# When buying the cheapest is ok. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198 "2015-01-07T05:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/41 "2015-01-07T18:48:16Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Yeah, don’t cut corners on flour. Sugar is fine though. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > Sugar is always exactly the same no matter what brand. There are those that claim there is a real difference between [beet sugar and cane sugar](http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SUGAR-SUGAR-Cane-and-beet-share-the-same-2939081.php) for baking, which apparently does vary with brand ( some lower-end ones use beet sugar ). There are also those that claim that while any _cane_ sugar is fine, brown sugars do supposedly vary in quality. I’m agnostic on the above, since I don’t bake. But apparently you can find advocates for anything :). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/42 "2015-01-07T19:08:38Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > White rice, the only difference you can tell is in freshness. Considering that the majority of rice is shipped in from overseas, we’re not really going to get much of a chance to taste rice that’s a week out of the paddy. So there’s a difference to be had…just not in the states. Basmati rice, on the other hand, seems to improve with age. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/43 "2015-01-07T20:44:29Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Remember the Enron(?) guy who bought a $6,000 shower curtain? That was unnecessary. He was a cheapskate compared to the estimable Mr. Thain, final CEO of Merrill Lynch. _Thain suggested to the directors that he receive a bonus in 2008 of as much as $10 million, because he “saved Merrill” by selling it off to Bank of America. After the compensation committee at Merrill refused the request, Thain reportedly dropped it on December 8, 2008._ _It was revealed on January 22, 2009 that Thain spent $1.22 million of corporate funds in early 2008 to renovate two conference rooms, a reception area, and his office, spending $131,000 for area rugs, $68,000 for an antique credenza, $87,000 for guest chairs, $35,115 for a gold-plated commode on legs, and $1,100 for a wastebasket. Thain subsequently apologized for his lapse in judgment, and reimbursed the company in full for the costs._ \* Thain accelerated approximately $4 billion in bonus payment to employees at Merrill just prior to the close of the deal with Bank of America. \* **[Wiki - John Thain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thain)** ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/44 "2015-01-07T22:05:46Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Apologies for questioning the premise (so early in the thread!) but absolute cheapest, or just cheapest among the choices at a respectable vendor? > > I buy the cheapest tires…but I go to a reputable tire store, so I know they aren’t selling utter crap. Just…kinda sorta crap. I could probably go to Tijuana, or a junkyard, or get the cheapest possible… > > For clothing, I go to outlet shops and surplus shops, because I really don’t care what kind of shirt I wear. For clothing, I push toward the absolute cheapest. (Any cheaper and I’d be buying fabric and sewing my own.) > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > **Always buy for best value.** It’s that simple - although determining “value” can be slippery. > > Most of the posts here have the right idea, including the OP. If a less-expensive option does the job and (more importantly) suits you, there’s no reason to buy anything more expensive. > > A more formal way to look at value judgment is to make a cold and conservative estimate of how many times (days, instances) you’ll use it before you no longer need it or it wears out. Divide the cost by that number. In the OP’s case, a cordless drill you expect to use for one job and maybe a few more costs either $1 or so per use, or $5-6… but if it’s a tool you’ll use indefinitely, once or twice a week, the better one will last much longer, do a better job and cost only a few cents per use over that time. Well worth the extra cost - and you can’t minimize convenience and comfort over longer use or ownership periods as inconsequential. More power, a better grip, dual batteries, a faster charger… all of these will add up for an oft-used tool but could be dispensed with for something used only a few times. > > The factor is called RCU - Real Cost per Use. It can get frightening and/or instructive when applied to things like motor homes, power sports equipment, high-end clothing and the like. 🙂 Much more eloquent than what I was going to say, Amateur Barbarian. I was going to point out the difference between the cheap version of something and the inexpensive version of something. I’m reminded of the old saying “you can’t afford to be poor.” Which basically means that buying the cheap version of something will likely cost you more in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/45 "2015-01-08T03:32:02Z")
> [@bump](#): > > …but it does mean that getting the **Ryobi** , Ridgid or Kobalt instead of the Harbor Freight equivalent is probably money well spent for most things. Having some experience with Ryobi, I say it’s utter crap - I needed a circular saw for a 4 month period while broke - I bought a Ryobi. It was trash within a month. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/46 "2015-01-08T03:50:08Z")
I much prefer plain old French’s yellow mustard to any of that fancy Grey Poupon and such. That other stuff is okay, and I do buy it but only so I won’t end up growing tired of French’s regular, which I would if I used it exclusively. But French’s yellow is damned good mustard. EDIT: I also prefer Log Cabin and Aunt Jemimah’s pancake syrups over any of those more expensive Canadian and Vermont offerings. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/47 "2015-01-08T03:54:24Z")
From my car experience, never skimp on brakes or tires, but a lot of the other stuff does not have to be top of the line. If the car is pretty worn out already, why pay for a lifetime-warranty muffler? Faddish items. If I expect to wear a clothing item a lot, or can see the style will last for years, I’m willing to pay more. But I go cheap with summer casual stuff because next year, most of it will change. Most garden plants. Cheap is good, even if Home Depot mistreated it. The trick here is to be sure you know the growing requirements of the plant before you buy. Places like Home Depot and WalMart are likely to carry plants that don’t survive very well in your climate. Books, I always check out the library sales and the used bookstores before heading to the Amazon site. Sometimes you even find valuable gems with autographs in them. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/48 "2015-01-08T04:20:47Z")
re tires, I stand advised! Thank you! I’ll bite the bullet and invest more wisely next time. > [@carnut](#): > > . . . Books, I always check out the library sales and the used bookstores before heading to the Amazon site. Sometimes you even find valuable gems with autographs in them. And, of course, when you get to Amazon, used books are often available and usually pretty cheap. What do I care if the dust-jacket is torn, or missing? What do I care if the spine is worn? As long as all the pages are there, and somebody’s kid hasn’t been at it with crayons, used books are fine! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/49 "2015-01-08T04:22:50Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > And, of course, when you get to Amazon, used books are often available and usually pretty cheap. What do I care if the dust-jacket is torn, or missing? What do I care if the spine is worn? As long as all the pages are there, and somebody’s kid hasn’t been at it with crayons, used books are fine! But the words are all old and stale! ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/50 "2015-01-08T04:26:08Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > How much difference can there really be between different brands of sugar? Perhaps at a chemical level they’re all the same, but they may have a different texture. I recently bought store-brand sugar and it has much larger granules than the name-brand. That doesn’t make a difference if you’re baking with it, but you may notice the difference if you eat the sugar as-is, like on a grapefruit or something like that. The name-brand has smoother and more consistent granules and it feels better on your tongue. Whether that’s worth the extra cost is up to you. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/51 "2015-01-08T04:40:08Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > We buy bulk Basmati at Sam’s, and it’s about the same price per pound as most domestic varieties. Well worth any small added cost. (NOT worth the huge markup in grocery stores…) Cheap white rice is about $0.35/lb while basmati is closer to $1.50. I know Sams club has a 20 lb bag for about $1/lb but personally I don’t like the taste of their brand. The lower GI and better taste is worth it though. Jasmine is also great and cheaper (but has a much higher GI). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/52 "2015-01-08T04:45:58Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Their was another thread which discusses paying more for quality. > > But I want to ask, when is it ok to just buy the cheapest? > > For me its stuff your only going to use maybe once. For example I’ll go to Harbor Freight and buy a cordless drill for $20 if I only want to use it for a couple of days on a project. Better than a $120 Dewalt. > > So I’d vote for items your only going to use once. Plastic and styrofoam cups aren’t any different when you get the cheapest. Toothpicks either. However plastic silverware and paper plates have a quality difference between cheap and higher cost. Certain sodas (root beer, orange, fruit flavored, etc) are just as good cheap as the more expensive brands. However cheap soda is never as good as coke or pepsi. generic OTC drugs (usually). Some have lower concentrations of active ingredients but most are the same. Cheap razors are much better than the expensive ones. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/53 "2015-01-08T04:55:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Gasoline is the same no matter what the brand. Sorry but I have to disagree with this. In my 40+ years in the auto repair business I have seen hundreds if not thousands of car problems that can be directly traced to inferior fuel. Google Top Tier fuel. Also consider this. Chevron does not sell fuel in Michigan. The big three all truck Chevron in from Tenn. for use in their emission certifications. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/54 "2015-01-08T05:45:06Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Perhaps at a chemical level they’re all the same, but they may have a different texture. I recently bought store-brand sugar and it has much larger granules than the name-brand. That doesn’t make a difference if you’re baking with it, but you may notice the difference if you eat the sugar as-is, like on a grapefruit or something like that. The name-brand has smoother and more consistent granules and it feels better on your tongue. Whether that’s worth the extra cost is up to you. There are very few sugar refineries in the US, and I assure you that they do not vary crystal size when they pack product. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/55 "2015-01-08T12:31:59Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Most garden plants. Cheap is good, even if Home Depot mistreated it. The trick here is to be sure you know the growing requirements of the plant before you buy. Places like Home Depot and WalMart are likely to carry plants that don’t survive very well in your climate. I go fullmetaljacket cheap and root cuttings from plants I or my friends/neighbors already own. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/56 "2015-01-08T14:07:37Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > There are very few sugar refineries in the US, and I assure you that they do not vary crystal size when they pack product. For whatever reason, my store brand sugar is coarser than the name brand. They may not do it intentionally, but they can vary steps in the process which ends up producing different results. It could be that they run the line faster to produce the cheaper sugar or something like that. So maybe things aren’t stirred as long or heated as long to save money and it ends up producing larger granules. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/57 "2015-01-08T14:43:05Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > There are very few sugar refineries in the US, and I assure you that they do not vary crystal size when they pack product. Do you have any idea how many varieties of commercial food good there are - without varying the base product in the slightest? Cargill makes something like 54 varieties of salt - pure, plain NaCl. It comes in highly controlled variants of size, clump and crystal shape, and each has its purposes in food production or table use. Varying the type slightly can have a big effect on a finished food good - e.g., fluffy flakes might blend better than hard grains, or vice versa, depending on the exact nature of the process and product. So the idea that sugar mills produce one and only one specific kind of granulated sugar is probably wrong. There are two or three kinds on any grocery story shelf, just as there are for salt… given the nature of sugar in food production, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were as many or more varieties produced for the industry. It’s entirely possible that lower-tier “granulated sugar” is different from Domino’s first-shelf brand for many reasons, including lower production cost or getting rid of excess stock of a “grind” that’s somewhat different from the usual consumer product. (That is, the producer might have a few tons of overstock in a larger-grain or other variant sugar, and package it as the generic brand that week. Next week it might be finer grains, or even a flaked variety… whatever they can get out the door at the lowest cost. It’s all sugar, no one’s being cheated or fooled… but the variations are there.) Which is one reason careful cooks, and even slightly careful bakers, weigh instead of measure. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/58 "2015-01-08T15:11:37Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > That’s a reasonable strategy, but for one potential issue: what if your $20 cordless drill fails while you’re using it? The first project? Or, even, in the middle of the second project? > > That aggro and delay isn’t worth the savings. Life’s too short and annoying as it is to waste any of it replacing shoddy tools and rectifying any damage they may have done (cheap socket wrenches, I’m looking at you). I’ve yet to find a cordless drill yet that I couldnt get at least a couple weeks worth out of. The issue usually is the batteries which always go bad over time and they often cost about $25 a piece. For example this 18 v. cordless [drill](http://www.harborfreight.com/18-Volt-12-in-Cordless-Variable-Speed-DrillDriver-68850.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiMzE5MTM2NTUiLCJza3UiOiI2ODg1MCIsImlzIjoiMzkuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0AIjoiODY0NCJ9%0D%0A), cost $39.99. These 2 [batteries](http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DC9096-2-18-Volt-Pod-Style-Battery/dp/B0001ZI560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420729519&sr=8-1&keywords=dewalt+drill+batteries) for a 18 v Dewalt cost $67.55 or $33 a piece. Now if I’m a contractor and use my Dewalt everyday that is the best value. But for only occasional use or working on a single project the HF will work out. But its interesting that even Dewalt has its cheaper line. Plus quite frankly, what good is a tool if its lost or stolen? I used to be a stickler on insisting on only Klein tools, then I’d lose them and say WTH and buy cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/59 "2015-01-08T15:19:33Z")
I have a Black & Decker cordless drill, and couldn’t get it to charge. So I ran down to Home Depot to buy a replacement battery… which was $4 less than a new drill. So I bought a new drill instead. Then I got home and realized it wasn’t charging because the breaker that controlled the outlet was tripped. So I returned the other drill. It occurs to me that the original drill has lasted something like six years, though. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198/60 "2015-01-08T16:39:22Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I have a Black & Decker cordless drill, and couldn’t get it to charge. So I ran down to Home Depot to buy a replacement battery… which was $4 less than a new drill. So I bought a new drill instead. Yes, the pricing strategy is pretty much “buy two batteries, get a free tool.” I’ve given away three or four good cordless drills with one pretty-good battery because the other had failed and it wasn’t worth 50-80% of the cost of a new drill to buy a replacement. (The better, contractor-grade tools tend to be a higher proportion of value; it’s the light-duty consumer stuff where the tool is a prize in the bottom of the battery box. But buying a $40 battery for a 4-5 year old tool with worn bearings, chucks and casing when a new one is less than $80-90 is a hard choice to make.) > [@](#): > > Then I got home and realized it wasn’t charging because the breaker that controlled the outlet was tripped. I am proud to say I have never, ever done any such thing, and I stand on my reputation as the biggest liar in three counties. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-buying-the-cheapest-is-ok/709198.md?page=4)