Use as little or as much justification as you like.
I’ll never buy cheap:
–shoes (I couldn’t care less about labels but I care a lot about quality/durability)
–electronics (the Biglotscosama brands tend to die soon and so aren’t priceworthy- the exception is computers which I generally buy with the notion they’re disposable in 3 years)
–soft drinks (the StoreBrand sucks, I’ll pay the extra for Coke/Pepsi)
I’ll never buy expensive:
–cigarette lighters- I’ve never kept one more than 2 months and refueling is something I never get around too; the .50 variety works just as well
–watches- never have really understood the point when the $20 Timex works just as well as the $500 one that’s usable to 500 miles underwater and tells the time in Seoul (like I care)
–jeans/khakis- I can’t stand the thoughts of buying one pair of designer name khakis when I could get 5 pairs at Sam’s Club for the same amount
Et tu?
Another expensive thing I’ll never buy: writing pens. I’ve gotten so many Cross and other expensive fountain pens over the years but I couldn’t lay hands on a single one unless there’s one between my sofa cushions or whatever. I leave them, I lose them, I never refill them, etc.
Sunglasses: again, people lose these things like they were babies born at a prom. If it’s a $7 pair of WalMart glasses I’m not gonna be torn up about it but if they cost the price of 4 dinners and 4 movies I’m going to be furious (and you know they’re not gonna be there when you come back).
And I’ll never buy cheap: writing pens. I’m talking about the 10 for a dollar variety at Dollar General cheap. I like the Flexigrips the best- about 2 or 3 for a dollar and they write smoothly but if you leave one at a restaurant, big whoop.
Or cheap sheets. You get what you pay for when you buy a set of $10 60-threadcount sheets. I’d rather have one really good quality set and just wash it a lot.
shoes. I can tear up a $200 dollar pair of shoes just as fast as I can tear up a $20 dollar pair - sometimes faster. Since I can’t wear high heels anymore, I wait until the cowboy boots I want go on sale. And paying over $50 for a freaking pair of flip flops? Be still my heart.
-cigarette lighters. I can remember once in my life I have held on to a lighter long enough for it to run out of fluid.
-socks. If I have a pair I really like (such as my Bad Cat “I do bad things” socks, the washer/dryer/clothes hamper is going to consign one of them to the eternal night, and I am left with only one to remind me of the love we shared.
I don’t buy cheap:
-towels. I like a fluffy towel. I don’t want one that is going to end up in the lint trap the first time it goes in the dryer.
-cheese. I like real cheese. I don’t consider “PasturizedProcessCheeseFood” to be cheese, and it does not enter my home. My grilled cheese sandwiches (perfectly made by Mr. SCL, who makes the best ones in the world) are made with real cheddar. Not :sniff: that American crap.
-cat food. I can tell the difference in the look and feel of my cats fur. And I can tell the difference in the litter box, both in quanity and aroma.
Cigars or pipe tobacco. A premium handrolled cigar is one of life’s great joys. And I find that the expensive pipe blends are more flavourful and less harsh than the standard corner store stuff.
Spirits. I like top-shelf stuff. Well, within reason–I really don’t want to pay $250 for that bottle of Ye Olde Rare Whiskey Aged 40 Years. Still, a few extra dollars for a bottle of liquor is worth it when looking to relax with a great single-malt or bourbon, or to mix a premium martini.
I’ll never buy expensive:
Automobiles. I have no interest in Porsches, Ferraris, or other high-performance machines. Mind, I have no complaints about them, but they’re just not my cup of tea.
Wines. I don’t know much about them, so don’t waste an expensive wine on me. I suppose I could learn about them, though.
Garbage bags- You remember those old Glad or Hefty commercials where the “cheap” brand would break and all the garbage would fall out of it and onto the floor? Yep, it’s really happened to me. I’ll pay a premium price to not have to touch my garbage again while having to bag it back up and then have to clean up the mess it left on the floor.
Shoes- I don’t buy expen$ive shoes, but I am willing to pay more than the bargain-bin price. My feet’s comfort is important enough to wear durable, comfortable shoes. I’ve worn cheap, crappy shoes and I don’t need to have sore feet from wearing them.
CD-ROM/DVD blanks- I once bought some cheap no-name brand. After several of them became drink coasters I decided not to chance it with the rest of them. The ones that did burn successfully I reburned again to better discs since I didn’t want to take any chances with them.
I’ll never buy expensive:
Pens- I don’t do all that much writing by hand as it is, and when I do, I don’t need anything more than a Bic pen to do the job. Hell, come to think of it, I hardly ever buy pens at all. I manage to collect the ones I find others have left behind.
Razors- The in-house brand has always given me a clean shave.
Ramen. There’s actually such a thing as good ramen (usually $5-$10 a bowl), to the extent that it shouldn’t even be considered the same substance as the instant stuff we ate in college. If you compare bowls of 10 ramen and .10 instant, the difference in quality easily surpasses the 100-fold difference in price.
I’ll never buy expensive:
Pens. I treat them as disposable. If someone gives me an expensive pen, I lock it away in a desk because I can’t bear to just lose something that expensive.
Umbrellas. Same reason. $10 is my limit, and $3-5 is more common.
Bags. Once you strip away the fashion, a $10 bag does just as well as a $1000 bag. And since fashion hardly blips my radar, the choice is obvious.
I’ll never buy cheap:
crayons. It’s got to be Crayola or nothing! Rose art? Feh.
paper towel
frozen French fries
sheets
bras ( the girls insist on the finest )
soda pop
I’ll never buy expensive:
sunglasses (I lose them all the time)
detergents (the store brands work as well as Downey, Tide, Dawn, or Cascade)
jeans (you’ll never catch me spending more than 30.00 a pair)
lipstick
dishes (at least not until my boys move out!)
I’ll chime in with I’ll never buy expensive sunglasses. The cheaper they are, the more likely I am to hold onto them forever, and the more expensive… well, I’ll just say I spent $250 on a pair of sunglasses once, and left them in a cab less than two hours later.
I’ll never buy cheap:
liquor
toilet paper or tissues
trash bags
I’ll never buy expensive:
pens
lighters
sunglasses
umbrellas
or anything else that is going to get lost
I’ve always wondered about this. I first saw ramen offered on a menu at LAX, and I thought, “Why would you pay somebody money to make ramen for you?” I shall give it a try (though not at LAX, it’s a bit far!).
I would buy expensive sunglasses if I had the money. I grew up wearing glasses, so I would hang on to them (I try to wear contacts most of the time now, though sometimes I’m just too tired).
I’m one of the expensive-lighter guys, though. Not the flashy ones with the LED lights, because they always break down. But I always would buy refillable lighters that light in the wind and such back when I smoked various things. The difference in where you could light them–considering what I smoked, and that I couldn’t just walk out to some other place to catch the wind at the different angle, I had to do it in a hiding spot–was always way more than enough to be worth it. And the bottles of butane are cheap, you can buy them at 7-11, and it only takes a second to refill.
[QUOTE=FaerieBeth]
I’ll never buy cheap:
crayons. It’s got to be Crayola or nothing! Rose art? Feh.
Ain’t that the truth? It’s like drawing with a candle!
I’ll never buy cheap:
jeans. They don’t fit right.
steaks. It’s filet mignon or nothing. I cannot stand the letdown experienced when you think about eating a steak all day and you take your first bite and it sucks.
Furniture. I’ve had cheap furniture and it doesn’t hold up (upholstered stuff, I’m talkin’)
I’ll never buy expensive:
Lighters. My SIL bought me a great butane lighter. It’s so cute! But the fuel runs out all on its own. Caveat: I like a Bic disposable, but the other brand that I occasionally get for free with the purchase of a carton of butts…they suck.
Cars. They’re too damned overpriced for what you get. A carefully purchased used vehicle is the way to go.
I used to think this too. Then I discovered non-stick aluminum foil. Nothing sticks or burns onto it. This may sound minor, but really, once you try it you’ll never go back. Chop up some potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and onions and wrap them with a little butter in nonstick aluminum foil. Grill for half an hour or so. I swear, you’ll be a convert. Food of the gods. Equally fantastic: Glad Press and Seal. You will never buy “saran wrap” again.
…drugs. By the time you can get it that cheap it’s been stepped on so many times you’re snorting baby laxative.
I will never buy expensive:
…prostitutes. As long as they’re clean and willing, I don’t see the need to be spending extra money on something that’s gonna end up the same regardless.
)