I often hear, “You should never cheap out on a good office chair, shoes, underpants, backpack etc…” but what are some items that you would feel OK to cheap out on?
This can by anything from items such as: expensive clothing brands to general groceries.
RE: office chairs…. You could spend a shit ton of money or…. You could totes cheap out and replace them every 4-6 months.
I WFH and use my office for other things as well. My ass is in that chair 60-70 hours a week, in a weird position that’s comfy to me but no chair is designed to support.
The padding isn’t the issue. I can always throw a pillow too thin to sleep on under my butt. The hydraulic cylinder is the issue.
Give me a hard chair that stays at a constant fucking height with no effort any day. Padding I can fix, but if I’m constantly at weird and non ergonomic levels with little control that’s a real problem.
Context, I’m actively typing much of my day on the kb directly in front of me, and jumping back to the keyboard at around 45 degrees to the left any chance I get.
If you have a metal cut-off saw, and you only like your chair at or consistently above a specific height, you can force this minimum height despite that stupid hydraulic cylinder. This technique also helps once that cylinder breaks down after 12-24 months and you get this constant sinking feeling that puts your knees up under your chin within 15 minutes of any height adjustment.
Measure the outer diameter of the largest part of your chair’s central shaft. Measure the perfect minimum height between the bottom of the chair (where the shaft emerges) and where the shaft ends down at the rollers. For example, if you always like your chair at max height, put it there (without sitting in it) and then measure that distance.
Go to your hardware store and find a piece of metal pipe, min. ½mm in thickness, ideally steel. Copper might be too soft (go at least 1mm), iron piping might be too brittle.
This pipe will have to have an inner diameter slightly larger than the shaft, and be at least as long as the ideal height distance you measured.
If you get a pre-made piece of pipe (sink drain downspout, for example) that is longer than what you need, you will need that metal cut-off saw to tailor that length to the correct amount.
Take the shaft of the chair apart. The vast majority of chairs literally just sit on that hydraulic cylinder, they don’t even click into a locked-in position much less have any fasteners. Although if you have been using it for a while you may need a rubber mallet to convince the seat to separate from that hydraulic cylinder.
Put your metal pipe over the shaft, put the seat back onto the gas cylinder.
Ergo, you now have a height-defined chair that won’t descend beyond a defined point. You still need the cylinder to connect the chair to the bottom half, but that hydraulic cylinder could be completely dead (with a max height pipe), and it wouldn’t matter one bit.
Not sure if this applies to the US but for most things you buy from a supermarket the generic supermarket brand is usually just as good or even better than the big brands. And it’s usually much cheaper.
In some cases it’s actually the same product made by a big brand. They might be losing money (or just not making as much profit), but it denies profit to the competitors, so it’s still considered a win.
You’re conflating copackers with brands.
Store brands will go to the same copackers, truth. But the copacker will not just make a premium brand product for a store brand at a lower cost. It will be a recipe made to a taste/price spec. Maybe all the ingredients are sourced from the same place, but the recipe will be different.
What can be nearly identical are branding tiers. Large companies like Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble etc will sometimes have multiple “competing” brands in the same market, all made in the same factory.
To counter this I used to visit some factories for a big contract manufacturer in the UK. They would often make say lasagne for the supermarkets and for the “premium” brands. Whilst they were all made in the same place, the “premium” brands products had much better quality ingredients in them and different ratios of the good stuff (say meat) to filler (say pasta sheets).
For some things it’s the exact same materials, but for many it’s different. You have to do blind taste tests to see which ones you prefer.
Kroger’s “private selection” brand is legitimately unbelievably good in every category! Their chocolate is better than Lindt. Their bread is simply the best! Their jerky is effing amazing and with options I’ve never even heard of from other brands! The tea is pretty good, though I have actually had better. The ice cream bro!
I have certain things I don’t buy the generic for, such as Mac & Cheese and crescent rolls (one because the sauce is unmatched by off-brand and the other because the cans are impossible to open) but this is generally good advice
In the US, most of the food is made in the same factories because they’re regional, then the name brands might get to pick the freshest batch, but often it’s the exact same stuff just in different boxes.
Often it’s literally the same thing. In Europe there is a code in every product that’ll show you where it’s produced. You’ll often find that the cheap brand comes from the same factory as the expensive brand. They just get different packaging.
Nonstick pan for eggs. Get the cheapest. Only use for eggs. Replace if coating damaged.
Does not apply to any other cooking ware tho
I’m gonna disagree. Cheap nonstick pans are horrible and just contribute to unnecessary waste plus you have no idea what’s in that coating. Carbon steel or cast iron, when properly seasoned, are just as non stick as a “non stick” coated pan and will literally last forever. They’re also WAY more useful than a nonstick since you can use them with almost any heat source and any temperature.
I’ve never had a nonstick pan I’ve personally owned go bad, because I use it for the right things. Low heat only, hands wash, and only use silicone utensils. Whenever I see other people with shitty non sticks it’s because they abuse them horribly. Searing things and using metal utensils and throwing them in the dishwasher or scrubbing the hell out of them. I love cast iron too, but I can never get them to not stick with low heat.
This is horrible advice. Cheap nonstick flakes nasty teflon chemicals into your food. Shitty advice
Cheap nonstick flakes nasty teflon chemicals into your food.
All Teflon coatings will degrade if abused. Getting expensive nonstick just makes you want to use it longer than you should (sunk cost), and abuse it because it’s “more durable”.
So get a cheap T-fal, be very careful with it, always handwash, never use metal utensils, dispose if damaged at all, and only use for eggs.
Lastly, If you can’t use a nonstick pan carefully every time, just don’t use nonstick at all.
Do people really buy pans for just eggs though? I’ve always used my regular pans for cooking eggs and if I’m storing them in my home I’d want them to cook more than just eggs.
Some people do, yeah. I’ve always used stainless steel cause it’s what I had. Takes a little practice to get it to not stick, but after that it’s fine. I heat the empty pan on medium, medium high until it’s pretty hot. If you add a drop of water, it should bead up and roll. Then add the oil, wait until it shimmers, and add the eggs.
Enameled cast iron is nice too. It’s non-stick and not as heavy as a regular cast iron.
Get cast iron instead, and never worry about having to replace it
I have cast iron, I use it often, but I don’t like using it for eggs in the morning.
No idea why you’re downvoted. Seasoning a cast iron pan sufficiently enough to fry an egg is challenging, whereas most chefs will use a non-stick pan solely for this purpose. It’s basically the one thing that non-stick is good at.
If it’s seasoned well enough it will work great with eggs
Its not a matter of stick, it’s a matter of convenience. It takes too long to get to temperature when I just need one egg.
I have a gas stove so I wouldn’t know
I’m with you. Started working to eliminate Teflon from the kitchen and went full cast iron, but eggs were still a challenge… Until someone turned me on to carbon steel.
It’s lighter (not as light as an aluminum pan with Teflon, but significantly lighter than cast iron) and takes the same abuse and seasoning as cast iron.
feel OK to cheap out on?
This can by anything from items such as: expensive clothing
??
Buy used stuff and learn by doing. Computer upgrades, smartphone repairs, cars to some extent and a ton of other stuff
One of the big ones for me is non denim pants. I went through a phase where I got into somewhat more expensive clothes for a bit. Not like flashy stuff, but like just like presumably high quality stuff that wasn’t so mass produced and in many cases, specifically made in the the US.
Well for some reason or another a bunch of the pants I bought in that period of time just did not hold up at all. Lots of various problems including buttons falling off, seams splitting, holes in pockets. And not just from one brand either.
Well I buy pants from places like H&M now and they all last me a long time. I’ve got pants I’ve owned for 5+ years and worn quite a lot and they’re still in great condition. And I paid like $30 for them.
Maybe I had bad luck with the nice pants back then, idk. But the price/value equation does not work out for me whatsoever. I’ve had somewhat similar experiences with casual button down shirts. My Uniqlo shirts have held up a lot longer than shirts I’ve spent like 3-5x the money for. But it hasn’t been as extreme as my experience with nicer pants.
Stuff like shoes and jackets on the other hand, I prefer to spend a little more for quality.
I “just” moved and now taking care of the garden. I want a small vegetable garden (again) in raised beds.
You have a lot of raised beds kits the cheapest ones are €40 and more expensive ones are €90. I however used pallet collar’s at €5 a piece. You don’t even have to screw them together just put them down. For some custom size beds I use free pallets. They do take some work however.
Give them one treatment with linseed oil and you can use them for years. They live longer then the cheap kits and just a bit shorter then expensive ones. (Hardwood probably out life them)
Kits for vegetable gardens are most of the time really overpriced. Raised beds kits, tool kits and so on.
If you want high quality tools buy them of course, but starter kits are most of the time just the cheapest ones at a premium. Want hardwood raised beds, just buy wood and not a kit.
I suggest start on the cheap side, see if it your hobby. Buy cheap tools they already least long enough and if they break you know that you maybe want to invest in a premium one. Because you use that tool really often. (Second hand old tools are sometimes a better option of course)
Do not use free range pallets for anything that isn’t strictly decorative with lots of coating on it. Those things are treated to high heaven with loads of chemicals and you never know what they had on them.
Woods preservatives and methyl bromide are known carcinogens and they’re not even recommended to burn, let alone grow food in.
https://aaapalletco.com/are-pallets-safe-to-burn-answers-from-the-experts/
It’s forbidden to use chemical treatment on Eur pallet/epal pallets. They are only heat treated. Single use pallet are also forbidden to use chemical treatment, but are normally not heat treated. So for the eu the treatment is not the problem. Of course didn’t think of the rest of the world. Sorry for that.
For the stuff that’s was on the pallet collar’s stored and transported stainless steel and the free pallets I got where form work and shipped some pavement stones.
If you don’t feel safe buy/getting for free used. New epal pallet collar’s are about €15. They are only heat treated by law.
This is a great one for sure, enjoy the gardening! 🌻
Thanks! 😌
Cheap/free pallets are used pallets and these have been in contact with so much shit that they should never be used with anything you’ll put in your mouth and shouldn’t be used indoors either (not relevant to you, just saying)
“shit” even humans’, is used as fertilizer all over the world.
So tell me you have no idea about farming without saying that you have no idea about farming.
I don’t think the comment you’re replying to was referring to shit as in fecal matter, but rather shit as in unknown potentially toxic substances.
Thanks for you comment, didn’t think of that.
I bought the used pallet collar’s for a company I know and it shipped and stored stainless steel. I’m fine with that. But if someone isn’t comfortable with used new pallet collar’s are about €15.
The free pallets I used only moved pavement stones once, so I also think it fine. But yeah don’t just pick something on the side of the road to grow food in.
A other comment mentioned chemical treatment of pallets. I didn’t think of that. Most pallet in the eu are not allowed to use chemicals to treat the wood. Only heat treatment. That covers eur/epal pallets and single use pallets. Basically the only ones that are free or cheap. And it most be printed on the pallet how they are treated.
That being said be careful especially in countries without laws against using chemicals on pallets.
So I’m fine using them also understand other people are not. Then buying new are just wood for the store is always a option.
Just be sure those pallets were not used with toxic stuff. I’m damn sure that those that lay behind food stores are just ok.
Socks. Personally I am a change every 2-3 days kind of guy.
(Sorry)
Nah this ain’t it for me. Darn tough socks for life
Yea I made a joke on ops cost. Go to their profile and check their last posts.
Need to change socks every day.
Oh it’s that guy! Lol thanks for pointing it out
I like the cheap Ferraris
Oh, you mean the new mid-engine Corvettes?
Kind of a “duh” thing but, only buy used cars.
Always have a trusted mechanic who doesn’t work for the dealer look it over before you buy. Usually new car dealerships are reputable and are looking to move their trade-in inventory, especially at the end of the year when they need to clear the lot for the next year’s models. You can even find deals on vehicles that are only a year or two old like a returned lease, with a moderate number of miles on them and little to no wear and tear. Those are usually just as good as new but so much cheaper.
Be super cautious of the used car dealer chains, like Drivetime and Carvana, they have loads of customer complaints and legal problems in a couple of states (basically, if it seems too good to be true, it is). Do not ever buy a former rental car, unless it’s true love at first sight or you’re desperate… even then think about how people, who’ve only paid like $10-20 for rental insurance, have probably treated that vehicle and reconsider.
The newest and most expensive car I ever bought was a previous model year’s dealer demo. A dealer demo is what it sounds like, it’s the car the dealership displayed in the show room, used for test drives with unsure buyers, running office errands, and showing off at the mall or in parades. Cons: There’s only a few of them, they’ll have a couple hundred miles on the odometer, and you don’t get to pick the color or options. Pros: They’re usually at a decent trim level, in an agreeable color, and well maintained… for thousands less than brand new because they’ve already left the lot a whole bunch.
I rented a corolla to do Uber in, and I ran that car like a motherfucker. I don’t drive like an idiot, (optimizing for rider experience, which overlaps a lot with minimizing car wear) but I did push the car in a way I wouldn’t push my own.
I’ve often wondered, how were the economics of renting a car to drive for a service? Did you usually make back your money for renting and fuel, etc?
See I drove my last car 16 years, always went to the dealer I bought it from for maintenance, and they were always forthright every time. He finally told me the last time I took it in for service that he was really starting to cross his fingers when he put it on the hoist, and that it might be time to stop throwing good money after bad. I never felt pressured.
Well, what I meant was don’t just take a dealership’s word for the maintenance of a car they’re trying to sell you. But yeah, dealer mechanic shops can be some of the best out there especially for their particular brand.
I’ve bought a couple former rental cars and they were fine. While people might drive a bot more aggressive in them, if it didn’t have body work done it’s likely still fine. The big plus for rental cars is they generally get proper maintenance so they are mechanically solid.
expensive clothing brands
Buying designer gear from outlets is something you should definitely cheap out on. ‘Fast fashion’ prices with designer quality. I’m not at all convinced the designer gear was ever worth the official price tag but I am very sure that it’ll last longer because you can’t sell a pair of leggings for £75 if they’re going to fall apart or bag out instantly (or at least, you won’t get away with it for very long). Getting those same leggings for a tenner is the way to go.
Sad to say, they still use the same sweatshops as fast fashion brands, they just pay more for the quality control. So you still need to care about how the brands conduct themselves.
Idk about designer, but Levi’s 569 and silver tab are the only jeans I can stand. Also, apparently they’re the only brand allowed to use the correct shade of blue. Idk why, but this kind of blue is important to me.
They count. And I know exactly what you mean about the blue.
No way they count! I’m paying for the physical features! They fit just right and aren’t stretchy like the garbage they sell at target.
Decent T-shirts can be had cheap from craft shops. If bought on sale, can be less than $4 each. They come in the normal variations, and one can get various weights online. They also come in a wide variety of colors. Additionally, they don’t have visible logos.
I like the Next Level 3600, the 3601 is the long sleeve with a similar cut. Bella Canvas 3001 is the same fit as well with different color options. Gildian is probably what most people are already used to, boxy fit usually used for band shirts. That’s fine if that’s your thing, but I prefer something a bit more form fitting.
That’s a perfect entry into a capsule wardrobe. If you get 100% cotton shirts of solid colors – wash on delicate in cold or warm water and hang dry them, they’ll be wrinkle free and last a long time. When they’re beat, cut them up to use as rags.
First: Thanks for the great suggestions!
Second: Shop around folks! A quick search shows that these T’s go for around $5, but Amazon has them for almost double the price.
Third: If you have both minibyte can you confirm that the Bella Canvas has a shorter sleeve length than the Next Level? The pictures seems to show that but then again that depends on the model.
To my eye the sleeves are the same length on Bella Canvas and Next Level. The only difference I can tell is the Next Level shirts are about an inch longer, not the sleeves but the body.
That said, I’m 6 ft - 145lbs and wear a small in both shirts. They’re both long enough to fit perfectly.
If you done mind one e question: Which one’s softer? Thank you!
They’re both 100% cotton, same weight. I believe they’re the same material and feel it.
Next Level: 4.3 oz. 100% combed ring spun cotton.
Bella Canvas: 4.2 oz. 100% Airlume combed and ring spun cottonThe “combed” bit means you should expect them both to be soft.
Next level shirts are almost perfect
I wear tall sizes which makes finding shirts a pain. Old Navy has tall sizes and their t shirts are on sale for $6 a few times a year. And they’re very soft and comfortable! I buy like 5 every couple of years.
Most things. Clothes, cookware, phones, TV’s, etc.
I would say only spend money to buy things you’re passionate about. I love cooking and have spent some money on quality ingredients. Buy good spices and pans, erc. But I hardly spend money on clothing or vehicles or phones, etc.
Odd comment - you say don’t spend on cookware, yet you spent money on good pans? I also love cooking, and spent money on good pans and knives :-)
That was just an example haha. I spend money on buy it for life cookware, buy it honestly hasn’t been a lot. Cast iron is actually fairly cheap if you can find a deal. Plus, I visit estate sales and often find quality on the cheap.
Cell phone. A $200 android is extremely fast these days
Based and pilled bro, based and pilled
Unknown, but it seems like many people enjoy their low-cost mobiles so I am happy.
Their fear response is triggered by the use of “pill” as a verb.
And, of course, that their moral philosophy operates at the level of reflex.
LOL, sadly, this is probably the case. Well stated.
I’m a bit disappointed to see this behaviour on Lemmy of all places
Absolutely, currently in the purchase of a Pixel 7a (second hand) for 300euros, looking forwards to getting that in hand and install Graphene 👍👍
Depends. That’s about what I paid for my previous phone second hand and it lasted me 7 years and I loved it to bits. But I was pretty broke and only could afford that. New phone, I decided to buy a brand new fairphone, because i think that the moment I get enough disposable income, I have a moral responsibility to use it in ways that encourage more ethical practices, for all the people who can’t. Doing that is bloody expensive, but if it somehow helps make this dystopian hellscape a little more bearable, I’ll invest.
Indeed. And that’s a great point, I would love a fairphone (or idealy a true linux handheld) for my next mobile device.
The key to my post is that purchasing $1500 sansungs and ios devices is ludicrous in this market, unless you are developing on the cutting edge or are a luxury tech enthusiast
It is, yeah. Especially if it’s to change it after 2 short years of use because if you keep it longer than that you look like a bum or whatever. I will never understand that tbh.
Have any recommendations for cheap foldables?
People who want a foldable are at peace with it randomly becoming unusable. People who buy cheap phones are not.
napkin
You can either have cheap or foldable. Both won’t work.
You can get a Z Flip 3 for like $300 on eBay.
No I meant the ones that turn into tablets. I’m fine with my Z Fold 3 for the next 5 years or so. Was just curious to see if there were any cheap options on the scene yet.
That’s only cheap if you don’t consider how long it will survive and the replacement/repair cost. A slab phone with no moving parts will last much longer than a foldable making the $/year cost much lower.
I can’t wait until my device and destructively scan, then re-print objects, so fast and effortlessly that I can have a folding phone that is my card carrier too. I just swipe the icon for my debit card, the thing materializes at full speed feeling exactly like Im pulling it out of a billfold, then when I push it back in it just gets chewed up again.
Or tablets. I’m using a tab s6 for browsing news sites occasionally. Best tab that runs lineage and was 200$ new (bought it late 2023)
Buying previous generation products. I got something like a Braun series 5 instead of the newest series 9, as there isn’t that much difference.
