When it comes to certain items, it doesn't really matter if you buy the cheaper version — think store brand versus name brand — to save a buck. Other times, the difference in price actually makes a huge difference — some may even say a life-changing difference.
Redditor u/Bellabuns_xo asked: "What's something you used to be cheap on, until you tried a high-quality version, and now you can't go back?" Let's just say I haven't thought of a lot of these until now and now I'm taking notes. Here are some of the responses.
1. "Windshield wipers. I used to buy the cheap ones and would get so annoyed that they would always skip across the windshield. I thought all wipers did that until I bought the expensive ones. I’ll never buy the cheap ones again."
2. "Dish soap. My god, I will never again purchase Great Value dish soap. Dawn for the win."
"My dad would get pissed at me when I would buy the expensive dishwasher tablets. He said the Walmart Great Value ones were only $3 a pack, instead of $10 for the good ones.
I pointed out that they didn't clean the dishes, and the dishwasher needed multiple runs to get everything clean. He wasn't saving $7, he was wasting $3 on useless crap."
3. "My bed. Please, everyone, treat yourself and buy a high-quality bed set. Mattresses are expensive but it’s worth their weight in gold. Even if you just get a new set of covers, something with a high thread count. Sleep itself isn’t as important as how you sleep."
4. "Earbuds and headphones. I used to think people who paid over $20 for earbuds were ridiculous. I eventually got tired of my $12 ones breaking and being such low quality."
5. "Clothing. I used to buy cheap polyester clothes from Kohl's and other massive retailers, but one day I was shopping in a higher-end place and bought a really nice heavy-duty cotton henley, and every time I went into my closet I wanted to wear it. So I decided to empty my closet and start with better-quality clothes. Now I have half as many clothes as I did before, but I feel good in all of them. They will last for years instead of months. Instead of buying four $10 polo shirts, I buy one $40 quality polo shirt."
6. "Coffee. We always had instant coffee/chicory blend growing up poor, and I would always enjoy good filter coffee if we went to a restaurant. Then in grad school, someone introduced me to good instant coffee — 100% freeze-dried arabica, no chicory — and then six months later the students clubbed together to buy a cheap drip-filter coffee machine and that was that."
7. "Shoes."
8. "Art supplies. I got to use really high-quality stuff for my college classes and it changed my life."
9. "Technology. Like, screen monitors, consoles, laptops, and phones. Some of the high-quality products are far more worth the buck."
10. "My Dyson vacuum. My dog sheds a lot and cheap vacuums would only last a year before breaking."
"Getting a cordless vacuum has changed my life. I have a high shedding dog too and pulling out the vacuum, messing with the cord/outlet situation is no longer an issue so I don’t hesitate to vacuum as much!"
11. "We cheaped out and bought low-quality garbage bags once. It made our week a misery. They split, leaking bin juice all over the pantry floor. They burst halfway to the wheelie bin. They just make more work all around, and never end up being a saving as you have to double up anyway. False economy."
12. "A menstrual cup! I cannot describe how much better it made my period days. No mess and way less discomfort than when I was using pads and tampons. Never going back!"
13. "I find it weird that this comment isn't here (unless I overlooked it) but TOILET PAPER! Once I started using 2ply I knew there was no way in hell I was going back to 1ply."
14. "Soap. Cheap soap just strips your skin. Expensive soap makes it so you can't keep your hands off yourself — skin so soft and pliable, plump, fresh, glowing, and smooth. Wow. Game changer."
15. "Socks. I used to get the basic twelve-pack of white socks but switched to darn tough wool socks. I was a little sticker shocked at first but I’m not blowing holes in them because of my fungus toe anymore."
16. "Eggs. Once I tried free-range organic farm fresh eggs with those deep orange yolks. I just couldn't go back. Paying over $6 a dozen isn't cheap but so worth it."
17. "Cheese. I used to eat Kraft singles on my sandwiches until I got with my wife and she buys the nice Tillamook cheese. I could never eat that fake plastic shit EVER again."
18. "Underwear. I decided to try some more expensive underwear and I bought some from three different brands. One of them definitely stood out as the winner, AND I'M NEVER GOING BACK!"
19. "Airplane tickets. I can’t go back to economy for long flights after experiencing first class."
20. "Spaghetti. Started off with no-name stuff. Then Barilla. Now De Cecco or Rummo. In absolute terms, it’s not much more expensive and tastes way better."
21. "Comforter for your bed. My parents live in Canada and the room I grew up in had some problem with the heating duct so, in the winter, the vent only faintly provided heat. I had some kid's polyester-filled comforter which wasn't very warm at all. I'd always double or triple up with some sheets. When I was older and had a job, I absolutely splurged on a $300 down-filled duvet with box construction — meaning that it wasn't just a down sandwiched between two sheets and then stitched together into quilted compartments, each compartment had cotton walls sewn into it so the top and bottom of the duvet didn't touch. Anyway, the first night I slept with that duvet was pure heaven. So very soft and warm. 30 years later, that duvet has traveled across the country with me and we used it every night still, and it's still warm and cozy."
22. "Steak. It's not something I buy often due to the expense (more of a rare treat). But when you do, it's best to go for one that's high quality — lots of marbling, well-aged, a good thickness and cut. When cooking steak, there's not a lot you can do to make a low-quality one taste great, but if you start with a quality ingredient, then there's likewise not a lot you can do to go wrong with it."
