’t work for us.”
14. “I think a lot of things vary in quality but have a ceiling. Steak is a good example.
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“There’s a lot of just okay $30 steaks out there, but a $55 steak and a $95 steak are both great. At a certain point, you’re just paying for the ambience.”
15. “Luxury skincare.”
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“You can have great skin with basic pharmacy brands like La Roche-Posay and CeraVe. And they’re less irritating.”
16. “The newest version of the college textbook.”
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“First, I try to find a free PDF. Then rent or, if I have to, buy a $5 falling-to-pieces copy. For most subjects, they haven’t added anything earth-shattering new in a new edition, and often the professor doesn’t care.”
17. “Bath mats.”
Awali Kriswanto / Getty Images
“You’re barely on them as is, so why spend the extra money on them?”
18. “Some furniture. I love Ikea, and sometimes the difference in price is very hard to justify.”
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19. “Phone cases.”
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“I dont understand how some of these are very expensive.”
20. “Bags of ice.”
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21. “Paint brushes for just general purpose home projects.”
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“Those $0.70 Daiso paint brushes are pure boar bristle, have a crisp, clean cut to the bristles, don’t shed (just flick them a couple times first to get the couple loose hairs out, then dip in paint), and I have no incentive to waste time and hazmat trying to clean them. The $0.70 ones only go up to 2 inches wide, though.
Tried $5 per brush and no difference (for me, that I can tell).”
22. “Mexican food.”
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“The more affordable, authentic hole-in-the-wall spots are much better than the expensive Tex-Mex restaurants.”
23. “Coolers.”
Valeriia Mikhaylova / Getty Images
“My brother has a nice Yeti cooler, which is really fantastic, but the difference in quality is not enough to justify the cost difference over my $45 cooler I bought at Target.”
24. “Vodka.”
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“‘Premium vodka’ is an oxymoron. Especially for mixing, use the cheapest stuff. Save your money for Scotch and excellent wine.”
25. And finally, “Creatine monohydrate.”
Djavan Rodriguez / Getty Images
“It’s creatine monohydrate; there is no such thing as a ‘better one.’”
Can you think of anything else that belongs on this list? Let me know in the comments, or if you prefer to stay anonymous, feel free to use the Google Form below.
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