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.
Phones.
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.
A cheap phone last about as long and does 90% the same stuff
This is true. You can get an almost equal performance out of a cheap phone. But I learned that more expensive or high-end phones recieve more software updates than cheaper entry-tier phones.
For instance, I own an LG K8 (Model LG-M200E) from 2017. The battery still holds enough charge (although it is designed to be replaced), the camera works, the touch display still responds properly - but it only recieved one update (Android 7 --> Android 8) in 2018. I wouldn’t consider it secure and I certainly don’t have my online banking on the phone. Meanwhile it gets very hot and slow when I use Google Maps. Unfortunately, there is no way to replace its operating system with an alterntive OS, linke Grephene OS or Lineage. None of the many alternative operating systems offer suppert for this specific model.
My next phone will propably be mid-price ranged.
Edit: typos
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.
I agree with everything but using Google sheets. It’s neither free nor open source. You don’t pay with money but with your privacy. Libre office is just as good as a desktop application and is actually FOSS. If you absolutely need the cloud storage, get a provider you can trust, buy the space and sync your files online, after editing locally.
In my experience… computer mice.
I can pay 80 dollars for a gaming mouse that dies in 6 months or I can buy a 7 dollar walmart mouse that dies in a year. Realistically how your mouse settings are configured matters more than the type of mouse you have and I have had bad experiences with more expensive mice dying under the strain I put them through. i.e usually the middle mouse wheel/button dies first because I use it A LOT. And if the damn thing is going to die in 6 months to a year anyway I may as well buy them in 6 packs and not bother throwing 10+ times tge money at them.
I have a simailar strategy: I bought a mouse, considered it good enough to work with, bought the same mouse again to put it away for when the first-bought mouse is failing.
I do the same with shoes since I wear the same brand and model for years, so that an internet purchase is without any risk for me.
Shaving foam: its so much worse for the environment and always with horrible perfume. Shaving soap is amazing, like in the old days.
Safety razors: the old one-blade ones are sometimes more of an investment (10-15€) but the blades are way cheaper and standardized. You never need to buy overpriced stuff again.
Agree on Soap. All the fluid stuff with perfume is money waste.
New tech. Wait 2 years and get some used ones for ⅓ the price.
Clothes: there are cheap quality brands, but expensive ones are often made in the same factories. Nike, Adidas, Gucci, LV, …
Toilet paper: simply buy recycled. Its the last process of paper recycling (lol) so why?? Why would you buy brands that have weird contracts with logging companies and destroy forests?
Conventional Food brands doing fruit Joghurt, dairy products, meat, with only fake seals. Its literally the same bullshit in there. Same for Crisps, …
Flour, sugar, electricity, coffe, … they are all different cathegories. If you buy ecological, full-grain etc. they have different growing standards, so its a huge difference.
Often its about investing more one time, and then keeping it. Capitalism prevents that, as it doesnt make much sense for companies today, to survive.
Medicine in a pharmacy, similar to the pregnancy tests.
