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What Are Some Things You Won't Cheap Out On?

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  • What Are Some Things You Won't Cheap Out On?

    When it comes to batteries, if you're only using them to power your TV remote you really don't need the solar powered battery charger that sends alerts to your cellphone and coupons to your Facebook friends when it's time to replace it. The Dollar Store brand works just as well.

    But there are some things we absolutely refuse to cheap out on, if we're in a position to be picky.

    For me that thing is dish detergent. I like my dish detergent with Oxyclean all the way and I don't care if there's a slight danger it might dissolve my organs while Billy Mays laughs at me from above. It cleans my dishes and it's worth the extra dollar.

    What are some things you definitely don't mind paying the extra amount for?
    Don't waste time trying to convince someone that the sky is blue.

  • #2
    Duracell batteries. They last so much longer than cheaper brands (and yes, I have tried cheaper brands, and ended up paying nearly as much as it would have cost me to buy Duracell when I had to keep replacing them).

    Also, bras. Being a G cup I need to be sure my bra is going to support me long-term rather than just over the next few weeks. The extra effort (and money) spent on stitching and reinforcing by certain brands is well worth the extra money, since it has a knock-on effect on whether my back gets damaged by the bouncing.

    Finally, shoes. I'm a size 3.5 EEEE (for those non-Brits, that's very short and very wide). Trying to find wide-fit in cheaper brands that don't fall apart after the first couple of months is nearly impossible, so I end up spending quite a bit for shoes that will last me.
    "It is traditional when asking for help or advice to listen to the answers you receive" - RealUnimportant

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    • #3
      Kraft macaroni and cheese. No other brand is quite the same
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      • #4
        Dr. Pepper. I've never found a store brand "Dr. X" that tastes even remotely close.
        Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
        OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
        she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
        Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

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        • #5
          Thanksgiving turkeys. We started buying them fresh from the natural foods co-op, and now the frozen Butterball with injected liquid seems just mushy and gross.

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          • #6
            Nestea. If I buy instant iced tea it HAS to be that brand. Nothing else tastes as good. I don't use it much anymore because blood sugar control, but when I do, this is all I'll buy.
            Bounty paper towels. Pretty much the ONLY product I've ever found that actually lives up to the hype.
            Jockey undies for women. Bought a bunch of 'em 3-4 yrs ago and they're still almost like new, even with weekly laundering.
            Coffee. Because COFFEE.
            When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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            • #7
              Mushroom soup and tomato soup absolutely must be Campbell's. Ketchup must be Heinz, mustard must be French's. Instant oatmeal must be Quaker. Kraft mac & cheese. I know there's more but I'm blanking on them right now.

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              • #8
                Froot Loops cereal, nothing else tastes the same, Colgate toothpaste though no specific reason, just habit and feminine products because they are just better than any store brand. Also yes about the Kraft macaroni and cheese and Campbell's soups. And on the Dr. Pepper. I don't even try any other brand.
                I would have a nice day, but I have other things to do.

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                • #9
                  Quoth KuariKaydrith View Post
                  Mushroom soup and tomato soup absolutely must be Campbell's. Ketchup must be Heinz, mustard must be French's. Instant oatmeal must be Quaker. Kraft mac & cheese. I know there's more but I'm blanking on them right now.
                  I'm the same way with ketchup and mustard, both have to be Heinz or French's because it seems like the store band is more watered down or doesn't taste right. I don't get the big bottles of ketchup because I don't use it that much, but the mustard I try to get as big as a bottle as I can since I use it more often. I also only get Helman's mayo, again in a small container since I don't use it a lot.

                  For batteries I use Energizer or Duracell, the off brands last AT MOST two weeks before I need to trudge out and buy more. I use Duracell for the smoke alarms, they seem to last a good long while before I need to replace them.

                  For dish detergent I use Dawn, I will NOT use anything else since anything else I need to use the entire bottle just for a few spoons and forks. A couple of drops of Dawn is all I need, a small bottle can last me a good six months.
                  Eh, one day I'll have something useful here. Until then, have a cookie or two.

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                  • #10
                    Oh yeah, ketchup must be HUNTS. And batteries, Energizer, although I've bought Duracell when I had no choice. Off brands only last about a week
                    When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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                    • #11
                      Cheerios -- none of the knockoffs get it right. Mayonnaise has to be Hellman's original, all the others taste different enough to throw me off.

                      For ramen, I've started getting the fancy ones from the Asian-foods store, so much better than the supermarket brands (even if it's hard to find a non-spicy flavor for the Asian ones).

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Mental_Mouse View Post
                        Cheerios -- none of the knockoffs get it right. Mayonnaise has to be Hellman's original, all the others taste different enough to throw me off.

                        For ramen, I've started getting the fancy ones from the Asian-foods store, so much better than the supermarket brands (even if it's hard to find a non-spicy flavor for the Asian ones).
                        Is the preparation of those any different than Top or Maruchan?
                        Don't waste time trying to convince someone that the sky is blue.

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                        • #13
                          "Real" ramen in the far east is nothing like the garbage you get for super-cheap in the US. Thick noodles, real meat and vegetables, etc. I've never gotten any here to compare, but what I had "over there" makes Maruchan look like crap.
                          Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
                          OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
                          she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
                          Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

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                          • #14
                            Quoth TheWolfEmperor View Post
                            Is the preparation of those any different than Top or Maruchan?
                            They have more packets: Besides the packet of soup powder or liquid base, there's one of dried vegetables/garnishes, and/or one of flavored oil. And the noodles cook a little longer. I usually use the kit as a base: Increase the water to a quart or so, start it off with a pint or so of chopped veggies boiled for 10-20 minutes, then add the noodles and packets, and some frozen dumplings or the like.

                            No, it's not a patch on the fresh-made noodle soups that Deserted mentions (I haven't been to Asia, but I lived in NYC for ten years ), but around here, I'm hard put to find decent pho, much less "real" udon or ramen soup. And being a non-driver is a serious handicap in getting to some of the places outside the downtown area.

                            To give you an idea, there is a ramen "pop-up" that appears in my local Whole Foods one evening a week... and I usually work that evening.

                            On the other hand, we just got one of those "poke bowl" places, and having liked the cold bowls, I'll surely try their soups some time. Possibly in a few months when the heat breaks. The poke bowls themselves are great hot-weather food though.

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                            • #15
                              Quoth Mental_Mouse View Post

                              To give you an idea, there is a ramen "pop-up" that appears in my local Whole Foods one evening a week... and I usually work that evening.
                              On the subject of not cheaping out, this is why I like Whole Foods. They really do try to make a variety of new things available to people who shop there. I've discovered a new favorite brand of pickles that are made by a Massachussetts based company and they're worth the price every single time

                              Also, when I'm done with the pickles, unlike the cheaper brands, the pickle juice can be used afterwards.
                              Don't waste time trying to convince someone that the sky is blue.

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