…to a reasonable degree, at least.

  • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Weddings.

    Yes, It IS a big day. It’s not such a big day that you spend your entire life savings, and have no future.

    Get a DJ, get a cake, get a hall, get a photographer…forget the doves, forget the ice sculptures, forget the wedding planner, forget the genocidial mimes, forget the big limo, keep it small. Do you really need to invite your great aunt, who you’ve seen 3 times in your life?

    You should NOT be spending like $20,000 on a wedding.

    • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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      2 months ago

      A friend of mine donned his nicest clothes and went down to the courthouse with his fiance and a couple of witnesses. I mentioned this to my sister, and she mentioned that in retrospect, she wished she’d done something similar when she got married.

    • SupraMario@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Spent less than 1k, no real honeymoon…but we bought our first house with the money we saved. 0 regrets.

    • Meltrax@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      $20k?

      Damn dude, all my friends getting married are spending a minimum of $50k. $15k gets you the venue for the night without anything else included or factored in (food, music, fucking chairs or tables or lights, etc)

      Weddings are a predatory business.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        It varies a LOT regionally.

        Look for a venue in Maryland, you know, with DC right there.

        I have a friend who’s entire wedding was the same price as a venue in Maryland.

    • BallsandBayonets@lemmings.world
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      2 months ago

      I’m in agreement except for the wedding planner. Whether they help with the planning from day one or are just the day-of coordinator, a good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold. I’d rather plug an old mp3 player into a portable speaker and skip the DJ before I recommend skipping out on the planner.

      • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Oh, by DJ, yeah, thats all he’d be doing is controlling the winamp playlist basically.

        And a wedding planner I don’t see as being needed.

        Step 1) rent local venue.

        Step 2) ask cousin to be DJ.

        Step 3) pick up cake from dairy queen.

        Step 4) Flowers??? I’m sure the florist can figure something out.

        Thats about it.

  • darkdemize@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    If you’re not a contractor, power tools. Buy the harbor freight version first when you need it. If you end up using it enough to break it, then you get a quality one.

    • lazylion_ca@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      I have never broken a 10 mm wrench, but I have lost a few. So I bought a ten pack on Amazon.

    • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl
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      2 months ago

      Sorry, but this only applies to drills and sanding machines. Maybe a bench grinder also you can cheap out on. Hand tools are fine to cheap out on also.

      Circular saw, table saws, miter saws, angle grinders, etc…

      Any spinning blade, if you cheap out, don’t be surprised if you get life-alteringly injured when you “use it enough to break it”. I was just helping some friends renovate where they had a dirt cheap miter saw and it was just about the most dangerous experience of my life.

      If you are doing any big renovations, at least get makita, Milwaukee, or dewalt. You can get a TON of cheaper stuff second hand. Quality at a lower price. I got a professional older model hilti hammer drill at a tiny fraction of the price.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        It really depends anymore…it can be a tough call.

        I grew up using only quality tools, because cheap tools were truly shit until perhaps the 90’s, at the earliest.

        HF tools used to be utter shit, but their “branded” tools are good these days. The wrenches and sockets are as good a Craftsman used to be, and equal to the store brands from Home Depot and Lowes. And overpriced Matco/Snap On can kiss my ass. I have some of their tools, they’re nice, but not worth the price.

        Their branded cordless tools are good too. One thing they do differently is put the battery controller in the tool, while Milwaukee puts one in the battery. So don’t do anything foolish with the battery.

        I don’t think they’re as durable as Milwaukee, the plastic seems harder, so more prone to cracking. And the warranty isn’t very long.

        But with the massive cost difference, it’s a good place to start.

    • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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      2 months ago

      Seconded. This has been my strategy for accumulating personal tools.

      Proper/professional grade stuff I have:

      • Circle saw
      • Drill
      • Screwdrivers of various sizes, especially PH2
      • 13mm ratchet spanner

      The rest is of a lot more dubious quality.

    • 5ymm3trY@discuss.tchncs.de
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      2 months ago

      That is something I would disagree with. Especially when it comes to battery powered tools which seems to be everything nowadays.

      If you go with one of the big brands you are almost guaranteed to get a spare part later. If you only use your drill once a year, the battery might be dead in a few years if you don’t take care of it. Of course your battery might cost the same as a no name drill, but that is still a fair point IMO.

      Now that you have a drill maybe you need a saw later. If you went with a big brand they typically have a large range of devices that work with the same batteries. So you can reuse your battery from the drill and also don’t need another charger for that single device. This is also not limited to tools only. Maybe you need a light or a battery powered radio for something totally unrelated.

    • SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Pretty good for anything that can kill you if it fails. Even beyond power tools.

      So, for example, yes to drill. No to compressors, jacks, etc.

      • peereboominc@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        For jacks I always assume that it can break at any moment. That is why I put the spare tire under the car when I have the car lifted. If the jack breaks, the car will fall on the tire and not on my face.

    • corroded@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      This is very situational. I’m not a contractor, but I spend a significant portion of my time doing hobbies that require power tools. I don’t need a drill that will last for an entire day at a jobsite. Ryobi works fine for me. On the other hand, I wish I had never spent $600 on a cheap planer; I knew I’d want a better one eventually, and sure enough, I found a need to upgrade after a few years. Now I’ve spent $3600 on planers. I could have just gone with the $3k one and saved myself $600.

      If I’m going to use it once, I borrow it. If I’m going to use it every few months, I buy a cheap one. If I’m going to use it every week, then it’s worth it to me to buy something I can keep for at least a decade or two.

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I forget which brand it was, but I once bought a drill…charged the battery overnight, went to use it…and it died within 3 seconds. Literally 3 seconds. Thing cost like $100 a couple of years ago. Now I got a DeWalt, and it’s fine.

  • EfreetSK@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Unpopular opinion but wine.

    From my experience majority of people can’t distinguish between 5€ wine and 500€ wine. And even if they do, they say it tastes “a bit better”, not worth the 495€ difference. Pick one that tastes good to you and don’t be ashamed if it’s cheap.

    • AndrewZabar@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I will disagree with a caveat. Basically yes there is a difference between wines, and it’s not BS.

      There is a world of a difference between a $5 and a $500 wine. But there isn’t a world of a difference between a $5 and a $30 wine, nor is there a world of difference between a $500 and a $1000. It’s about a class structure of the product as with so many things. There’s cheap and simple and there’s more sophisticated and expensive. But once you’re comparing within the same class, it’s really just a matter of varying subtleties. There’s certain distinctions that are absolutely distinguishable such as dry, sweet etc. and there are undertones. This stuff is absolutely real so if someone says it’s all nonsense that someone has not really had the experience needed to make that kind of judgment.

      • bradorsomething@ttrpg.network
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        2 months ago

        I drink between $5 and $500 bottles, and while I will agree there is a distinct difference at the higher end, it doesn’t mean the $500 bottle will be better than a $20 bottle to the person drinking it. I humor the people that care about the price, but distinct notes of so-so music doesn’t spin my wheels.

        • AndrewZabar@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Yeah, no it’s all a question of the person’s relationship with wine, as with other things. If you are perfectly fine with a cheap wine then yeah, plenty of them are delicious. But a connoisseur can and will appreciate what a $500 wine offers them, and it’s not qualities you can find in any $5 bottle.

          Like with many things, if you appreciate the higher-end selections among them, then you’re getting something you can’t at the low end. The question is, even with those qualities, is it really worth $500? And that’s just a matter of economics.

          When my son was born I got a $100 bottle of Glenlivet 18 year French Oak Finish. That’s a rather sophisticated single malt; by no means is it the best because I know people who have bourbon or scotch that costs like 5x that. However, you will not anywhere or anytime find a cheap scotch that even comes close to that Glenlivet. It was some of the smoothest and most delicious single malt I’ve ever had. Lasted me nearly a year.

          Sigh. Due to a medical condition I don’t consume alcohol anymore, and haven’t for a long time. But goddamn do I miss good scotch, bourbon, beer… sigh.

    • thejoker954@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Wine is a huge scam.

      Sommeliers are just salespeople making shit up.

      It’s bullshit, you don’t detect notes of 15 different things all mixed together.

    • edric@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      I’m far from a wine connoisseur and my favorite is an $8 rosé wine you can find at your local grocery store.

    • MoonlightFox@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I somewhat disagree, 5€ is too low to get a decent wine imo. Buy a wine for 10-15€ and there is no longer any difference from the 500€ one.

      The last point however is the key, and I agree wholeheartedly. If you can find one for 5€ then that is good enough

    • linearchaos@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I buy the giant blocks of 100 generic melamine sponges from Amazon.

      However, having a couple of the Mr clean versions around is prudent. They are slightly different. They deform more easily and disintegrate faster but they get deeper into crevices. It’s super rare that I find something that generic ones won’t do a great job on but it’s good to have a couple of the name brand ones for that time when they don’t cut it.

    • Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Also, if you’re not going to play it this week, think twice! And, if you’re not going to play it this month, think a third time!

    • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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      2 months ago

      When people ask which breed my cats are, I respond with the truth: Purebred neighborhood conglomerate. They’re both healthy, happy, and awesome.

      Just make sure you don’t cheap out in their medical care - sterilization and any necessary vaccinations.

      • GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        God’s perfect killing machine is the pinnacle of cat “breeds”. It’s heartbreaking seeing people do to cats what we’ve done to dogs with selective breeding for purely cosmetic traits.

  • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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    2 months ago

    Possibly an unpopular opinion among parents, but: Diapers. I’ve noticed no negative effect on my kids when going offbrand.

    • Valmond@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I remember the expensive ones, Pampers, being way worse, the pee is so absorbed the kid doesn’t feel it but is still in it and get irritated skin, and poo leaked way more easily.

      • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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        2 months ago

        Yeah, that’s the only real difference I’ve noticed: The fit. On my oldest kid, libro fit best. The rest were offbrand. I think it’s mostly down to each individual kid and not so much the brand.

      • fadedmaster@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        Ditto. They also smelled worse too. We found that the Target brand diapers when Target has their gift card deals was the time to stock up on their whipes and diapers.

      • pooberbee (any)@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        Shit, I never thought that might be why, but we’ve dealt with a lot of skin irritation, and our kid prefers keeping a dirty diaper over getting changed. My day is ruined.

    • stiephelando@discuss.tchncs.de
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      We tried cheap ones, but our kids get irritated skin from them. Pampers works for us. That being said, I’d go for the cheapest brand that works for the little ones.

  • Carrolade@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Clothes and housewares. Buying secondhand is vastly cheaper, better for the environment, and can get you surprisingly high quality sometimes.

    Over the counter medications. If the active ingredient is the same, delivered in the same way and in the same dosage, the effects will be the same.

    Games. There’s no good reason to not wait for a price drop and/or sale unless it’s some multiplayer thing and you want to play with friends. In the modern day, you’ll even usually get an improved product after more time has passed for patches and updates.

    • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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      2 months ago

      In case someone needs to hear this:

      DO NOT PREORDER GAMES FROM AAA-DEVELOPERS/STUDIOS

    • fadedmaster@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I agree with all of those. Some of my favorite clothing I’ve gotten thrifting. I’ve been able to find never worn brand name clothing for way cheaper. Heck. I recently got a pair of Eddie Bauer shorts, never used (still had the baggie with spare buttons attached to the waistband), for $5.

    • sunbrrnslapper@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Second thrift stores, especially for any small appliance that a couple might get 2 of from their wedding. You can often find a brand new crockpot or juicer or coffee maker. 👍

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    Wine - it is full of marketing gimmick and usually the mid range is best. The same is with whisky, rums and other alcohol.

    On the other hand, at least here, is better to pay premium for craft beer.

  • Ceedoestrees@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Former chef: Knives. My most expensive knife is $80 with a lifetime warrantee. Most are $10-$20. Instead, learn how to use and take care of a knife.

    • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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      Yup. I learnt that the price tag doesn’t make much of a difference. Sharpening tools do.

      • Garbanzo@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Sonicare might be expensive but it leaves my teeth feeling cleaner. It’s like having that perfectly smooth clean feeling after a dentist visit every day. No way I’ll ever go back to manual scrubbing like some sort of troglodyte.

      • over_clox@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Electric toothbrushes with the rotating head collect germs behind the brush head. Enjoy your tasty germ colonies…

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        2 months ago

        It can, yes, but even a cheap toothbrush used properly will do the job. No need to buy brand name when the store brand will do.

    • neidu2@feddit.nlOP
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      2 months ago

      Same goes for toothpaste, apparently. I asked my dentist once, and according to her the type or brand doesn’t matter that much as long as it has fluoride in it.

      • expatriado@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        as long as it has fluoride in it.

        that’s the standard dentist answer for that question, except when you ask the 10th one

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        2 months ago

        We’ve been brainwashed by advertising to think that the paste and mouthwash are what matter. They help, yes, but brushing is what matters most. The toothbrush is not just an applicator.

        That said, I personally find Sensodyne to work better than other brand’s product for sensitive teeth.

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    2 months ago

    Cloths, headphones, handbags. Anything that’s just buying the brand.

    I don’t get why I should want these high end brands when the only thing I can afford from them is plastered with their logo.

    I’ve seen the Gucci tracksuit, the Jordans, the Beats, everything and I’m not impressed. Even though luxury things are luxury I don’t even agree with the luxuriousness of many of these products. For example, if I’m going to wear a Gucci tracksuit covered in the Gucci logo and using Gucci colors then it’s gotta look good first and foremost. If I’m going to hold a Hermes bag that’s not comfortable, or durable, or robust but is just supposed to look cool, then it’s gotta actually look cool! Not like something Shien could design.

    And yes I am aware of the concept of buying a store of value: diamonds, expensive watches, actually rare and valued handbags. But most of the famous luxuries I see in public are not that. They’re literally a poor man’s status symbol IMO.

    • uin@lemmy.world
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      For headphones, DEFINITELY not true in my experience. There’s cheap and gimmicky (like Skullcandy), there’s perceived “luxury” brands like Beats (which aren’t actually worth their money) but then there’s brands that actually offer significantly better quality and longevity for the price, like Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica and Sony to name a few.

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        2 months ago

        Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica and Sony aren’t famous luxury brands in the same way that Beats are.

        huh… in hindsight I didn’t think about my position about headphones all the way through, I was just mad about the existance of beats.

        sry