Big picture: What things will you go cheap on? What items do you need to pay more for

[breakingcontact]

There are trade-offs with everything. And not just cheap vs. high quality.

One popular old saying with camping gear is that there is inexpensive, light weight and durable. You can choose and have any two, but never all three.

Hiking gear is a great topic. Cheap doesn't work. But I dont have top of the line. I got into lightweight (not ultralight) hiking. It really made me do a lot of calculations on the cost/weight/durability scales.

I bought one nice item a year and got my weeklong loadout (minus water) down from 60 to 35 pounds.

 

[franzas]

I generally buy the best quality I can afford. For Ketchup, any brand will do as I refuse to eat it. As for other Heinz products, I won't buy them because of their support for that traitor John Kerry.

Okay. Whataburger it is. I much prefer spicy anyways.

 

[Jakashh]

Heinz ketchup all the way. Hunts is just horrid.

 

[Southpaw]

Food-HEB brand and cheap with a few exceptions. I find the HEB brand is generally priced right.
I'll also buy reduced priced meat and freeze it.

Dan mentioned toilet paper , I'll go cheap. It just seems like a waste to spend double for something that i am only going to s**t on!!

... My wife don't find it quite so amusing, but she hasn't complained enough for me to change that.

Most Retail-I'll look for clearance on just about everything and anything and even wait for the right time of the year to buy certain items that I know will be going on clearance. Working in retail has spoiled me for paying full price and if I don't absolutely need it then, I'll wait for clearance. I'll even buy for future use if I see it for a good price.

Clothes- For me, on rthe rare occasion I do buy clothes for me, it's as cheap as possible, but there certainly is a difference in quality, I just don't want to pay for it. For my daughter I'll basically do the same, but sometimes hit up the second hand kids store for some higher quality clothes that I wouldn't pay for at full price. My wife, god bless her, is low maintenance as well, and besides a new hand bag and hair/beauty items, she's on board with me too.

Footwear/Boots- You definitely get what you pay for and even though I know this, I still will sometimes buy cheap and complain.



Optics- In the beginning I went the cheap route, but I learned, now I try and get the best I can afford. I would rather just go with iron sights if I can't afford something decent. Same for lights as well... you definitely get what you pay for.

Tires- I go a step or two above cheap and it's worked for me. I know what I am getting and have always gotten out of them what I expected. I also drive like an old lady and drive a compact. When I've owned trucks I would get the best I could afford.

Ammo- About the same for everyone here. Cheap for range, better for HD. Steel for all my Eastern Block rifles.



All in all, I can be pretty cheap, but honestly seekertwo sums up my thoughts overall on this subject rather well........

I prefer finding the best value in all things. Most of the time, the best value isn't the most expensive, but it is rarely the cheapest thing.

 

[hellishhorses]

They call me Clearance Clarence

 

[Southpaw]

They call me Clearance Clarence

Nice!!

 

[ROGER4314]

HAND TOOLS:
I was a Master Technician in industry and used very high quality tools like Snap On, Proto, Craftsman and others. I became a teacher of technology and got used to having my tools at home. I quit teaching, returned to industry (doubled my income, too) and bought huge amounts of Harbor Freight hand tools with several of their tool boxes and made well over $150,000 with them. ONE ratchet broke, and it was replaced.

I loaned my tools to the production guys constantly and in a steel mill, things get used HARD! Once, they borrowed a pair of Channel Locks (HF brand). They gripped faulty alignment pins with them, beat the pliers with a hammer and removed hundreds of the pins. I still have those pliers and they work fine!

SD AMMO:
I was once, a pretty fair pistol shot. Age, cataracts and trifocals affected that a bit but I can still put them where I want them. In SD loads, I use FMJ full load and standard weight bullets. I want reliability! A FMJ bullet properly placed is far better than a gee whiz high performance round that is inaccurate or jams.

STEAKS:
Keep the high priced cuts of meat. I prefer the chuck steaks!