What are some things you can/should cheap out on?
What are some things you can/should cheap out on?
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.
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Most people could cheap out on tools and they'd still last. The average person just doesn't use the ones they own very often or work them particularly hard. Really, you're going to know if your usage will require higher quality tools and it's not the average techbro posting on /r/buyitforlife.
Backpacks are similar. If you're just using one lightly loaded for an urban commute there is nothing wrong with cheaping out. Spending more is really for people who are wearing them hard and filling them to capacity.
Most people could cheap out on tools and they'd still last.
I think this is a great one. I learned growing up that if you need a tool for a project buy the cheap one. Then if you use it enough to break it, buy a more expensive one next.
Tool trial by combat, so to speak.
40 something year old here who likes to fix stuff and make simple things at home. Heed this advice younglings. You don’t need the high end products if you’re not using it daily. If you use it til it breaks get something midrange that’s slightly more than what you think you’ll need and if you take care of it, it will last.
Generally agree on tools except for stuff that needs to work in an emergency even if you don't use it frequently, or stuff that can pose serious safety hazards if it fails.
My understanding is that most cheap tool brands save costs in QA and material choices (e.g. lower quality steel), which is what leads to things like the harbor freight jack stand recall.
You're right, but it's more than just QA and lower quality steel. It's design and engineering, especially things of minor importance. If you make a grip that is uncomfortable but not unsafe, for instance, they're not going to spend R&D time redesigning it. They'll also often use existing tooling, have larger tolerances in their manufacturing and use cheaper finishings.
For the most part, these are things you can afford to cut corners on. If you're in a part of the world where product recalls are enforced than the tool shouldn't have any dangerous corners cut. It costs too much to do recalls. I'd still spend extra if your life is going to depend on something though.