What do you regret cheaping out on?

Massage at a Florida spa instead of the real deal in Nevada.

A home in Boulder back in 2012-2013. All these idiots said it was a bubble about to burst

Cheap cheap wrote:

A home in Boulder back in 2012-2013. All these idiots said it was a bubble about to burst

My IRA.

Seems I cheaped out and will be living on about 28k/year in my "golden" years.

A bike. My carbon fiber racing bike is so much more comfortable/fun/safe than my heavyish aluminum one, both in terms of fit (there's only so much you can do) and in terms of mobility in the pack and vibrations on the road. There are lots of bike things I cheap out on (and there's generally a trade-off), but that's one instance where spending some extra money has made me really happy.

My backpack. I got a Chrome backpack a while back on discount and it's basically bomb-proof. Water proof (I put my computer in it in the rain), straps don't tear, honestly no signs of wear and tear except cosmetic ones. Only issue is that its shape isn't ideal for some objects (best for flat objects, wouldn't be great for a basketball, say). I was robbed at gunpoint a while back so I've had two of them, no problems with either.

Condoms

RE: What do you regret cheaping out on?

Condoms.

Former ski bum wrote:

Nobody should buy a hot tub. That is just a chess pool of bacteria and diseases.

But I like chess. I've actually never met anyone that has gotten sick from sitting in a hot tub. They are chlorine and bromine pools and you should probably shower after you get out of them.

Someone just asked what people regret on cheaping out on. A hot tub is not something to cheap out on, IMO. In comparison, everything else is pretty minor. You make a $4000 mistake vs everything else everyone has mentioned.

I don't really cheap out on anything. I look for good deals, but buy quality products. The one time I remember "cheaping out" was when we were hosting a big dinner, and I didn't have enough plates, so I went to Walmart and got a cheap plate set, and it worked out fine, and I still use those plates. So, maybe we need a new thread on things you CAN cheap out on.

IMO people spend too much money on stupid sh!t. You can find good value in almost every purchase you make. Most people don't. And even more so, most of the time, you shouldn't be buying anything anyway. Our society conditions us to be consumers.

I obviously didn't NEED a hot tub. It was a stupid decision. But, if you're going to buy one, don't cheap out on it.

Asian massage parlors

Name brand proven condoms.

This guy gets it. So much this.

Luggage.

Bought a cheap suitcase at a store called Big Lots . Damn thing split open during the flight or something, as it was ripped to shreds when it came off the conveyer belt at the airport.

So yeah, don’t skimp on crappy luggage.

massage time , do not go to a strip mall for a massage. pay full price downtown.

bbq

My teeth! I just went when I saw one of those "free dental cleaning" coupons every few years. Then I needed a root canal! $4000.00, thirty visits over 10 years and I'm still at risk of an extraction at any time. Now I go to the dentist every 6 months and do exactly what the dentist says.

Oh Please wrote:

fisky wrote:

Wait! I agree with the guys who said cheap tools. I don't buy the expensive stuff, but midrange tools are far better than the cheap stuff.

Expanding on this...I had a cheap job site table saw (hobbyist wood worker) and ended up cutting the end of my left thumb off. Two days later I sold that hunk of junk and bought a 3k Sawstop cabinet saw.

On the other end, I have some Festool tools, which command quite a premium, and they aren't built as nice as most DeWalt equivalents (where applicable). That said, I do really like my Festool tracksaw and domino joiner, but I do not have confidence that they will last long term.

Sorry you injured yourself. The saw stop is a nice saw, even if it didn't have the blade brake mechanism.

Quick question: did you remove the riving knife and blade guard when you hurt yourself?

To this very day I still have a bite mark on my pecker because I went for the $5 suckie suckie instead of the $10 suckie suckie.

Longest tour ever!

Here's a quote from Arrowhead 135 mandatory gear list

" ... Minus-20F degrees sleeping bag or colder rating. Colder than -20F almost all previous races. If you skimp here you are foolish. And we will not allow you to skimp. So do not skimp. Fool. 2011 it was -42F on trail. Be able to prove your bag is a -20 bag at gear check - this is your job - not the gear checkers job. Don't cut off the tags to shave weight. ..."

Do not skimp. Fool.

David S wrote:

A bike.

My backpack.

+1 to both of these.

i bike to work and for years, when a backpack would wear out, i would buy one that would fit my stuff and was on sale. My shoulders were never really happy. then i sucked it up and bought an osprey that is so comfortable that i regret waiting so long.

I will also add gas bbq to the list. The burners literally burn up on the cheap ones and after 4 of those, we broke down and bought a weber. Best. thing. ever.

UsedToBeKnowItAll wrote:

Former ski bum wrote:

Nobody should buy a hot tub. That is just a chess pool of bacteria and diseases.

But I like chess. I've actually never met anyone that has gotten sick from sitting in a hot tub. They are chlorine and bromine pools and you should probably shower after you get out of them. .

A college teammate of mine did. His nuts were swollen 3-4x normal (no exaggeration). I was invited, but wisely passed.

UsedToBeKnowItAll wrote:

IMO people spend too much money on stupid sh!t. You can find good value in almost every purchase you make. Most people don't. And even more so, most of the time, you shouldn't be buying anything anyway. Our society conditions us to be consumers.

.

Words of wisdom from George Carlin. "Your sh!t is stuff, but other peoples stuff is sh!t."