# Cheap vs not cheap **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 19, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972 "2010-05-19T04:27:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/1 "2010-05-19T04:27:04Z")
What do you consider fine to buy cheap vs not fine to buy cheap? Mine: Not fine: Toilet paper. Toilet paper that is both strong and smooth is crucial. Pants. Pants I have bought at Walmart have invariably ripped in crucial places not long after purchase. Fine: Vodka. I used to get citrus flavored mid level vodka. But then I tried Georgi, and really, that’s just fine. Phone chargers. The more expensive ones still wear out in 6 months. And really, something that is essentially just a PLUG should not cost over five dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/2 "2010-05-19T04:33:19Z")
Fine to buy cheap: sugar, flour, rice, beans, spices, water. Not fine: All other food groceries (I can tell the difference big-time) Fine to buy cheap: socks, bras, underwear (relatively cheap, anyway, not cheapcheap). Not fine to buy cheap: shoes (cheap shoes=blisters and scars). Fine to buy cheap: microwaves, dvd players, and cordless phones (all inexpensive enough now to almost be disposable) Not fine to buy cheap: tvs and stereo systems ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/3 "2010-05-19T04:53:06Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Phone chargers. The more expensive ones still wear out in 6 months. And really, something that is essentially just a PLUG should not cost over five dollars. 😕 Do you mean chargers to use with standard 120V wall outlets? Those aren’t just plugs, they’re transformers. And I don’t know that I’ve _ever_ had one wear out; I can’t recall buying one except with a new phone. In fact, I seem to have an abundance of transformers generally–I’ve got a bag with a variety of different output voltages from various devices–because the transformers outlast the devices more often than the reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/4 "2010-05-19T05:07:35Z")
I’ve always heard that the two things you should never skimp on because of cost are shoes and mattresses. It makes sense - if you spend a third of your life in bed, you want to be comfy. And you can generalize and say that if you’re not in bed, you’re probably on your way somewhere else, usually with shoes on. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/5 "2010-05-19T13:02:10Z")
Fine to buy cheap: golf balls. These days I buy whatever COSTCO has a deal on. Maybe it makes a difference to scratch golfers, but I’m a 20-handicapper. What do I care if my approach shot backs up gently after it lands or bounces/rolls five yards further given that I have no idea where it’s going to land in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/6 "2010-05-19T13:43:00Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Fine to buy cheap: sugar, flour, rice, beans, spices, water. Every time I got pantry moths it seemed like I could trace it to cheap rice. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/7 "2010-05-19T13:50:25Z")
I never buy cheap steak or expensive hookers. (Stolen from a previous thread I think.) ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/8 "2010-05-19T14:06:12Z")
This is based on buying the Kroger brand equivalent of certain items. Fine: Mouthwash (ingredients are no different than Listerine) Day and Night time cough medicine (ingredients are no different than NyQuil and DayQuil) Ibuprofin (active ingredients same as Advil) Cooking spray Paper plates, plasticware, napkins Not fine: Trash Bags (much thinner than Glad) Daily Face Wash (has fewer, larger micro scrubbers than Johnson & Johnson) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/9 "2010-05-19T15:24:32Z")
Cheap: booze that is going to be mixed Not cheap: booze that is going to be sipped (the one current “exception” is Bacardi Silver rum. Bevmo has been running a special - 1 liter for $1 (750ml goes for $15.98. 1.75l goes for $16.98!!!)) Store brands of most foods are just as good if not better than brand names. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/10 "2010-05-19T15:28:04Z")
Cheap: OTC drugs - ibuprofen, allergy meds, etc. They’re all the same as the name brands. most store-brand foods/condiments Not Cheap: bras (they either don’t fit, or they do, but fall apart, and I spend more money replacing them than I would if I’d bought a good one to begin with) shoes bedding (sheets, comforter, etc) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/11 "2010-05-19T22:42:37Z")
fine: toilet paper (10p a roll does just fine) dishwasher tablets (4p per tablet andI can’t tell the difference. clean is clean) Not fine: Whisky, you’ll have to prize my 21yr old Balvenie portwood from from my cold, dead, drunk hands Over the course of year we can save about £80 on the former, which is useful because that’s how much the latter costs (and a bottle lasts me a year) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/12 "2010-05-19T23:05:44Z")
I don’t like cheap TP, it shreds and doesn’t get the job done. My father served in the Korean war/conflict/police action, and you should HEAR him on the subject of cheap toilet paper. Or on the subject of needing TP and not having any. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/13 "2010-05-20T00:14:56Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > I’ve always heard that the two things you should never skimp on because of cost are shoes and mattresses. > > It makes sense - if you spend a third of your life in bed, you want to be comfy. And you can generalize and say that if you’re not in bed, you’re probably on your way somewhere else, usually with shoes on. For the same reason as mattresses: Sheets. Cheap linens are not allowed. For cars: I never skimp on the battery, I always get the highest rated battery regardless of cost. I go cheap on lots of food staples. Beans are beans, sugar is sugar, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Joanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@Joanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joanie)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/14 "2010-05-20T00:17:37Z")
This is a prime example of a thread for which I wish I could come back at any time and make edits because I’d like to add a few examples from time to time as I think of them. The first and foremost thing that comes to my mind are mattesses. There is no better example of something that is worth spending as much money as you can get your hands on to buy the finest quality available. The reason is that you spend such a large percentage of your life sleeping, it’s really worth having the finest quality mattress that you can get. Oh, darn it! It never occurred to me that I should have read the entire thread to check that no one else had said “mattresses” before I did. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/15 "2010-05-20T00:47:25Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Store brands of most foods are just as good if not better than brand names. I don’t know where you shop, but IME, no way. I’ve found huge differences in quality between the two. Like someone else said, staples are one thing- sugar is sugar. But store brand cereal, frozen vegetables, coffee, spaghetti sauce, soda, mac n cheese, and other things like that? I’ve found them to be of much lower quality. ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/16 "2010-05-20T00:54:32Z")
Define cheap. Chintzy, or inexpensive? I understand that some times you have to pay more to get a decent product, but I don’t really look at a higher price tag as a guarantee of higher quality. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/17 "2010-05-20T01:20:11Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I don’t know where you shop, but IME, no way. I’ve found huge differences in quality between the two. Like someone else said, staples are one thing- sugar is sugar. But store brand cereal, frozen vegetables, coffee, spaghetti sauce, soda, mac n cheese, and other things like that? I’ve found them to be of much lower quality. Costco’s Kirkland brand is one of the best in the country, IMO. Stater Bros. Honey Ohs are just the same as Honey Nut Cheerios, at half the price. The list goes on. I’ve done side-by-side comparisons, and 90% of the time the store brands are just as good if not better. YMobviouslyV. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/18 "2010-05-20T09:03:14Z")
Bad: TP Paper Towels Electronic Devices Sushi Italian Food Good: Jeans Shoes (I’m currently wearing a pair I got for a dollar at the Garment District in Boston) Fast Food Your mom ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/19 "2010-05-20T12:58:20Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I don’t know where you shop, but IME, no way. I’ve found huge differences in quality between the two. Like someone else said, staples are one thing- sugar is sugar. But store brand cereal, frozen vegetables, coffee, spaghetti sauce, soda, mac n cheese, and other things like that? I’ve found them to be of much lower quality. Some store brands are much lower in quality, and some are the same or better. As much as I hate WalMart, I have to admit that their version of Tucks is even better than the name brand. And I also prefer their version of SlimFast. My husband likes WalMart, so I don’t have to shop there if I don’t want to, I just put stuff on the “dry goods” list (dry goods is basically anything that isn’t really groceries). I’ve had some decent experiences with other store brand items, too. But my family has a very distinct preference for name brand spaghetti sauce, and mac and cheese, and cold cereal. I’m usually willing to experiment with a store brand, if it comes in a reasonably sized package. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972/20 "2010-05-20T13:30:00Z")
Cheap OTC meds whose effectiveness is regulated anyway are fine. Cheap Giant brand raisins taste better to me than expensive Dole ones. Many cheap things, though, it’s better to do without than buy. I hate the idea that you are only out the price, because you spend time messing with cheap junk and are delayed fixing whatever problem you bought it for in the first place. If you buy cheap, you pay for it but you don’t get it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-vs-not-cheap/539972.md?page=2)