Alright Gents, what are some things in your life that when you buy them you absolutely refuse to skimp on getting a lesser product and buy a higher quality ware?  Conversely, what are some things that you just buy the cheapest crap available and expect to replace it when it breaks again with another cheap-o item of the same type?

 

For me?  I am obsessed with A/V equipment and splurge on high end tvs, sound components, and especially make sure to have good quality cables to connect everything.  There are other things I like to have of good quality as well but I know some people just brag their tv is 85" but it's an Emerson and largely looks like crap lol but HeY It'S bIGgER!

 

Things I don't spend a lot on though?  I will almost always try a store brand item before I try a name brand item to see if it tastes the same (and in some cases I've found generic brands to actually taste better).  I have no problem paying more for the name brand if I can truly taste a difference but yep, i'll usually roll generic first on food stuffs for the pantry. 

 

P.S. Paying for quality toilet paper is a no-brainer.  Charmin Ultra-strong...ride or die!

Hookers. 

1 minute ago, SilverBullet said:

Hookers. 

good for you! 

I've never dabbled with paying for poon.  I guess I'll add that to my list of things I refuse to splooge...errr..splurge on

41 minutes ago, hovertical said:

what are some things in your life that when you buy them you absolutely refuse to skimp on getting a lesser product and buy a higher quality ware?

Bed sheets. 

7 minutes ago, SilverBullet said:

Hookers. 

They have a shitty refund policy

Just now, SonOfJack said:

Bed sheets. 

that's a good one too.  I absolutely love the Brooklinen brand linen sheets.  My wife loves some other brand's sateen sheets.

I'm surprised no one asked if hookers was my response for "refusing to skimp on" or "generic brand is good enough."

1 minute ago, SilverBullet said:

I'm surprised no one asked if hookers was my response for "refusing to skimp on" or "generic brand is good enough."

tbh it's cheaper if you just take a girl to Chili's anyway

Real answer: toilet paper, American cheese, cream cheese, canned tuna, ketchup... I can't go low quality on those ever.

I don't think I have an answer for higher priced or novelty type items, I'll have to think about that. I don't spend a ton of money on entertainment type stuff for myself anymore.

As far as choice of baseball teams go I know most of us here have been going with the cheap off-brand shit for years and years. 

My job uses the shittiest (pun intended) level of toilet paper ever. You don't know how important toilet paper is until you have to use the worst kinds imaginable. 

Just now, SilverBullet said:

My job uses the shittiest (pun intended) level of toilet paper ever. You don't know how important toilet paper is until you have to use the worst kinds imaginable. 

I'm pretty sure this level of cheapness extends to everything else there. When covid necessitated hand sanitizer being bought, we ended up having to dump all the shit we were sent because it turned out to be alcohol free, which obviously doesn't even kill anything. No clue what's the point of alcohol free hand sanitizer. How is that even allowed to be called hand sanitizer is beyond me. It literally doesn't do what it's supposed to do. This has also made me question our choice of hand soap. Geez. 

4 minutes ago, SilverBullet said:

My job uses the shittiest (pun intended) level of toilet paper ever. You don't know how important toilet paper is until you have to use the worst kinds imaginable. 

i NEVER travel without my own supply. I've found awful paper at really nice hotels on some occasions. I also always take some with me when I go back to Tampa since I stay at my in-laws and although they don't use the wet tissue paper that a lot of public shitters have it's only a step up so yeah - gotta bring my own. 

I'm also one of those people who have to be almost to the point they're going to blow out the back of their trousers before they take a shit in a public restroom. That said, Buc-ee's travel stops have literally the cleanest and most "secure" stalls I've ever seen to where a man can really relax and take his time in there.  Props to you Buc-ee Beaver!

1 hour ago, hovertical said:

Alright Gents, what are some things in your life that when you buy them you absolutely refuse to skimp on getting a lesser product and buy a higher quality ware?

Protein powder. Sits better in my stomach and breaks up in the liquid easier when going with the finer / higher quality powder.

4 minutes ago, SilverBullet said:

I'm pretty sure this level of cheapness extends to everything else there. When covid necessitated hand sanitizer being bought, we ended up having to dump all the shit we were sent because it turned out to be alcohol free, which obviously doesn't even kill anything. No clue what's the point of alcohol free hand sanitizer. How is that even allowed to be called hand sanitizer is beyond me. It literally doesn't do what it's supposed to do. This has also made me question our choice of hand soap. Geez. 

I get a kick out of some of the hand soaps out there that are "artisanal" because it'll be made of goat milk and olive oil and fragrance and some other material NONE of which do a damn thing to kill bacteria.  If you're worried about your hands being dried out from a soap then just use a hand lotion after washing.  It's not rocket science.

3 minutes ago, hovertical said:

I get a kick out of some of the hand soaps out there that are "artisanal" because it'll be made of goat milk and olive oil and fragrance and some other material NONE of which do a damn thing to kill bacteria.  If you're worried about your hands being dried out from a soap then just use a hand lotion after washing.  It's not rocket science.

I have a friend who literally REFUSES to use any sort of soap on his dishes, utensils, etc. because of the "chemicals" that get into your body.  He literally will tell anyone "all you need to do is spray water really really hard on the surface and it'll clean off the surface just fine".  

He's also constantly sick and has all sorts of stomach ailments but like most crazy people, they know they're 100% right and it has nothing to do with the most logical of answers.  Once I found out his cleaning methods I stopped using anything at his apartment because I knew it was freaking filthy. 

20 minutes ago, hovertical said:

I have a friend who literally REFUSES to use any sort of soap on his dishes, utensils, etc. because of the "chemicals" that get into your body.  He literally will tell anyone "all you need to do is spray water really really hard on the surface and it'll clean off the surface just fine".  

He's also constantly sick and has all sorts of stomach ailments but like most crazy people, they know they're 100% right and it has nothing to do with the most logical of answers.  Once I found out his cleaning methods I stopped using anything at his apartment because I knew it was freaking filthy. 

Wasn't sure whether to like this, laugh at it, cry, or throw up... so you get the banana. What a post.

Not to that extreme but my in laws also think they know everything and then they have the worst eating habits and food preparation and storage habits and then they call my wife to complain almost nightly about their awful stomach issues. The only people who don't see the problem is them. And when you point it out to them they think you're crazy. 

15 minutes ago, SilverBullet said:

Wasn't sure whether to like this, laugh at it, cry, or throw up... so you get the banana. What a post.

Not to that extreme but my in laws also think they know everything and then they have the worst eating habits and food preparation and storage habits and then they call my wife to complain almost nightly about their awful stomach issues. The only people who don't see the problem is them. And when you point it out to them they think you're crazy. 

He literally tells me I don't constantly get sick because I've simply "built up a tolerance" to the chemicals versus his "natural" lifestyle.  Another thing he takes TONS of is kratom root which is freaking awful for you if you take it all the time as it causes severe constipation if you're abusing it (same as narcotics do) but nope, can't tell him that all that kratom he mixes into water every day is the bane of his continual uphill battle against just taking a simple dump.  He's very much a substance abuser - not necesarily just drugs though throughout his life although he did get into opioids for a couple years back in the early 2000's.  It's just always....SOMETHING that he HAS to have every day.  For awhile it was painkillers, then he went on methadone (which, imo, seemed to be almost as bad as opioids - he also completely wrecked his gf's brand new BMW when he fell asleep at the wheel after dosing methadone and ran into a light pole).  Then it was menthol cigs.  Next was Kratom and vaping.  He uses so much kratom that when he came to visit me in 2019 (on my own dime since of course he also never has a job) he had pre-ordered two giant plastic jugs of red kratom and green kratom ahead of time and he went through both in a week (think the HUUUGE jars of protein powder you'll see for a size comparison). 

 

52 minutes ago, hovertical said:

He literally tells me I don't constantly get sick because I've simply "built up a tolerance" to the chemicals versus his "natural" lifestyle.  Another thing he takes TONS of is kratom root which is freaking awful for you if you take it all the time as it causes severe constipation if you're abusing it (same as narcotics do) but nope, can't tell him that all that kratom he mixes into water every day is the bane of his continual uphill battle against just taking a simple dump.  He's very much a substance abuser - not necesarily just drugs though throughout his life although he did get into opioids for a couple years back in the early 2000's.  It's just always....SOMETHING that he HAS to have every day.  For awhile it was painkillers, then he went on methadone (which, imo, seemed to be almost as bad as opioids - he also completely wrecked his gf's brand new BMW when he fell asleep at the wheel after dosing methadone and ran into a light pole).  Then it was menthol cigs.  Next was Kratom and vaping.  He uses so much kratom that when he came to visit me in 2019 (on my own dime since of course he also never has a job) he had pre-ordered two giant plastic jugs of red kratom and green kratom ahead of time and he went through both in a week (think the HUUUGE jars of protein powder you'll see for a size comparison). 

 

I like to splurge on bath items, like soap, conditioner, shampoo, beard oil, etc. I also spend on furniture and things I consider to be relatively permanent.

Cheap shit, probably everything else.