I posed a question the other day about buying cheap vitamins, and whether they were as effective as the expensive brands. The general consensus was that they varied, but generally store brand and generic vitamins are OK. What is an item that you shouldn't cut costs on? Maybe there is a brand you trust a lot, or a product that buying on the cheap costs you more time and trouble in the long run, please share!
I have a handful of them. Toilet paper and feminine hygiene products, for example. I just don't think it's worth cutting costs in those areas usually. Actually, many toiletry items in general because I only buy name brand Q-tips for use in ears, too. I'll buy the cheap ones for nails or cleaning, but because the swabs tend to come apart on cheap brands, I don't want that coming off in my ear!
Haha! toilet paper is a good one! Nothing is to good for down there! I guess feminine hygiene would also be an area not to skimp on, although I don't have any experience with that I think anything to do with your health needs to be a quality product. After all, if we don't have our health, life is not going to be very enjoyable.
As was said before toiletry products, especially feminine hygiene products you shouldn't cut corners on. We all you you shouldn't cut corners on electronics either, compare prices but don't go with the utter cheapest choice.
I know people say when it comes to beauty products cheap is just as good. I totally disagree, I think the ingredients and price are very important. Sometimes cheap really does translate to harmful to your skin, harsh products or quite simply INEFFECTIVE. So I try to marry the two; I scrutinise the ingredients list and check the price to ensure I'm getting my money's worth. I tend to go for known brands. I don't compromise on price when it comes to my skin.
I don't skimp on chocolate, pesto sauce or shoes. Chocolate, because you have to enjoy it other wise what's the point? I have had budget pesto and it was awful, I would rather have a small quantity than more of something that was bland. Shoes are important as cheap ones ruin your feet and hurt. Otherwise I have learned there are budget items for many things you can get by on.
Electronic items are definitely the things that you should not skimp on. My dad bought a cheap electric fan and it started malfunctioning after a few months. Also, storage devices like flash drives and memory cards, since you can lose all your valuable data in there. And from my experience, you should not skimp on home security. Cheap doorknobs and padlocks are easy ways for a thief to get to your stuff without any signs of forced entry.
A cheaper way would be to booby trap your room or rooms with say marbles on the floor so they fall over if they break in? As for padlocks they can be broken and picked, but the best ones are the combination locks. Soon technology as has fingerprint entry so no key is needed, just to touch the pad with the finger tip. I think that's why electronic companies need to maintain their reputation and image as that is what sells.
I will try anything once, and much prefer to try cheaper brands before I make the decision never to go near them again. I think there are some things - like certain items of clothing - that you should spend more money on, because it means they'll last longer. But that doesn't mean that I spend hundreds on designer labels. I mean more along the lines of just no buying the absolute bargain brands. Don't get me wrong, a bargain is great sometimes, and you do get the option of saving a lot of money whilst still being able to get hold of some new clothes, too.
I think vacations are worth the expense. I will still hunt for bargains, but I am willing to blow a months worth of income on a nice getaway. I feel like I work very hard and one way to get the stress of work off my shoulders and get my head right is to get away and forget about it for a week. I have been trying to take a vacay at least once a year.
I think our biggest splurge is when my husband and I take a little getaway. It's never anything too crazy, but when we feel we need some time just for us and a break from the mundane, we'll take a night or a weekend off. We usually don't go too far away, but we stay at a hotel/resort/cabin or something instead of home, and just take the time to unwind and enjoy each others company. There's usually a nice dinner involved, and we pamper ourselves and each other a bit. I think it's important to rejuvenate from time to time, so I it's worth it. I can cut costs elsewhere to save up for it.
For me it is hair care products and make up. I purchase my hair care products at the salon when I go to get my hair cut. I have very finicky hair and cheap hair care products do not do as well to tame it. I also have sensitive skin, so I splurge on Lancome makeup. It does not break me out like some of the drug store brands do. I don't wear make up all the time, so it lasts me for quite a while when I do buy it
Totally agree with Jessi. Other than that, I'll never skimp on proper nutrition. Everyone here thinks I'm a nutbar for it.. extreme even LOL, but I want to be comfortable until I die and my best shot is through health.... obviously! lol. I spend less than I ever did on groceries now that I eat almost no processed foods.. but occasionally, something will be pricey. I won't skimp, because I'm saving anyway.. but even if I weren't, health comes first and it's flipping delicious to boot
Oh, but the thieves can also pick combination locks, so in my case that's not an option. Never buy any of the common models since you can use a cut-out Coke tin foil, and like a credit card passing through a door it opens the mechanism of a lock. Buy Abloy or Multi-Lock, now that can't be picked. There are lots of lock picking tutorials on Youtube and you will find out that the cheap ones give a false sense of security.
Maybe you need a security system like a alarm that sounds if the door is opened? Or maybe a mini camera above the door which connects to the phone which alerts you when the door handle is being tried? I guess there is something called a Banham lock which is really hard to break into and you can't get keys cut for them either. Many people invest in these locks and if you get locked out, it costs a fortune for a new key.
I sleep quite deeply, like a dead person, so I have lost all my faith in alarms. My room has a barrel bolt, although you can enter there through other ways. I just googled Banham Locks and they look expensive. I think a deadbolt can keep ordinary lock pickers out. But that is something worth investing in if you can't have the keys duplicated.
I would agree with electronic gadgets and appliances. You should never buy them cheap because they might not have good quality and probably would overheat overtime that could eventually lead to fire. Same with toiletry and beauty products. Inexpensive products could cause you skin irritation or allergies.
I tend to spend on hotels when traveling. I know people say you should save on it since you would be spending the whole day outdoors anyway, but I think sleeping somewhere nice regenerates you a lot better since you are more comfortable and not to mention it also adds a lot to the experience. It's a bit easier to find good hotels at discounted price these days anyway so as much as possible I try not to skimp on too much when it comes to that.
Gotta agree with Rosyrain about the hair products. I have a long relationship with certain products that will tame my curls or my daughter's hair and I wouldn't skimp on that. There's really not too many grocery products that I can think of other than cheese. I would never intentionally buy cheap cheese. It's just something I love to splurge on and don't want it tasting like plastic like so many of the cheap ones do.
