# When the cheaper choice is far superior **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702 "2010-09-14T07:18:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/1 "2010-09-14T07:18:23Z")
What cheap purchases are significantly better or more satisfying than the expensive counterpart? My example: I enjoy the far cheaper Totino’s Pizza and prefer it to the expensive brands. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/2 "2010-09-14T07:55:47Z")
Electric Hair clippers. I buy a 16-20 dollar set from Walmart once a year instead of getting a good pair and replacing the blade. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/3 "2010-09-14T09:00:22Z")
My grocery store sells a superior tasting fat free store brand saltine as compared to Nabisco. Their store brand counterpart to Cheerios however, is pure unadulterated squirrel shit. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/4 "2010-09-14T12:33:58Z")
You can buy really thin “liner” gloves for running at sports stores for anywhere from $15-$25 a pair. I buy the little cotton gloves that come 3 or more to a pack for less than $1 a pair at Target. They seem to do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/5 "2010-09-14T12:38:37Z")
No-name spicy tomato clam juice, as opposed to Mott’s Clamato. And right now everyone outside of Canada is going “what?” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/6 "2010-09-14T12:43:31Z")
I’ll have the Mountain Dew. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/7 "2010-09-14T13:38:17Z")
Stop and shop spinach and artichoke hummus. Mmmmm - esp. with Red Oval Farms, Stoned Wheat Thin crackers (you can leave them out for days without getting stale). ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/8 "2010-09-14T13:43:38Z")
(I’m posting this using Firefox) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/9 "2010-09-14T13:49:55Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > (I’m posting this using Firefox) You win. The thread can now be closed. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/10 "2010-09-14T13:52:41Z")
Our local grocery offers the best baked goods at one half the price of fancy bakeries. Which explains why all fancy bakeries that open in my town close soon after. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/11 "2010-09-14T13:55:02Z")
In Thai cinemas, the seats toward the back cost more. (It’s all assigned seating here.) But that puts you right in the midst of the unwashed masses, who like to chat about the movie and call their friends on the phones. We always sit WAY down front in the cheaper seats to get away from that. Ah, peace. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/12 "2010-09-14T14:32:57Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > My example: I enjoy the far cheaper Totino’s Pizza and prefer it to the expensive brands. Man I used to live on those things. 2/$3.00, often on sale for a buck apiece. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/13 "2010-09-14T14:45:58Z")
I have a friend who prefers fake maple syrup over the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/14 "2010-09-14T14:49:59Z")
The cheap diaper wipes that come in bulk from Costco are better than any other diaper wipes I’ve ever tried, including expensive name-brand ones. (Wow, I am so glad that I don’t actually have to buy diaper wipes anymore. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/15 "2010-09-14T14:56:35Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No-name spicy tomato clam juice, as opposed to Mott’s Clamato. > > And right now everyone outside of Canada is going “what?” Is Clamato Canada-only? I’m from Michigan, but have lived for a year in Ontario, so I guess I just didn’t notice. Heck, even Wikipedia says that the country of origin is the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/16 "2010-09-14T15:02:15Z")
Giant (well, relatively speaking) plastic bags of spices from ethnic grocery stores instead of teeny-tiny McCormick’s bottles. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/17 "2010-09-14T15:05:51Z")
I don’t remember where I heard this and have no cite, but supposedly when Ralston-Purina sold the Chex brand to General Mills, they sold the name but kept the original formula. Ralston still makes store-brand “Chex” for a number of grocery chains, so if you buy the store brand that is actually closer to the original Chex than what you get if you buy brand-name Chex. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/18 "2010-09-14T15:14:38Z")
I have yet to buy a set of $15+ windshield wipers that have lasted more then a year or so. But I always get a few years out of the $7.00 blades. Sadly, I keep buying the more expensive ones. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/19 "2010-09-14T15:18:46Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > > [@Leaffan](#): > > > > No-name spicy tomato clam juice, as opposed to Mott’s Clamato. > > > > And right now everyone outside of Canada is going “what?” > > Is Clamato Canada-only? I’m from Michigan, but have lived for a year in Ontario, so I guess I just didn’t notice. > > Heck, even Wikipedia says that the country of origin is the USA. Good question. I know that the Bloody Caesar cocktail is way more popular in Canada than the U.S. I guess I assumed that the virgin drink would be the same. I’m unsure now! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702/20 "2010-09-14T16:00:09Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No-name spicy tomato clam juice, as opposed to Mott’s Clamato. > > And right now everyone outside of Canada is going “what?” Clamato is readily available all over the U.S. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-cheaper-choice-is-far-superior/553702.md?page=2)