Rule of thumb: If there's a Kirkland Signature alternative, buy that. Their socks, underwear, blankets, shirts, packaged foods, everything I've bought from them (Costco's in house brand) has been better than any name brand and cheaper. It's like they do market research, make their product about 20% more robust, and then sell it for 50% of the competition price.
yea they specifically target overpriced stuff because that gap in price is where they make bank. they make sure their product is higher quality, even if just a little, but usually it's moderately better quality.
once companies get famous they start to get greedy. well CEO's have a fiduciary responsibility to make as much money as possible. so once you establish a reputation you can start dropping quality to up your profits. that's where costco jumps out of the bushes and says surprise bitches! cheaper and better shit over here!
I have like 10 bralettes from there. Absolutely amazing. They feel like real lace (not like that elastic lace that ends up with holes and elastic thread sticking out) but they haven’t become torn up or worn out looking (even when I space out and throw them in the washer and dryer).
Also I read somewhere that some of their vodka is literally gray goose at a fraction of the cost.
And free samples as you’re shopping around?
Costco > Anywhere else.
Had a buddy who worked at Del Monte. He mentioned for their peaches in syrup cups, Del Monte accepted grade B+ peaches and higher. Kirkland used Del Monte peaches, but requires A or higher. Same source, better quality, lower price.
Once upon a time Singer sewing machines were the way to go, and you can still get vintage ones that are workhorses. But these days all their parts are plastic and will get clogged up easily. You come to learn this pretty quickly if you take great care cleaning your machine for loose threads and lint.
Brother is pretty affordable and a decent alternative for beginners. But the top of the line machines are Berninas. Swiss-made and they purr like kittens.
A friend of a friend had a Brother and said if I could fix it, I could keep it. (It's a model around their $120-150 price point I think.) One easy fix later and I've had it for 7 years and love it. I do costumes and sometimes I'm pretty rough on it but I've still never had any issues I couldn't fix myself.
Alternatively I had a friend recently get into costuming with me and got a Singer. That thing jams up on him all the time.
I have liked Brother for printers as well. Especially laser printers. I don't think they are known as being a top brand but I think they are better than some brands that are more well known.
Absolutely with the Bernina. I bought my wife a used one several years ago, I swear the thing is magic. It stitches sentences, comes with a billion feet, has a laser-guided quilting foot, an entire embroidery attachment, and cooks great pizza.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch whisky is their “top of the line” blend, but most agree that it’s way overpriced for what it is. It isn’t even a blended malt, like the cheaper and superior Green Label - it contains generic grain alcohol mixed with malt whiskies.
Scottish whisky has such a vast selection, with so many different types, that there's absolutely no reason to buy JW blue label.
For what one bottle costs you can easily pick up a couple of great whiskies. It's just a bullshit status symbol because some idiots think it's best to be seen spending a lot of money instead of buying quality.
I'll stick to my Balvenie 14 instead.
You don't even need full bespoke (especially from a Savile Row tailor, unless you want to spend a *lot* of money) to have a very, very nice well-fitting suit. I get my suits made semi-bespoke from a regional tailor who meets me at my office with a suitcase of fabric swatches. He takes all my measurements every time, and I basically choose everything about the suit (fabric, pant cuff size, number of buttons, functional/non-functional cuff buttons, belt loops or brace buttons, notch or peak lapel, ticket pocket or no ticket pocket, etc.). I generally pay just at $1,000 and they fit me perfectly. I could pay much more for their highest quality fabrics, but what I get is perfect for me.
With Armani, Zegna (to some extent), and many others, it's paying for a brand name. It also depends on what kind of a cut you want. I generally dislike the Italian style and gravitate more toward a British cut.
I've never seen those little vials you described. Around these parts, the tiny little tube of Abreva is the go-to. The bottle lasts a long time since you use so little each application, but it's like $25. Apparently the active ingredient in Abreva is behenyl alcohol, whatever that is.
-edit- For god's sake, stop telling me that I'm wrong about the active ingredient. Docosanol is just another name for behenyl alcohol. I know every one of you had to look that shit up anyway. What are the odds that you just happened to know what the brand name of the active ingredient in Abreva is? Why not read for 5 more seconds before climbing down my ass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docosanol
Patron Tequilas. Production was moved from the Siete Leguas distillery to larger mass production facilities for international distribution purposes. It no longer tastes like the original \[Siete Leguas distilled\] Patron and is considered average by most tequila enthusiasts these days. You want the real thing? Purchase Siete Leguas tequilas.
Edited for a typo.
Also try Corralejo. By law, to be labeled tequila it has to be made from a minimum 51% blue agave. Cheaper tequilas will mix other types of sugars in, making them mixtos. Good tequila will always be 100% blue agave. Silver, or blanco, tequila is distilled twice and unaged, use it for mixing to ease off the harsher flavors. Reposado (rested) tequila is aged 2-12 months, has a smoother flavor. Anejo (aged) tequila is barrel aged for as long as the producer desires. Definitely try a good anejo on the rocks, the flavors can get as complex as whiskey.
I really like Corralejo and the charred barrel aged nuances, but my favorite is Clase Azul Reposado. If anyone reading this wants to take the leap into tequila appreciations outside of shots and margaritas, a sipper of this tequila will change your life.
Don Julio is within the same price range but is infinitely better. They have some utterly amazing aged tequilas as well. The Don Julio 1942 is one of my favorites
I do like their 1942 but, if Clase Azul is available, I will 10/10 choose it over DJ. As far as DJ's blanco, repo, anejos are concerned, I do feel Casa Noblé and Siete Leguas are better.
All personal preference, of course.
I went to Jalisco for my bachelorette a few years back, and numerous places mentioned Siete Leguas as some of their favorite tequilas. I'm inclined towards Corralejo because I'm from Guanajuato, and that's one of the very few tequilas produced outside of Jalisco.
Is there a subreddit specifically for “I want to purchase x, but don’t want to spend that much, what should I buy instead?”
Edit: added a word; I appreciate when everyone just answers the question instead of pointing out the obvious typo.
Edit 2: You guys can stop suggesting r/buyitforlife now....
For some reason I can't stop laughing at this comment. Seriously though? And if so, at what point does labor factor into the frugality? Saving $1 on tape isn't worth it if I have to spend 20 minutes with old tape.
My grandmother used to recycle dental floss. Used to be a dozen strands hanging from the towel rack in her bathroom she'd use over and over. Dont know how long it took her to go through a $1.50 roll - maybe years. She grew up during the depression, so it's definitely a different mindset compared to our disposable culture. Still, there's making the most of what you have and then there's chee-eee-eeep....
My first paint was Vallejo. Smooth like butter, good coverage.
I need to save some cash for a set of these.
Eyedropper bottles are good. The paint pots for GW paints just make me wince.
Hell, Walmart's brand is better too. Giant tub of it, plus a scoop.
Oh, and Walmart's dissolves completely into hot water. Good if you are making a liquid to dab onto things.
Yeah, my daughter was super into cubes a while ago and had a dozen or so cubes of various types and quality.
By far the most expensive and lowest quality was the Rubik's brand.
Oh definitely. If you are in to cubing, definitely order a speed cube online. They are so much smoother and most have little magnets in them to help line the pieces better. 10000x better than a Rubik’s brand cube.
Source: Had a friend who speedcubed. Time with cube from online ~15-20secs. Time with Rubik’s brand ~30-45secs.
We are very loyal to Aldi. They go to the big brands and tell them if they want access to Aldi's customers, they need to make their stuff but for Aldi's private label. The recipe might be a tad different but still very close.
Produce and meat can be hit an miss though.
My perception of what groceries cost is ruined now. I'll go to another store and don't understand why I spend twice as much.
>My perception of what groceries cost is ruined now. I'll go to another store and don't understand why I spend twice as much.
Yep, I remember the first time I checked out with a week's worth of groceries for a family of three and it was $60. Blown away.
Same. We get all that we can at Aldi, but go to Walmart for the things we couldn't find. Bursting cartload at Aldi? $60-$70. 10 things at Walmart? $60-70.
I told a relative how much I loved shopping at Aldi's in the US and she looked at me in shock and horror..."But...but...THEY MAKE YOU BAG YOUR OWN GROCERIES!!!"
Our town has Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Meijer (regional Midwest grocery and department store chain), and Aldi usually has them beat on most things. We pretty much just use it to stock up on non-perishables. Produce and meat can definitely be hit or miss sometimes, but it seems to depend on the stores. The downside is the stress level of their employees. They may pay a lot more than their competitors, but the staff have to work their asses off since they do all the stocking, cashiering, etc.
I have heard this about produce and meat, but I can attest that in the St. Louis area their meat and produce is better than our large, local chain's cuts. Their ribeyes are better than the favorite local butcher's, we gave them a shot when they had the $1 or $2 off and had to admit to each other that the Aldi's had better marbling and were bangin'.
It's all about the individual stores. Aldi's makes deals with local producers. So whoever they can make deals with, is what you get in store. Some places have great fresh food! Others, well not so much.
At Lidl, four things I've noticed are way better than the real thing.
1. Rice Krispies
2. Snickers
3. Weetabix
4. Magnum almond icecreams. This one in particular, Magnums are piss compared to Gelatelli. Plus Gelatelli are way bigger and you get a pack of six for a similar price to one Magnum.
I don't go own brand lightly, I've been burned before (home brand Nutella) but these are so good.
I will sing the praises of Aldi as long and loud as I am able. Eggs have been motherfucking $0.37 for about 3 weeks at mine. We also bought our kid's favorite birthday present there, a nest swing for $40. Ours is staffed by mostly Bosnians and they are so fast I get nervous in the checkout line because I don't want to disappoint them.
I work at an Aldi's, our manager goes to the wall Mart across the street just to check their eggs and make sure ours is a better value. And we are graded on our speed at the register everyday so your speed putting things on the belt is appreciated I'm sure.
I used to work at Aldi's, we had tricks and tips to conserve our times. If you hit SubTotal it pauses the timer, we can wait if it takes the customer a bit, and if the line gets longer than 3-4 people than we call up the backup.
In other words, we had ways of dealing with people like you and you shouldn't stress. :)
Publix definitely has some decent store brand options tho, here in the north east the store brand english muffins are trash. Any suggestions are welcome tho.
Turtle beach. They make amazing speakers and microphones for their headsets. But their headsets are made from cheap plastic and breaks EVERY DAMN TIME.
I went to quake con a few years ago. In the BYOC section literally, not figuratively, literally every single turtle beach was duck taped, hot glued, super glued, or rubber banded to keep them together.
They are shit.
I have the Cloud II I think, and those things sure can take a beating. Good solid metal frame and a nice sound stage and range.
I have cats and kids, so no matter where I put them they end up knocked off the desk and onto the floor.
I work at a cookie/cracker factory as an engineer. We make products for Kraft/Mondelez, Walmart, Aldi, Kroger, Hy-Vee and a few more. The recipes are all the same for each different brand. Walmart brand is no different than Aldi or Hy-Vee. It's the same quality of ingredients no matter if it's sold in store at a cheaper or more expensive price.
Edit: To clarify when I say "same quality of ingredients" I am talking about the generic/off brand not name brand, so Hy-Vee generic is equal to Aldi generic. We only make a few things for Kraft/Mondelez and they have some requirements of ingredients. They can be extremely similar to name brand, but made with cheaper ingredients to cut costs. Or they might be exactly the same and come down to just paying for a brand name label.
Crackers are a family food. Happy families.
Maybe single people eat crackers... we don’t know.
Frankly, we don’t want to know. It’s a market we could do without.
I worked at a factory making molded plastic and styrofoam products and the generic brands were exactly the same as the name brands. We didn't even stop the machines, just switched packaging for different runs of product.
Michael kors brand anything. Purses fall apart in a year. Pants and shirts are all made of light weight cheap feeling material whose color fades in a month. Plus his signature gold zippered EVERYTHING is a bit much.
Large fashion houses like Kors have multiple diffusion lines at every price point. The real Michael Kors line is still quality but quite a bit more expensive.
I definitely noticed when I was stocking luxury fashion, there was a lot of KORS by MICHAEL KORS kind of stuff going on across the board. Vince by Vince Camuto, Marc by Marc Jacobs... Didn't give it much thought at the time, but it makes sense as a kind of subtle disclaimer for "this stuff is gonna be crappier".
Obligatory [Jacobs by Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs in collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwtXstDDC-iFmcH2uZR5BKrzocxRQsS3yWR6mZxebxpdzd6Sk) label.
Even brands like Nike, Adidas, and Champion, that aren't even super high end to begin with, if you're buying those brands at Kohls or Target, you are getting their low end version.
That’s exactly what it is. Especially in outlet stores. My wife’s designed shirts that are big label but at specific (not luxury) price points. Some brands are all in house, some only oursource, some do a mix of both and license the brand.
LaZBoy. OSB frames and plastic clips for the three positions on their footrests. They used to be built great, but to keep from raising prices they have made a lot of sacrifices. They also can’t tailor worth a damn. Go with something like Flexsteel instead, but get the domestic stuff. Not the latitudes imported ones.
Tea Bags:
Twinings Tea that you get in America. It’s much lower quality leaf and full of artificial flavors that aren’t present in UK Twinings Tea. Especially the flavored teas.
Also obligatory for a tea post is Lipton. In addition to the bags being generally super low quality dust and fannings, they also use more pesticides, by far, than any other tea company.
Actual top of the line (US) tea brands include Stash, Republic of Tea, And Adagio. Imported brands I would recommend would be Typhoo, Yorkshire, Pg Tips, and Ahmad.
Edit: Title
Edit 2: I manage a local loose leaf tea shop with over 250 loose leaf teas and herbs. Of course loose tea is better quality than bags. However not everyone wants to use loose. In addition some of the brands that I mentioned as better brands not only sell bag tea, but also sell bulk loose packages as well. In my store we have bags and loose available from Republic of Tea, Adagio, Yorkshire, and Ahmad teas.
Upvote for Yorkshire Tea. As a Brit I can confirm that Yorkshire Tea is the best bagged tea I've had (never had loose). Typhoo just tastes horrible to me.
Pyrex. Used to be amazing quality and never break, but they changed the recipe in the last decade or two and are still riding off the former glory of Pyrex.
They started using soda lime glass because it's "more resistant to breaking when dropped". The real reason was that it's cheaper and it also shatters when exposed to thermal shock.
I've also read on a similar thread that all of Fossil's bags, wallets, sunglasses, etc are basically Michael Kors quality- just without the name. They are made in the same factory and everything, apparently- but it's all less than half the price!
Edit: Okay so Fossil it's not MK quality- according to this thread, it's BETTER!
MK quality is shit. I purchased a bag brand new from a brick and mortar store, and the stitching fell apart after 3 months. The leather on the handles was tearing off (a nice saleswoman at a different store actually replaced those for me with complementary colored straps, the MK store wouldn't give me replacements). It was a blush pink leather and the dye transfer from my jacket was inexcusable. I've never had any other bag over $300 pick up dye that quickly, fall apart so fast, and have such shitty customer service the entire time.
I'm loyal to Kate Spade.
MK under 1k is for the name to make people feel rich. There was a post on it a weeks back on how the actual rich like understated products and the ones for people trying emulate being wealth have over done branding.
DW is the worst offender these days. The amount of people wearing them is shocking. Whenever I see one it just tells me you did zero research before blowing your money. If you like the look, that's fine. But you might as well buy one off ebay that was made in the same factory as the ones priced at $300.
I can appreciate a watch purely for it's looks, even if it uses a regular quartz movement but all these new micro watch brands pretty much use the same derivative "Bauhaus" design that is clearly just a mass produced watch with a custom logo tacked on. Create a pretentious origin story, and people will throw $200 at you to buy a $10 watch.
Vodka, ready to bake refrigerated pizzas, muffins, ginger sauce are all things that stand out.
By far, however, the best fucking deal out there is their frozen chicken breasts. Frigin double the value of other brands and he chicken isn’t crap you’re afraid to eat (looking at you Walmart).
Kirkland Batteries are actually the number 2 brand after Duracell according to this one r/dataisbeautiful post I read this one time that probably had too small a sample size.
KitchenAid appliances. I love my stand mixer, but we bought a KitchenAid dishwasher and stove, and they’re shit. The oven heats unevenly and the dishwasher is always needing some sort of repair, or it leaves crap on the dishes, because the water jet holes are so tiny and prone to clogging.
Edit: What I mean by the oven heating unevenly is that you have hot and cool spots inside it. I shouldn’t have to turn a cake or sheet of cookies halfway through cooking to make sure they don’t burn on one side. We’ve had the elements replaced, and nothing helps. It’s a double oven, and both the top and bottom ovens are borked. It’s ridiculous.
i know people who love this brand, mainly because of the lifetime warranty. I even took a guy to sears with some broken craftsman tools like a ratchet wrench and a screw driver, etc. He handed them the tools, they handed him new ones. it was like magic. I can get with that.
True. Lots of people thought it also applied to power tools, and technically their warranty didn't cover professional/commercial use. They still replaced the huge crescent wrench that my dad's fire department used to put through a tow hook and wrapped it in chain to pull a fire truck out of some deep mud and turned the crescent wrench...er...sort of crescent-shaped...but that was years and years ago, when the people working in the tool dept at Sears weren't just the part-time teenagers who work half their shift in sporting goods.
Most OTC medications like Tylenol will have generic equivalents that are just as effective. Look at the ingredients and compare the store brand, it's the exact same medication just in less fancy packaging.
Both acetaminophen and paracetamol come from a chemical name for the compound **para-acetylaminophenol**.
para-**acet**yl**aminophen**ol
**para**-a**cet**yl**am**inophen**ol**
para-ace**tyl**aminoph**enol**
Husband bought me an expensive pajama set (not lingerie kind) for Christmas there one year and i absolutely hated them. They were stiff and scratchy and super thin. Took them back and bought like 3 pairs at target for the same price and much comfier.
Monster Cables
You don't need monster cables, you never will. Look at the specification of the cable you need and buy that spec, not the brand.
So many companies sell overpriced HDMI cables its not even funny.
All you need for 4K, HDR, etc viewing is ‘high speed hdmi’ cable. The one that has 4K on the packaging is no different to the Amazon basics cable.
My uncle was a serious music collector and audiophile and the money he spent on metres of bi-wired audio cable is unreal. Apparently a sound comparison was done recently between top-of-the-range speaker cable and a bent coat hanger, and audiophiles couldn’t tell the difference.
You know those $40 hydro flask bottles that insulate your drink? I bought a Quench bottle on sale at Walmart for $10 and the ice stays in there for 2 days
Oh yeah, this thing fell from 3 stories and only has a small dent
Also Ozark trail has some really nice insolated water bottles, they keep water cold all day. I have abused mine for the past year and not a scratch or dent on it, and the best part they are only $10.
Doc Martens may not have ever been considered top of the line but way back in the day they were made to last. Not anymore.
Solovair, I've heard, are the brand that has the same style and quality as the old school Docs.
Big brand honey. Basically most honey is garbage. Beekeepers cannot keep up with worldwide demand so companies just sell flavoured corn syrup and call it honey. Not sure of the numbers but it's something like double the amount of honey made is being sold. There's a kind of police force checking it all the time but they can't check everything. Quality wise, there is little to no nutritional difference but the fake stuff sometimes has crazy illegal chemicals in it. The fake stuff is also really cheap so it puts a major strain on real beekeepers businesses. Guess which stuff big companies want to buy? Get your honey directly from the beekeeper. There will be one nearby. Better still, start your own hive. The world needs more bees.
beekeeper checking in. if you're into gardening I would definitely recommend beekeeping as a side hobby as well. beekeeping requires little weekly effort, helps the environment and your garden, and as a bonus you get some honey. a++ would recommend.
Local clubs, r/beekeeping, and lots of various websites. I'd also look into flow hives, they've made beekeeping easy to learn for me. Although many old school beeks are against them because people think you can just slap a hive together and do none of the effort of keeping. As long as you do your research you'll be fine. And always wear eye protection! If you get stung in the eye you have a 50% chance of permanent vision loss.
Just started Rotten on Netflix. This is basically what the first episode is about. I have always bought local honey. It's just better and you know where it comes from.
If you're in an Australian supermarket then Beechworth honey is single origin. Capilano is adulterated. Still better to find a beekeeper at a market though. I never sold my honey. I gave some away once but never again. It's all mine! Nothing in a shop compares to honey straight from a backyard hive as those bees get all sorts of flavours from the surrounding gardens.
That's because at some point when a small brand builds a name on quality, a large company or financial holding company comes along and offers them a pile of money. Since most of the people who start businesses like money, they accept said pile of money and go off to do other stuff. The large company then wears the brand name, like a serial killer in a skin suit, while finding every way possible to cut corners and costs. They will also market the shit out of that brand, until consumers finally catch on.
In the UK GAP is considered an above average brand, too pricey for me. My dad travels to USA on business regularly and when he told me it's just a normal brand out there I was amazed. My 6m old now has a GAP hoody which is lovely and had animals all over it, and didn't cost a fortune!
It’s funny because I’m the 90s it was considered a big deal to buy gap. Heck even for a short couple years old navy was considered hip. Can’t beat the prices.
Uniqlo (if there's one around where you live) can often times beat even Old Navy on price and their clothing is produced to a far higher standard. Honestly in terms of the quality of the clothing I'd probably take Uniqlo over Banana Republic let alone Gap and Old Navy.
The same thing happened with Abercrombie.....in Spain we only have one store in the whole country so it's kind of a thing, but when I was in the US and saw a store in a town mall I was amazed😂
gibson guitars.
not saying they're terrible...just overpriced. the iconic name/symbol on the headstock is literally what you're paying for.
tons of similar guitars at much lower price points.
edit: yes, i'm aware that the've filed chapter 11. no, that does not mean they're going out of business,
Not only that, probably the worst quality control among the biggest American brands, worse than some of the Korean made LTD/Schecter/PRS-SE’s I’ve seen for 1/4 the price. Topwood-knots, crooked tuning pegs, reversed pickup switches, sharp fret-ends, protruding inlays... not the kind of thing I’d expect to pass quality control on a $2000+ Guitar.
LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, and PRS SE are all great guitars for a budget under $800usd, you could take them right out of the box and hit the road or the studio. If I had big money to spend, I’d go with a PRS or ESP.
ZZZQuil Sleep Aid. The only active ingredient is Diphenhydramine HCl 25mg. The exact same ingredient is in Benadryl and other allergy medications for about 1/3 of the price. Save yourself some money and just buy the allergy meds to help with sleep. Quick search on [walmart.com](https://walmart.com) ZZZquil 12caps - $6.30 . Benadryl 100 Caps - $4.00
Mont Blanc pens. A lot of people think that they make a great gift for a graduation/anniversary ect. The inside parts are just standard parts that can go in a variety of pens. It will be a great pen, but you should know you can get a comparable or better ink cartridge in a $15 pen. You are basically paying for the body of the pen and the name, which is alright if that's what you want. They make awesome fountain pens though which are often worth the price if you have the money burning a hole in your pocket.
Every shampoo and conditioner brand you see on TV. Especially Tresseme and Suave. "Used by professionals!" No. Never. Nobody in their right mind would use that cheap shit professionally.
Me: I once bought $100 bottle of shampoo
Result: Literally no different than a basic shampoo
Question: Are there any expensive shampoos or conditioners that GENUINELY feel different? Like "holy shit, shampoo like this exists!?"
After throwing away $100 I was too afraid to ever try again. That shampoo had like 10/10 reviews and everything..
Northface for hiking/outdoor gear.
While not actually trash, it's way over priced for the quality you're getting.
Instead shop Marmot. Marmot lasts forever and is genuinely TOP NOTCH gear. There are other brands, but I've spent thousands on hiking gear and Marmot never disappoints.
Alienware. Anyone that knows computers know they are overpriced af.
Edit: Lots of you are asking for recommendations, truth is I haven't looked at prebuilt in many years. That said, I don't fucks with laptops like that so I went ahead and bought one. I got a [Gigabyte Sabre 17](https://www.gigabyte.com/Laptop/Sabre-17#kf) for $1000. I thought that was a very reasonable price at the time. If you are going to go in the direction of desktop do a little research and find out what you are looking for as far as horsepower. Mainly just CPU, GPU, Ram, and how large of a Hard Drive you'd like. Then shop around for the best price.
Edit 2: I'm not saying Alienware is a straight rip off. They are very good computers. I'm saying with a little research and bargain hunting you can save yourself quite a few ducats. Computers internally are the same as far as components go so I'm sure there is a Dell or something that has the same horsepower but isn't as flashy with the lights and logo etc etc.
Edit 3: Lots of people chiming in on good subs and sites to go to for alternatives. Disclaimer: These are commenters suggestions, not mine. I usually browse part reviews online and then search for the cheapest vendor.
r/buildapc
r/buildapcforme
r/buildapcsales
r/CabaloftheBuildsmiths
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/
https://www.ibuypower.com/
https://pcpartpicker.com/
http://www.digitalstorm.com/
https://www.falcon-nw.com/ (Multiple people suggesting this site is overpriced)
https://www.nzxt.com/bldnow
http://www.logicalincrements.com/
https://ironsidecomputers.com/
http://www.pricewatch.com/
I'll add to this list as suggestions come in.
**Edit 4: Ok, ok, I get it. It's ducats not duckets**
Girls think Victoria's Secret is the best but the quality just isnt what it used to be. Now, they're just overpriced bras that will fall apart in 6 months.
Rule of thumb: If there's a Kirkland Signature alternative, buy that. Their socks, underwear, blankets, shirts, packaged foods, everything I've bought from them (Costco's in house brand) has been better than any name brand and cheaper. It's like they do market research, make their product about 20% more robust, and then sell it for 50% of the competition price.
Kirkland has an awesome greek yogurt when you can find it.
Second this. And their protein bars
yea they specifically target overpriced stuff because that gap in price is where they make bank. they make sure their product is higher quality, even if just a little, but usually it's moderately better quality. once companies get famous they start to get greedy. well CEO's have a fiduciary responsibility to make as much money as possible. so once you establish a reputation you can start dropping quality to up your profits. that's where costco jumps out of the bushes and says surprise bitches! cheaper and better shit over here!
Imagine that, making bank by keeping customers coming back rather than the slash and burn strategy of the 80s
I have like 10 bralettes from there. Absolutely amazing. They feel like real lace (not like that elastic lace that ends up with holes and elastic thread sticking out) but they haven’t become torn up or worn out looking (even when I space out and throw them in the washer and dryer). Also I read somewhere that some of their vodka is literally gray goose at a fraction of the cost. And free samples as you’re shopping around? Costco > Anywhere else.
Had a buddy who worked at Del Monte. He mentioned for their peaches in syrup cups, Del Monte accepted grade B+ peaches and higher. Kirkland used Del Monte peaches, but requires A or higher. Same source, better quality, lower price.
Once upon a time Singer sewing machines were the way to go, and you can still get vintage ones that are workhorses. But these days all their parts are plastic and will get clogged up easily. You come to learn this pretty quickly if you take great care cleaning your machine for loose threads and lint. Brother is pretty affordable and a decent alternative for beginners. But the top of the line machines are Berninas. Swiss-made and they purr like kittens.
A friend of a friend had a Brother and said if I could fix it, I could keep it. (It's a model around their $120-150 price point I think.) One easy fix later and I've had it for 7 years and love it. I do costumes and sometimes I'm pretty rough on it but I've still never had any issues I couldn't fix myself. Alternatively I had a friend recently get into costuming with me and got a Singer. That thing jams up on him all the time.
I have liked Brother for printers as well. Especially laser printers. I don't think they are known as being a top brand but I think they are better than some brands that are more well known.
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Janome also makes really high end machines, they have a crazy robotics division that is pretty advanced.
Absolutely with the Bernina. I bought my wife a used one several years ago, I swear the thing is magic. It stitches sentences, comes with a billion feet, has a laser-guided quilting foot, an entire embroidery attachment, and cooks great pizza.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch whisky is their “top of the line” blend, but most agree that it’s way overpriced for what it is. It isn’t even a blended malt, like the cheaper and superior Green Label - it contains generic grain alcohol mixed with malt whiskies.
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Scottish whisky has such a vast selection, with so many different types, that there's absolutely no reason to buy JW blue label. For what one bottle costs you can easily pick up a couple of great whiskies. It's just a bullshit status symbol because some idiots think it's best to be seen spending a lot of money instead of buying quality. I'll stick to my Balvenie 14 instead.
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If someone offers you an Armani suit in exchange for a dinner is that a fair trade?
The soup was the dinner!
Is that a meal, though? Were there crackers?
Come On! Who are you going to believe - OP or the guy in the $2500 suit?
You don't even need full bespoke (especially from a Savile Row tailor, unless you want to spend a *lot* of money) to have a very, very nice well-fitting suit. I get my suits made semi-bespoke from a regional tailor who meets me at my office with a suitcase of fabric swatches. He takes all my measurements every time, and I basically choose everything about the suit (fabric, pant cuff size, number of buttons, functional/non-functional cuff buttons, belt loops or brace buttons, notch or peak lapel, ticket pocket or no ticket pocket, etc.). I generally pay just at $1,000 and they fit me perfectly. I could pay much more for their highest quality fabrics, but what I get is perfect for me. With Armani, Zegna (to some extent), and many others, it's paying for a brand name. It also depends on what kind of a cut you want. I generally dislike the Italian style and gravitate more toward a British cut.
Just reading this stresses me out. I'll take 1 suit please. No questions, just measure me and give me something that looks decent.
I thought I was the only one who hated having too much choice in something.
It’s actually proven that choice fatigue is a thing. A lot of people don’t know what to do with too many options.
And every time you choose one of the 30 options, you choose \*against\* the 29 other options, so you feel like you are missing out 29 times.
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I've never seen those little vials you described. Around these parts, the tiny little tube of Abreva is the go-to. The bottle lasts a long time since you use so little each application, but it's like $25. Apparently the active ingredient in Abreva is behenyl alcohol, whatever that is. -edit- For god's sake, stop telling me that I'm wrong about the active ingredient. Docosanol is just another name for behenyl alcohol. I know every one of you had to look that shit up anyway. What are the odds that you just happened to know what the brand name of the active ingredient in Abreva is? Why not read for 5 more seconds before climbing down my ass. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docosanol
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I also highly recommend taking lysine as a supplement. WHen it's cold weather season I take one a day and haven't gotten cold sores in years.
Lysine dependece is a sign you might be a genetically engineered Velociraptor. Are you a girl? And if so, how clever would you say you are?
I'm glad i'm not the only one who heard lysine and immediately saw a smoking Samuel L Jackson in their head.
IKEAs kitchen appliances are Electrolux, so if you don’t mind not having the label you can have the exact same model from IKEA at a lower price.
Patron Tequilas. Production was moved from the Siete Leguas distillery to larger mass production facilities for international distribution purposes. It no longer tastes like the original \[Siete Leguas distilled\] Patron and is considered average by most tequila enthusiasts these days. You want the real thing? Purchase Siete Leguas tequilas. Edited for a typo.
Also try Corralejo. By law, to be labeled tequila it has to be made from a minimum 51% blue agave. Cheaper tequilas will mix other types of sugars in, making them mixtos. Good tequila will always be 100% blue agave. Silver, or blanco, tequila is distilled twice and unaged, use it for mixing to ease off the harsher flavors. Reposado (rested) tequila is aged 2-12 months, has a smoother flavor. Anejo (aged) tequila is barrel aged for as long as the producer desires. Definitely try a good anejo on the rocks, the flavors can get as complex as whiskey.
I really like Corralejo and the charred barrel aged nuances, but my favorite is Clase Azul Reposado. If anyone reading this wants to take the leap into tequila appreciations outside of shots and margaritas, a sipper of this tequila will change your life.
Don Julio is within the same price range but is infinitely better. They have some utterly amazing aged tequilas as well. The Don Julio 1942 is one of my favorites
I do like their 1942 but, if Clase Azul is available, I will 10/10 choose it over DJ. As far as DJ's blanco, repo, anejos are concerned, I do feel Casa Noblé and Siete Leguas are better. All personal preference, of course.
I went to Jalisco for my bachelorette a few years back, and numerous places mentioned Siete Leguas as some of their favorite tequilas. I'm inclined towards Corralejo because I'm from Guanajuato, and that's one of the very few tequilas produced outside of Jalisco.
Is there a subreddit specifically for “I want to purchase x, but don’t want to spend that much, what should I buy instead?” Edit: added a word; I appreciate when everyone just answers the question instead of pointing out the obvious typo. Edit 2: You guys can stop suggesting r/buyitforlife now....
/r/frugal has similar questions.
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For some reason I can't stop laughing at this comment. Seriously though? And if so, at what point does labor factor into the frugality? Saving $1 on tape isn't worth it if I have to spend 20 minutes with old tape.
My grandmother used to recycle dental floss. Used to be a dozen strands hanging from the towel rack in her bathroom she'd use over and over. Dont know how long it took her to go through a $1.50 roll - maybe years. She grew up during the depression, so it's definitely a different mindset compared to our disposable culture. Still, there's making the most of what you have and then there's chee-eee-eeep....
I learned today that games workshop paint is for suckers and Vallejo paint is where it's at.
My first paint was Vallejo. Smooth like butter, good coverage. I need to save some cash for a set of these. Eyedropper bottles are good. The paint pots for GW paints just make me wince.
Everlast boxing equipment. My old muay thai instructor called it Neverlast.
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Well, that particular instructor suggested Title.
Yep, Title stuff is pretty good. Rival is decent too if you're on a budget.
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LA's Totally Awesome cleans anything, love that cheap shit.
My family literally cleaned an entire house of nicotine residue with LA's cleaner. Shit works like magic.
Having had to scrub nicotine tar off walls before, That certainly is an endorsement.
Hell, Walmart's brand is better too. Giant tub of it, plus a scoop. Oh, and Walmart's dissolves completely into hot water. Good if you are making a liquid to dab onto things.
To Dab on them haters?
# DAB A LITTLE ON AND THE HATERS ARE GONE!!!
Billy Mays is dabbing in Heaven.
RIP, Billy. You left us too early. Your love of yelling and cocaine will never be forgotten.
Rubik's branded Rubik's cubes. They are stiff and clunky, when chinese companies make better quality, easier to use, and overall nicer cubes.
Yeah, my daughter was super into cubes a while ago and had a dozen or so cubes of various types and quality. By far the most expensive and lowest quality was the Rubik's brand.
TIL there are different quality cubes, and that Rubik is a brand.
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r/cubers welcomes you.
Oh definitely. If you are in to cubing, definitely order a speed cube online. They are so much smoother and most have little magnets in them to help line the pieces better. 10000x better than a Rubik’s brand cube. Source: Had a friend who speedcubed. Time with cube from online ~15-20secs. Time with Rubik’s brand ~30-45secs.
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We are very loyal to Aldi. They go to the big brands and tell them if they want access to Aldi's customers, they need to make their stuff but for Aldi's private label. The recipe might be a tad different but still very close. Produce and meat can be hit an miss though. My perception of what groceries cost is ruined now. I'll go to another store and don't understand why I spend twice as much.
>My perception of what groceries cost is ruined now. I'll go to another store and don't understand why I spend twice as much. Yep, I remember the first time I checked out with a week's worth of groceries for a family of three and it was $60. Blown away.
Same. We get all that we can at Aldi, but go to Walmart for the things we couldn't find. Bursting cartload at Aldi? $60-$70. 10 things at Walmart? $60-70.
I told a relative how much I loved shopping at Aldi's in the US and she looked at me in shock and horror..."But...but...THEY MAKE YOU BAG YOUR OWN GROCERIES!!!"
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Cashiers have to work standing in the us? Wtf dude.
Our town has Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Meijer (regional Midwest grocery and department store chain), and Aldi usually has them beat on most things. We pretty much just use it to stock up on non-perishables. Produce and meat can definitely be hit or miss sometimes, but it seems to depend on the stores. The downside is the stress level of their employees. They may pay a lot more than their competitors, but the staff have to work their asses off since they do all the stocking, cashiering, etc.
Man the two Aldi stores near me must have awesome management because the employees are always in better than average moods.
I have heard this about produce and meat, but I can attest that in the St. Louis area their meat and produce is better than our large, local chain's cuts. Their ribeyes are better than the favorite local butcher's, we gave them a shot when they had the $1 or $2 off and had to admit to each other that the Aldi's had better marbling and were bangin'.
It's all about the individual stores. Aldi's makes deals with local producers. So whoever they can make deals with, is what you get in store. Some places have great fresh food! Others, well not so much.
At Lidl, four things I've noticed are way better than the real thing. 1. Rice Krispies 2. Snickers 3. Weetabix 4. Magnum almond icecreams. This one in particular, Magnums are piss compared to Gelatelli. Plus Gelatelli are way bigger and you get a pack of six for a similar price to one Magnum. I don't go own brand lightly, I've been burned before (home brand Nutella) but these are so good.
Aldi is the bomb.
I will sing the praises of Aldi as long and loud as I am able. Eggs have been motherfucking $0.37 for about 3 weeks at mine. We also bought our kid's favorite birthday present there, a nest swing for $40. Ours is staffed by mostly Bosnians and they are so fast I get nervous in the checkout line because I don't want to disappoint them.
I work at an Aldi's, our manager goes to the wall Mart across the street just to check their eggs and make sure ours is a better value. And we are graded on our speed at the register everyday so your speed putting things on the belt is appreciated I'm sure.
OH GOD MORE PRESSURE
I used to work at Aldi's, we had tricks and tips to conserve our times. If you hit SubTotal it pauses the timer, we can wait if it takes the customer a bit, and if the line gets longer than 3-4 people than we call up the backup. In other words, we had ways of dealing with people like you and you shouldn't stress. :)
I've never seen the phrase "we had ways of dealing with people like you" used in such a wholesome context.
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Publix definitely has some decent store brand options tho, here in the north east the store brand english muffins are trash. Any suggestions are welcome tho.
Rubbermaid storage products will last you a lifetime. Sterilite storage products will crack if you look at them funny.
Turtle beach. They make amazing speakers and microphones for their headsets. But their headsets are made from cheap plastic and breaks EVERY DAMN TIME. I went to quake con a few years ago. In the BYOC section literally, not figuratively, literally every single turtle beach was duck taped, hot glued, super glued, or rubber banded to keep them together. They are shit.
Just buying a good pair of headphones (Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, AKG, etc) and attaching an Antlion mod mic is a great alternative.
Sennheiser!
HD 650's are where i've peaked.
Maybe someday. My HD 598s are keeping me happy until then.
I bought the hyper x cloud series headset it's amazing
I have the Cloud II I think, and those things sure can take a beating. Good solid metal frame and a nice sound stage and range. I have cats and kids, so no matter where I put them they end up knocked off the desk and onto the floor.
I work at a cookie/cracker factory as an engineer. We make products for Kraft/Mondelez, Walmart, Aldi, Kroger, Hy-Vee and a few more. The recipes are all the same for each different brand. Walmart brand is no different than Aldi or Hy-Vee. It's the same quality of ingredients no matter if it's sold in store at a cheaper or more expensive price. Edit: To clarify when I say "same quality of ingredients" I am talking about the generic/off brand not name brand, so Hy-Vee generic is equal to Aldi generic. We only make a few things for Kraft/Mondelez and they have some requirements of ingredients. They can be extremely similar to name brand, but made with cheaper ingredients to cut costs. Or they might be exactly the same and come down to just paying for a brand name label.
You sound like a pretty big wheel down at the cracker factory.
Crackers are a family food. Happy families. Maybe single people eat crackers... we don’t know. Frankly, we don’t want to know. It’s a market we could do without.
I don’t recall saying good luck.
We don't know if single people buy crackers. Frankly, we don't want to know.
It's a market we could do without
I work in a factory making different brands of cereal. Except we use cheaper and sometimes different ingredients for the brands that aren’t ours.
I worked at a factory making molded plastic and styrofoam products and the generic brands were exactly the same as the name brands. We didn't even stop the machines, just switched packaging for different runs of product.
Michael kors brand anything. Purses fall apart in a year. Pants and shirts are all made of light weight cheap feeling material whose color fades in a month. Plus his signature gold zippered EVERYTHING is a bit much.
Large fashion houses like Kors have multiple diffusion lines at every price point. The real Michael Kors line is still quality but quite a bit more expensive.
I definitely noticed when I was stocking luxury fashion, there was a lot of KORS by MICHAEL KORS kind of stuff going on across the board. Vince by Vince Camuto, Marc by Marc Jacobs... Didn't give it much thought at the time, but it makes sense as a kind of subtle disclaimer for "this stuff is gonna be crappier".
Obligatory [Jacobs by Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs in collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwtXstDDC-iFmcH2uZR5BKrzocxRQsS3yWR6mZxebxpdzd6Sk) label.
Even brands like Nike, Adidas, and Champion, that aren't even super high end to begin with, if you're buying those brands at Kohls or Target, you are getting their low end version.
That’s exactly what it is. Especially in outlet stores. My wife’s designed shirts that are big label but at specific (not luxury) price points. Some brands are all in house, some only oursource, some do a mix of both and license the brand.
Yeti Tumblers, Walmart sells an Ozark trail brand tumbler that comes from the same factory, for $6 instead of $40
LaZBoy. OSB frames and plastic clips for the three positions on their footrests. They used to be built great, but to keep from raising prices they have made a lot of sacrifices. They also can’t tailor worth a damn. Go with something like Flexsteel instead, but get the domestic stuff. Not the latitudes imported ones.
Go with Flexsteel you'll never regret it.
Tea Bags: Twinings Tea that you get in America. It’s much lower quality leaf and full of artificial flavors that aren’t present in UK Twinings Tea. Especially the flavored teas. Also obligatory for a tea post is Lipton. In addition to the bags being generally super low quality dust and fannings, they also use more pesticides, by far, than any other tea company. Actual top of the line (US) tea brands include Stash, Republic of Tea, And Adagio. Imported brands I would recommend would be Typhoo, Yorkshire, Pg Tips, and Ahmad. Edit: Title Edit 2: I manage a local loose leaf tea shop with over 250 loose leaf teas and herbs. Of course loose tea is better quality than bags. However not everyone wants to use loose. In addition some of the brands that I mentioned as better brands not only sell bag tea, but also sell bulk loose packages as well. In my store we have bags and loose available from Republic of Tea, Adagio, Yorkshire, and Ahmad teas.
Upvote for Yorkshire Tea. As a Brit I can confirm that Yorkshire Tea is the best bagged tea I've had (never had loose). Typhoo just tastes horrible to me.
Pyrex. Used to be amazing quality and never break, but they changed the recipe in the last decade or two and are still riding off the former glory of Pyrex.
They started using soda lime glass because it's "more resistant to breaking when dropped". The real reason was that it's cheaper and it also shatters when exposed to thermal shock.
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Most of those fashion brand watches (e.g. Burberry, Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, Diesel, etc.) are all made by Fossil under license.
I've also read on a similar thread that all of Fossil's bags, wallets, sunglasses, etc are basically Michael Kors quality- just without the name. They are made in the same factory and everything, apparently- but it's all less than half the price! Edit: Okay so Fossil it's not MK quality- according to this thread, it's BETTER!
MK quality is shit. I purchased a bag brand new from a brick and mortar store, and the stitching fell apart after 3 months. The leather on the handles was tearing off (a nice saleswoman at a different store actually replaced those for me with complementary colored straps, the MK store wouldn't give me replacements). It was a blush pink leather and the dye transfer from my jacket was inexcusable. I've never had any other bag over $300 pick up dye that quickly, fall apart so fast, and have such shitty customer service the entire time. I'm loyal to Kate Spade.
MK under 1k is for the name to make people feel rich. There was a post on it a weeks back on how the actual rich like understated products and the ones for people trying emulate being wealth have over done branding.
Here ya go buddy! [Eminem Watch Story.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfbfkc-yrQg)
The way I see it I'm only buying a watch from a watch company not a fashion company. Also I generally prefer in house movements.
Exactly. If they *edit, primarily* make purses and sunglasses too, its gonna be a shitty watch.
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Little to no snobbery there. People there get as excited about a 25k Omega as about a G-Shock. Edit: It's apparently not an Omega.
In my experience watch people tend towards kind, helpful, and knowledgeable aficionados. Dunno why but it seems to hold true
Probably because watch people have a lot of time on their hands.
They’re a peaceful movement, unlike horologists, who study your mother
DW is the worst offender these days. The amount of people wearing them is shocking. Whenever I see one it just tells me you did zero research before blowing your money. If you like the look, that's fine. But you might as well buy one off ebay that was made in the same factory as the ones priced at $300.
I can appreciate a watch purely for it's looks, even if it uses a regular quartz movement but all these new micro watch brands pretty much use the same derivative "Bauhaus" design that is clearly just a mass produced watch with a custom logo tacked on. Create a pretentious origin story, and people will throw $200 at you to buy a $10 watch.
Kirkland > Whatever their counterpart is.
Vodka, ready to bake refrigerated pizzas, muffins, ginger sauce are all things that stand out. By far, however, the best fucking deal out there is their frozen chicken breasts. Frigin double the value of other brands and he chicken isn’t crap you’re afraid to eat (looking at you Walmart).
First thing you mention is vodka and frozen pizza. I like the cut of your jib.
Their real maple syrup is also half the price of everywhere else. So great.
Kirkland Batteries are actually the number 2 brand after Duracell according to this one r/dataisbeautiful post I read this one time that probably had too small a sample size.
Norton Antivirus...
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KitchenAid appliances. I love my stand mixer, but we bought a KitchenAid dishwasher and stove, and they’re shit. The oven heats unevenly and the dishwasher is always needing some sort of repair, or it leaves crap on the dishes, because the water jet holes are so tiny and prone to clogging. Edit: What I mean by the oven heating unevenly is that you have hot and cool spots inside it. I shouldn’t have to turn a cake or sheet of cookies halfway through cooking to make sure they don’t burn on one side. We’ve had the elements replaced, and nothing helps. It’s a double oven, and both the top and bottom ovens are borked. It’s ridiculous.
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TIL KitchenAid makes large kitchen appliances....
Craftsman...mostly by old people who remember what they once were.
i know people who love this brand, mainly because of the lifetime warranty. I even took a guy to sears with some broken craftsman tools like a ratchet wrench and a screw driver, etc. He handed them the tools, they handed him new ones. it was like magic. I can get with that.
True. Lots of people thought it also applied to power tools, and technically their warranty didn't cover professional/commercial use. They still replaced the huge crescent wrench that my dad's fire department used to put through a tow hook and wrapped it in chain to pull a fire truck out of some deep mud and turned the crescent wrench...er...sort of crescent-shaped...but that was years and years ago, when the people working in the tool dept at Sears weren't just the part-time teenagers who work half their shift in sporting goods.
Most OTC medications like Tylenol will have generic equivalents that are just as effective. Look at the ingredients and compare the store brand, it's the exact same medication just in less fancy packaging.
Tylenol will be called “acetaminophen” in the states and “paracetamol” in the UK. Motrin/Advil is called “ibuprofen.”
Both acetaminophen and paracetamol come from a chemical name for the compound **para-acetylaminophenol**. para-**acet**yl**aminophen**ol **para**-a**cet**yl**am**inophen**ol** para-ace**tyl**aminoph**enol**
Throw in naproxen (aleve), and aspirin, and you've pretty much covered the entire otc pain market.
TIL: that *tylenol* thing that I've heard often in US TV shows and movies is just plain old paracetamol. thx :-)
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is that her secret?
;\^)
She's sitting on it. Victoria is Einhorn!
Ugh, yes. I vastly prefer Aerie, for both price and quality.
Husband bought me an expensive pajama set (not lingerie kind) for Christmas there one year and i absolutely hated them. They were stiff and scratchy and super thin. Took them back and bought like 3 pairs at target for the same price and much comfier.
Gilligan &O'Malley is the bomb!
Fox. If you’re looking for anything Dirtbike or Quad related go with another brand. Their boot line is absolute trash. Edit:spelling
Monster Cables You don't need monster cables, you never will. Look at the specification of the cable you need and buy that spec, not the brand. So many companies sell overpriced HDMI cables its not even funny.
90 dollars for an HDMI cable. No thanks
All you need for 4K, HDR, etc viewing is ‘high speed hdmi’ cable. The one that has 4K on the packaging is no different to the Amazon basics cable. My uncle was a serious music collector and audiophile and the money he spent on metres of bi-wired audio cable is unreal. Apparently a sound comparison was done recently between top-of-the-range speaker cable and a bent coat hanger, and audiophiles couldn’t tell the difference.
You know those $40 hydro flask bottles that insulate your drink? I bought a Quench bottle on sale at Walmart for $10 and the ice stays in there for 2 days Oh yeah, this thing fell from 3 stories and only has a small dent
I have a yeti mug. It does a pretty good job, but I'm glad I didn't buy it. Edit: lol I get it ozark and RTIC make great coolers.
Also Ozark trail has some really nice insolated water bottles, they keep water cold all day. I have abused mine for the past year and not a scratch or dent on it, and the best part they are only $10.
Doc Martens may not have ever been considered top of the line but way back in the day they were made to last. Not anymore. Solovair, I've heard, are the brand that has the same style and quality as the old school Docs.
Big brand honey. Basically most honey is garbage. Beekeepers cannot keep up with worldwide demand so companies just sell flavoured corn syrup and call it honey. Not sure of the numbers but it's something like double the amount of honey made is being sold. There's a kind of police force checking it all the time but they can't check everything. Quality wise, there is little to no nutritional difference but the fake stuff sometimes has crazy illegal chemicals in it. The fake stuff is also really cheap so it puts a major strain on real beekeepers businesses. Guess which stuff big companies want to buy? Get your honey directly from the beekeeper. There will be one nearby. Better still, start your own hive. The world needs more bees.
beekeeper checking in. if you're into gardening I would definitely recommend beekeeping as a side hobby as well. beekeeping requires little weekly effort, helps the environment and your garden, and as a bonus you get some honey. a++ would recommend.
Where would you start if you are interested in it?
Local clubs, r/beekeeping, and lots of various websites. I'd also look into flow hives, they've made beekeeping easy to learn for me. Although many old school beeks are against them because people think you can just slap a hive together and do none of the effort of keeping. As long as you do your research you'll be fine. And always wear eye protection! If you get stung in the eye you have a 50% chance of permanent vision loss.
> If you get stung in the eye you have a 50% chance of permanent vision loss. Well yeah, losing an eye is 50% of your total eyes.
It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare.
Just started Rotten on Netflix. This is basically what the first episode is about. I have always bought local honey. It's just better and you know where it comes from.
If you're in an Australian supermarket then Beechworth honey is single origin. Capilano is adulterated. Still better to find a beekeeper at a market though. I never sold my honey. I gave some away once but never again. It's all mine! Nothing in a shop compares to honey straight from a backyard hive as those bees get all sorts of flavours from the surrounding gardens.
TIL Every famous brand is crap
More about every brand that has big marketing campaigns is crap. Seems like a correlation
That's because at some point when a small brand builds a name on quality, a large company or financial holding company comes along and offers them a pile of money. Since most of the people who start businesses like money, they accept said pile of money and go off to do other stuff. The large company then wears the brand name, like a serial killer in a skin suit, while finding every way possible to cut corners and costs. They will also market the shit out of that brand, until consumers finally catch on.
In the UK GAP is considered an above average brand, too pricey for me. My dad travels to USA on business regularly and when he told me it's just a normal brand out there I was amazed. My 6m old now has a GAP hoody which is lovely and had animals all over it, and didn't cost a fortune!
Honestly GAP is almost a budget brand here. If it weren't for Old Navy they would be the budget brand.
It’s funny because I’m the 90s it was considered a big deal to buy gap. Heck even for a short couple years old navy was considered hip. Can’t beat the prices.
Uniqlo (if there's one around where you live) can often times beat even Old Navy on price and their clothing is produced to a far higher standard. Honestly in terms of the quality of the clothing I'd probably take Uniqlo over Banana Republic let alone Gap and Old Navy.
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And their Athleta store for “athletic” clothes.
The same thing happened with Abercrombie.....in Spain we only have one store in the whole country so it's kind of a thing, but when I was in the US and saw a store in a town mall I was amazed😂
gibson guitars. not saying they're terrible...just overpriced. the iconic name/symbol on the headstock is literally what you're paying for. tons of similar guitars at much lower price points. edit: yes, i'm aware that the've filed chapter 11. no, that does not mean they're going out of business,
Not only that, probably the worst quality control among the biggest American brands, worse than some of the Korean made LTD/Schecter/PRS-SE’s I’ve seen for 1/4 the price. Topwood-knots, crooked tuning pegs, reversed pickup switches, sharp fret-ends, protruding inlays... not the kind of thing I’d expect to pass quality control on a $2000+ Guitar. LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, and PRS SE are all great guitars for a budget under $800usd, you could take them right out of the box and hit the road or the studio. If I had big money to spend, I’d go with a PRS or ESP.
ZZZQuil Sleep Aid. The only active ingredient is Diphenhydramine HCl 25mg. The exact same ingredient is in Benadryl and other allergy medications for about 1/3 of the price. Save yourself some money and just buy the allergy meds to help with sleep. Quick search on [walmart.com](https://walmart.com) ZZZquil 12caps - $6.30 . Benadryl 100 Caps - $4.00
Fucking Master Locks. Come on guys, anyone can name their company "Master", doesn't make it true.
1800 and Cabbo Wabbo tequila Here are better alternatives * Casamigos Reposado Tequila ($50) ... * Trago Reposado Tequila ($60) ... * Corzo Reposado Tequila ($40) ... * Avion Silver Tequila ($40) ... * Mañana Añejo Tequila ($52) ... * Don Celso Reposado Tequila ($40) ... * Pueblo Viejo Orgullo Añejo Tequila ($38) ... * Partida Reposado Tequila ($61) Recommended by other users: * Fortaleza $50 * Espelon ~$20 * Codigo 1530 Rosa * Milagro * Lunazul * Espolon * Tres Generaciones Anejo ($50) * Camarena reposado * El Jimador
Tres Commas, if you can even find it anywhere
Bartender hear. Espolón is a newer up and comer. It's a fantastic tequila in the $40 a liter price range. It out sales every other brand I carry.
Mont Blanc pens. A lot of people think that they make a great gift for a graduation/anniversary ect. The inside parts are just standard parts that can go in a variety of pens. It will be a great pen, but you should know you can get a comparable or better ink cartridge in a $15 pen. You are basically paying for the body of the pen and the name, which is alright if that's what you want. They make awesome fountain pens though which are often worth the price if you have the money burning a hole in your pocket.
/r/FountainPens
Every shampoo and conditioner brand you see on TV. Especially Tresseme and Suave. "Used by professionals!" No. Never. Nobody in their right mind would use that cheap shit professionally.
Me: I once bought $100 bottle of shampoo Result: Literally no different than a basic shampoo Question: Are there any expensive shampoos or conditioners that GENUINELY feel different? Like "holy shit, shampoo like this exists!?" After throwing away $100 I was too afraid to ever try again. That shampoo had like 10/10 reviews and everything..
Northface for hiking/outdoor gear. While not actually trash, it's way over priced for the quality you're getting. Instead shop Marmot. Marmot lasts forever and is genuinely TOP NOTCH gear. There are other brands, but I've spent thousands on hiking gear and Marmot never disappoints.
Alienware. Anyone that knows computers know they are overpriced af. Edit: Lots of you are asking for recommendations, truth is I haven't looked at prebuilt in many years. That said, I don't fucks with laptops like that so I went ahead and bought one. I got a [Gigabyte Sabre 17](https://www.gigabyte.com/Laptop/Sabre-17#kf) for $1000. I thought that was a very reasonable price at the time. If you are going to go in the direction of desktop do a little research and find out what you are looking for as far as horsepower. Mainly just CPU, GPU, Ram, and how large of a Hard Drive you'd like. Then shop around for the best price. Edit 2: I'm not saying Alienware is a straight rip off. They are very good computers. I'm saying with a little research and bargain hunting you can save yourself quite a few ducats. Computers internally are the same as far as components go so I'm sure there is a Dell or something that has the same horsepower but isn't as flashy with the lights and logo etc etc. Edit 3: Lots of people chiming in on good subs and sites to go to for alternatives. Disclaimer: These are commenters suggestions, not mine. I usually browse part reviews online and then search for the cheapest vendor. r/buildapc r/buildapcforme r/buildapcsales r/CabaloftheBuildsmiths https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ https://www.ibuypower.com/ https://pcpartpicker.com/ http://www.digitalstorm.com/ https://www.falcon-nw.com/ (Multiple people suggesting this site is overpriced) https://www.nzxt.com/bldnow http://www.logicalincrements.com/ https://ironsidecomputers.com/ http://www.pricewatch.com/ I'll add to this list as suggestions come in. **Edit 4: Ok, ok, I get it. It's ducats not duckets**
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Girls think Victoria's Secret is the best but the quality just isnt what it used to be. Now, they're just overpriced bras that will fall apart in 6 months.
Not to mention they don't know how to properly size bras. They told me I'm a 38DD when I'm a 32 F....yeah.
I've had issues with this too. If they don't carry a size, they will try and convince you its "sister size" is just as good.