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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
blender yes. Vitamix is really good
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.
Caulk, screws. Very much not worth having saved a few dollars when these things end up not working.
Scissors comes to mind. Don't spend a lot, just don't be shit dollar store ones.
Office chair
- highly reputed Oxymeter in medical establishment (do not buy inaccurate smartwatches, Apple is 20x ripoff and still subpar)
- Victorinox for Swiss army knife
- Victorinox or Leatherman for multitool
- reputed branded batteries (Maxell, Duracell, Sanyo, Sony, Eneloop et al)
- reputed battery/device chargers
- PSU/SMPS and UPS for computer (APC, Emerson, Schneider and other brands)
- reputed brand watches (Casio, Citizen, Seiko have affordable BIFL options)
- ThinkPad for laptop (user repairability, third party parts, open schematics)
- Levis for jeans, they are almost BIFL
- a good weighing machine for kitchen/home use
- a good mixer grinder WITH safety lock (atleast 750W)
- quality stationery pen, mechanical pencil, leads, eraser and other items (Uni, Pentel, Sakura, Staedtler et al, refer to JetPens website)
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. 🙄
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.
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.
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.
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).
Anything that broke and you need a replacement of.
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.Cooking spray: Walmart's just shoots liquid and PAM shoots a consistent spread that covers the pan much more evenly.
Dish soap: All of them leave some gooey residue that's tough to rinse except for Dawn. Dawn easily suds and rinses away without much effort.
Beer: I've never had a good store brand beer, I'll take even the lightest, most tasteless beer over any of Aldi's.
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.
Toilet paper.
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.
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.
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.
Nothing. I always pick the mid-range products
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!
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.
I don't know if that's just a German thing, but: Swiffer.
The knockoffs are all crap.
Helmets
Bed, shoes, tyres. Basically, the things that go between you and the ground should not be cheaped out on.
Condoms.
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.
A laptop. Specifically one of the bussiness lines like a ThinkPad or Dell. And a phone wih an AMOLED screen. $350 will do that.