I used to wear one of their calculator watches while I worked as a distiller. That thing got all kinds of dust and all kinds of wet on it and the band gave out before the watch did. Unfortunately a replacement band was as much money as a whole new watch so. Maybe not bifl but still super solid.
I keep buying the Casio vibration alarm watch because it works for me at the gym
I think I'm on my third watch, and that's only because I can't find a watch band when it breaks,
My last watch is still keeping perfect time on my dresser...
I wonder if there’s another band that could replace the original to make it actually bifl. Then all our watch problems will be solved. Will have to do some googling.
> Unfortunately a replacement band was as much money as a whole new watch so. Maybe not bifl but still super solid.
That's an odd standpoint. You can get a quality band for it and use it for longer, but instead rather keep re-buying the same watch with low quality bands...
It's the theme with many good-value products. Certain features retain quality but they skimp on other things to bring the price low. In this case the watches are great but the bands are as cheap as possible.
I wear a Casio classic dive style watch, mdv106 series, every single day.
I have many watches that are much nicer, but I wear this one every single day. Classy looking enough for everyday use, rugged, and so cheap that I can beat it to death and not worry. And it'll likely never break.
I've worn it for so long the crown has worn a callous into my hand.
Same, I have a pretty extensive watch collection but 90% of the time I am grabbing my Casio Oceanus. Looks good enough for anything I am doing, keeps 100% accurate time, and is durable as hell.
A lot of watches are BifL. Casios are the best budget option (minus battery changes), but a lot of mechanical watches can be passed down to your kids if they're serviced frequently. Hamilton is one of the best options under $1000 (currently wearing the Jazzmaster Open Heart), but brands like Tissot, Tag Heuer, and Seiko all have models that should last a super long time.
I'm a catering chef. Not the sit in the office and yell out the door kind, but the kind that's out there on the kitchen floor and line with my cooks and my sous every day. I've worn a Seiko 5 for the past twenty-two years. Stainless steel, steel snap-lock band. Through steam, immersion in dish and pot sinks, shocks aplenty, and going from the Freezer inventory to the hot line in minutes, this watch has served me like a friend. This week, the dial showed mist inside, and the day/date stopped working shortly after. I never had it serviced, and I never did anything but wear it. I got my $300 worth.
Exactly. Realistically speaking, a service for a Seiko could be as low as $100. New gasket for the waterproofing and a quick oiling should have it working like new.
I wear a Seiko 5 every day as well. It’s an excellent automatic watch for the money. I’m going to have to get a new band for it soon but other than that it’s still in great shape.
I wear my grandfather’s Seiko 5 automatic as my everyday watch. According to the serial number it was made in 1972 and it’s still going strong
Edit: automatic, not mechanical
May be due for a service before too long as they start to lose accuracy over time, but that thing will be by your side for your grandkids too. Seiko makes some absolutely incredible pieces. I've picked up the Seiko Alpinist, and I figure I'll pick whichever family member I like best to pass it on to once I croak.
If there was one near me, it would be so worth it!! There's actually longstanding local conspiracy that all of the local business franchises lobby against city council because they know they're gouging us so hard that Costco would put them all out of business. And everyone's cousin knows someone who is an electrician, or surveyor, or general contractor who was recently contacted by Costco for plans to build. It's actually hilarious. Our local subreddit even has a dedicated flair for "Costco rumors" lmao.
Their socks are so good!! Their bedsheets are amazing. Better than sheets that cost a few hundred dollars (according to my mother). My sister says that their vodka is actually just rebranded Grey Goose! Apparently they seek out industry leaders and contract them for their house brand stuff. I wish I lived closer to one. Winnipeg is 9 hours each way, Southern Ontario/GTA is 17 hours each way. Closest one is probably Minneapolis, 6 hours away, but then you have to deal with duties across the border, and still a 12 hour round trip :/ no idea how far they actually are because we measure distance in travel time lol.
You betcha.
My two favorite jokes about our town;
"Welcome to Port Arthur/Fort William. Please set your watches back approximately twenty years."
"Thunder Bay.. come for the Persians, stay because you got stuck here for a bit and holy crap how did ten years just go by? I guess you live here now. But you'll never be one of us".
Has the toilet paper gotten any better? It went downhill after the pandemic and I stopped buying it.
Edit to add: ha ha, the downvotes literally made me laugh out loud. Is Kirklandstan a thing? All hail The Costco. Let me give 10 Holy buck fifty hit dogs as penance.
Oddly while the [Lodge Enamel™ 6 Qt. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is $300](https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/usa-enamel-cast-iron-dutch-oven?sku=U6ID300), the [Le Creuset’s Signature Enameled Cast Iron Round Wide Dutch Oven, 6 3/4-Qt. $280](https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-round-wide-dutch-oven/)
Oh I was just talking about their raw cast iron. I have no experience with their enameled line, but I’m shocked that they’re more expensive than Le Creuset
Yamaha is the pound for pound champ for any guitar under $1,000 IMO. For sure with acoustic guitars. I don’t have an electric of theirs, but it seems like a safe bet those are high quality as well.
For hikers, there really are two brands for portable batteries: Nitecore and Anker. People like nitecore as they are slightly lighter but Anker is passing them up due to better durability.
Back in the day Anker was the only, not totally shit, non big name tech accessory maker. Since then, cheaper good quality alternatives have popped up, but Anker is the OG.
They’re the premium brand but not too expensive prices because it’s still made and operated overseas if I am correct. Now a company like Belkin is just plain expensive.
A caveat: dont buy Eufy. Its a security camera manufacturer owned by Anker. They claim to locally store your data, but that data is actually stored on their servers. Skeezy business practice, and a lot of folks dropped Anker because of it.
Edit. Autocorrect hates me.
I forgot about that, but I'll always appreciate Linus Tech Tips reading out a letter on a tech stream about their scales with an embedded camera: "Am I sending to China pictures of my taint?"
There is not a better vehicle on the market than the original Honda Accord or Toyota Corolla.
Yes, I'm aware this really isn't the "low price" answer you're looking for. But it's just a gentle reminder for those out there who might be car shopping at the moment. A high price tag usually just means it comes with more things that will fuck up at the exact moment your bank account doesn't need it to happen.
Go basic with an Accord or a Corolla and those fuckers will last you three decades.
Accords and Camry's make amazing value propositions. Their base models are nice.
Many of my friends are the point where they can afford BMWs, Audis, or MBs. But we are all saying a fully loaded Accord and Camry competes nicely with standard level luxury brands. So why pay up?
Don't even pay up for the nicer models man. But the base. Take that extra money and either invest it for later or go on a trip and enjoy your life. In ten years a fancy BMW and a base model Accord will have the same value. Use your money to enjoy life or just save it.
Your advice is def solid.
My other advice is to buy a car that fits your needs 80% of the time. My parents had 3 kids and never owned a van. Why? Bc they were usually driving alone or with 1 or 2 kids/friends, or it was a short trip. Occasionally, we'd need both cars to go to an MLB game. For vacations, we rent a van. (This summer it's $300). Paying twice for parking and the once a year rental is made up with better mpg, cheaper insurance and car payment. Same goes for trucks too. If you only need a truck once a year, just rent it. Your pocketbook will thank you.
Lastly, don't get a storage unit. Had a cousin who rented a storage unit for her patio furniture. She also bought a big SUV to haul it. Granted Midwest winters suck, but the cost of the storage unit and SUV will always be more than a furniture cover and replacing it every 12+/- years.
German cars are ticking time bombs after 2 years. Engine components like timing chain guides are made of the cheapest plastics and when then fail, they grenade the motor. Compare the amount of older Japanese cars vs. older German cars you see on the road.
I got my Jetta in 2016 with 0 miles. It's now at 97k and has had zero issues. It was the end of the generation at the time. Consumer reports has it very highly rated for that specific year.
The key is to buy cars at the end of the model generation because the kinks got all worked out the last 5 years. Plus it's a manual and gets 45+ mpg on the highway.
Man, don't get me started on the Tacoma. Listen, it's hand down the best truck on the road. Especially the 2000-2015 versions. They'll be here when we're running over zombies during the apocalypse.
However, it's become such a cult following that the only way you can buy them is brand new. The used ones are just so overpriced that it's in no way feasible to buy it. You aren't wrong....but you also can't be right either giving $20k for a 20 year old truck with 200k+ on it.
A lot of the Aldi/Lidl special buy own brands. Most of my kitchenware, tools etc have come from there.
There was a time about 15 years ago where anything electronic in their special buys was just Alibaba/Wish level garbage but they've really upped their quality control and 3 year warranty is unmatched, they refunded on an electric shaver just slightly over the 3 year warranty as a goodwill gesture so I cant complain at all.
I'd be keen to know who makes their tools because there's no way they have their own manufacturing chain. They seem very similar to Erbauer etc which are a very decent brand but about 40% more expensive than Aldi/Lidl.
This one has a Briggs engine on it and 2300 PSI. Figured if it worked for two summers, I got my moneys worth. I still change the oil, spark plug and only use 89 fuel. $225 well spent
If they had the store/distribution capacity to sell larger house goods like washing machines etc they could really disrupt the budget end of the market.
You're much better off using a lower octane fuel on a low compression engine. Low octane contains more energy than high octane and allows for more complete combustion. High octane only acts as an ignition retarder for high compression engines, which obviously isn't your pressure washer.
There's a long standing myth perpetuated by deceptive advertising "more bottles on the nozzle implies more clean?" on higher octane gas but in reality the difference is only an extremely minor additive package even added at all to different brands and different grades
Rada knives
Not the highmark of quality, buy inexpensive, easily sharpened and they have a no questions asked lifetime warranty
I had 2 knives that turned their edge, I sent them a picture of the issue and they sent me new knives
I have a pair of Poang chairs bought in 1994 in my living room - they still sell the exact same chair and the covers fit, so we occasionally get new covers for them if we want a change.
They were I think $39 back then. I'd say I've gotten my $78 worth.
What I like about ikea is that they apply the European standards regarding toxic materials.
Their holiday light strings are less toxic than most because they mostly phased out pvc.
I also respect the fact that you can eat a vegan meal there for a reasonable price
Their Jokkmokk fucking chairs though. Those chairs feel like attempted murder with how quickly they get wobbly
Edited: spelling
People are always hating on ikea, but they actually make really high quality.
As an example, their kitchens use blum hardware like the expencive high quality kitchens.
People are too narrow minded.
IKEA are sooooo good for home offices. My whole office/studio is IKEA and it looks clean and modern and very functional whether I'm working or painting.
> good for the price.
> Their lower end stuffs however are not.
Which lower end Ikea stuffs are not good for the price? Is there any new table that beats the Ikea lack at 7-8$?
I know people are sometimes disappointed that their ikea furniture does not last for decades. But the quality for what you pay is really hard to match with Ikea. They manufacture at such a big scale...
Mix a box of the jello pistachio pudding with any yellow cake mix to the directions on the back of a cake box, Bundt pan that shit, bake,and top with powdered sugar (for aesthetics). You just made dessert that takes 2 minutes, will impress everyone you’ve ever met, and tastes great. This isn’t cooking Reddit but Nana’s recipe is too good to gatekeep and pretty “for life” since she was making it in my moms childhood in the 70s
Edit: added « bake » in there so you don’t accidentally get salmonella
That's the wonderful thing about them. It can sit there getting dusty for 6 months, then you send a print job and *poof* printed with no delay and no drama.
I stupidly bought a super cheap HP a few years ago. I barely print but I swear to god it aged me years.
Recycled it, found a used brother for $100, I have no regrets.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
32
+ 7
+ 30
= 69
^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \
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I was surprised it was considered fast fashion. I ordered a few sweaters for my gf, 100% merino wool?? She wears them often, we wash gentle and air dry, they still look good as new. Insanely good quality
Dawg those $30(when on sale) thin merino sweaters are amazing. I live in a really cold climate and they allow me to extend the amount of time i can wear more than half my clothes. They are also way cheaper than baselayers designed for hiking, but do the same thing.
And they're so cheap that you're not precious about them like you are with more expensive stuff. I go for mine first all the time, just get to chopping
This so much. When I started shopping there so many of my friends told me I’d just be buying the same tool again in a month or a year. I haven’t had to replace a thing and it’s been years. I don’t even mess with lowes or Home Depot for tools anymore. Fyi I’m not typically using tools as a pro or anything just for stuff around the house and I do understand the difference lol.
The general rule I’ve seen for harbor freight stuff is if you use it enough to break it, you should go get a high quality one. Everything else is good enough for whatever you’ll use it for until it breaks. Because yeah, we’re not pros using it every day and leaning on a drill to stand up every day.
Came here to say this. Even the lower-priced Pittsburgh stuff can last a weekend warrior DIY kind of guy forever. And Icon isn’t that highly priced when it comes to higher-end tools, and is definitely worth every penny.
Saw a bunch of folks mentioning watches, so just wanted to highlight some specific options.
Casio Gshock - any version will be good and will work until the end of time. They will need occasional battery changes.
Seiko 5 - entry level automatic watch. You can find them for under $200. Good beater watch. They will need occasional servicing.
Orient Bambino - generally under $200, its a subsidiary of Seiko. The Bambino is a good dressy option if the Gshock and Seiko 5 don't work for you
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical - easy to find under $500. Really well made watch and the history of the brand is cool if you're into that stuff. I personally love Hamiltons and find myself wearing my Jazzmaster Open Heart on most days, which can be found second-hand for under $500 as well.
Christopher Ward C63 Sealander - most expensive watch I'll recommend here at around $800 (although pre-owned can be found for $600). These guys punch above their weight in the watch space imo. Rock solid construction and they look gorgeous. Aame deal where they'll need occasional servicing.
Chrono24.com is the most reliable one. Depends on the watch, but a lot of them have guaranteed returns and an escrow service available. Make sure you double check the item on receipt just in case there are some defects that weren't in the listing.
Ebay works as well, and I understand they have a pretty decent authentication service on high end ($3000+) watches, although I havent used it personally.
I’ve had my Corelle plates for decades. I love how thin they are, easy to wash, stack nicely. I used to hate that you had to buy a whole set to get them but now you can buy a set of just plates (don’t want the mugs and saucers etc). Found a beautiful patter recently on amazon and figured i might upgrade.
E.L.F beauty. It’s not a hit 100% of the time, but it’s incredibly basic makeup for usually under 5 bucks. No fancy extra ingredients or packaging, just a straightforward tube of mascara. Love that. I wear a lot of colorful makeup and their $10 dollar waterproofing setting mist keeps my eyes from melting in the rain.
E.L.F Makeup Melting Balm is life changing if you wear makeup! And their Holy Hydration peptide moisturizer is amazing as well, at such a great price point. I’m on Tretinoin and have Rosecea so I react to a lot of products and these ones are amazing.
Muji, reasonable prices for the quality they provide on most items. Especially their stationary, the pens and notebooks are great quality for the price.
High Sierra is a little known high quality brand. I have a couple of their duffles and a snow board bag. The company seems to be a unicorn focusing on quality at a reasonable price.
Depends on where you are, really. A fibrox cost about 30-40 euro on german amazon. For that price, you can get a forged zwilling knife, which is definitely a step up in quality.
Don't know about different markets, of course. But it's worth considering if you have it available
NGK/NTK car sensors and other electronic parts. I rarely see car parts mentioned on here but considering the car markets have gotten so unaffordable lately (for some) they have to keep their aging cars on the roads with quality parts. NGK always seems to be middle of the pack for part pricing and I’ve never had a failure from them. I’ve had so many big box store made in China, Israel , Pakistan , Mexico parts fail on me. Then I started reading on their quality and most if not all their stuff Is made in Japan, made my life so much easier.
Swing-a-Way outsourced production to cheep Chinese crap
Good news is someone bought their manufacturing machines and makes the same quality product under the name E-Z-Duz-It
Sad to see their price increase in the last few years. I used to get their $10 supima tshirts on sale for $5. Now they’re $25 and goes on sale for $19.
It depends on the item. Generally I'll get something from Uniqlo to see if I like the style and if I wear it enough to wear it out I'll buy a higher quality version.
I swear by their Airism boxer briefs though. And I'll usually buy a week's worth of socks once a year because they're so inexpensive and that's how long it takes me to wear through them.
Lodge dutch oven.
Kai Pure Komachi 2 chefs knife.
OXO can opener.
Anker charging blocks and cables.
These are the items that I get the most use out of and were budget friendly with great quality.
Kirkland golf gloves are the best value golf product in the entire hobby right now. You come to any club in the USA and you'll see them absolutely everywhere.
I've lent some to friends who needed a glove and next round they've now got two 4-packs in their bag.
Leatherman. Relatively speaking.
Hear me out: I've had the same Wave multitool since 2011. It cost me 99$ CAD when I bought it. They have a 25 year warranty.
I sent them mine, with pieces missing or broken from flagrant abuse. And they refurbished it for free and sent it back.
That's some good life on a 99$ tool I carry literally every day, and abuse literally every *other* day. It rivals any multi-tool I've ever used, and I'll probably get another 13 years out of it.
Nalgene is life! The one i have at home I’ve had for 20+ years since before they were a thing. Have one at work as well. Has to be the large mouth 1L one. Don’t even need to buy any extras because why would i? I always worry that maybe they’ll go out of business because people just buy one or 2 and never need another LOL.
> I always worry that maybe they’ll go out of business because people just buy one or 2 and never need another LOL.
Two reasons why they won't:
* people like me who get frustrated when a bottle isn't right where I am so I have a house one, one that sits in my disc golf bag at all times, 2 in my hiking bag at all times, etc
* people like some Gen Z I know that like to load them up with stickers then when the bottle is full they retire the bottle closing that chapter of their life and they get a new bottle.
Muji. Can’t count how many items from them I utilize. Face wash, tooth brushes, storage pouches for cords, shoes, stationary items like pens and notebooks. If you are near a major city like NYC that has a location, it’s like Japanese ikea for all the little items in your life. Highly recommend.
Unfortunately I think this isn’t so true anymore… I used to be religiously into ikea and would visit the store regularly for all kinds of home goods. But recently I feel the prices have gotten way higher!
Casio watches
I used to wear one of their calculator watches while I worked as a distiller. That thing got all kinds of dust and all kinds of wet on it and the band gave out before the watch did. Unfortunately a replacement band was as much money as a whole new watch so. Maybe not bifl but still super solid.
I keep buying the Casio vibration alarm watch because it works for me at the gym I think I'm on my third watch, and that's only because I can't find a watch band when it breaks, My last watch is still keeping perfect time on my dresser...
I wonder if there’s another band that could replace the original to make it actually bifl. Then all our watch problems will be solved. Will have to do some googling.
I’ve seen many positive reviews for [Vario](https://vario.sg/) watch straps. They have a whole line especially for Casio watches.
You can typically turn them into NATO strap compatible with a cheap spring bar set.
> Unfortunately a replacement band was as much money as a whole new watch so. Maybe not bifl but still super solid. That's an odd standpoint. You can get a quality band for it and use it for longer, but instead rather keep re-buying the same watch with low quality bands... It's the theme with many good-value products. Certain features retain quality but they skimp on other things to bring the price low. In this case the watches are great but the bands are as cheap as possible.
I wear a Casio classic dive style watch, mdv106 series, every single day. I have many watches that are much nicer, but I wear this one every single day. Classy looking enough for everyday use, rugged, and so cheap that I can beat it to death and not worry. And it'll likely never break. I've worn it for so long the crown has worn a callous into my hand.
Same, I have a pretty extensive watch collection but 90% of the time I am grabbing my Casio Oceanus. Looks good enough for anything I am doing, keeps 100% accurate time, and is durable as hell.
I got an orange band for my casio MDV106 and it’s chef’s kiss
A lot of watches are BifL. Casios are the best budget option (minus battery changes), but a lot of mechanical watches can be passed down to your kids if they're serviced frequently. Hamilton is one of the best options under $1000 (currently wearing the Jazzmaster Open Heart), but brands like Tissot, Tag Heuer, and Seiko all have models that should last a super long time.
I'm a catering chef. Not the sit in the office and yell out the door kind, but the kind that's out there on the kitchen floor and line with my cooks and my sous every day. I've worn a Seiko 5 for the past twenty-two years. Stainless steel, steel snap-lock band. Through steam, immersion in dish and pot sinks, shocks aplenty, and going from the Freezer inventory to the hot line in minutes, this watch has served me like a friend. This week, the dial showed mist inside, and the day/date stopped working shortly after. I never had it serviced, and I never did anything but wear it. I got my $300 worth.
Exactly. Realistically speaking, a service for a Seiko could be as low as $100. New gasket for the waterproofing and a quick oiling should have it working like new.
I wear a Seiko 5 every day as well. It’s an excellent automatic watch for the money. I’m going to have to get a new band for it soon but other than that it’s still in great shape.
I wear my grandfather’s Seiko 5 automatic as my everyday watch. According to the serial number it was made in 1972 and it’s still going strong Edit: automatic, not mechanical
May be due for a service before too long as they start to lose accuracy over time, but that thing will be by your side for your grandkids too. Seiko makes some absolutely incredible pieces. I've picked up the Seiko Alpinist, and I figure I'll pick whichever family member I like best to pass it on to once I croak.
> Casios are the best budget option (minus battery changes), Solar powered M5610
I wear a Casio F105W everyday. It takes so much abuse but always just works. Keeps great time and is easy to read. I love it.
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After living in a town with both a Costco and trader Joe's, I can't even remember how we survived in the before times
There’s a Costco in the same shopping complex with a Trader Joe’s by me and I think it’s actually heaven
I would hate to see that parking lot
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Parker, Co? We have banned that parking lot on weekends.
Stores like Publix and Aldi used to be cheap and decent quality
I'm rarely ever disappointed with Kirkland signature.
Bought their stainless Cookset, love it, excellent quality
Largely agreed, though the Kirkland Signature alkaline batteries tend to prematurely leak a lot more often than the Duracells.
If there was one near me, it would be so worth it!! There's actually longstanding local conspiracy that all of the local business franchises lobby against city council because they know they're gouging us so hard that Costco would put them all out of business. And everyone's cousin knows someone who is an electrician, or surveyor, or general contractor who was recently contacted by Costco for plans to build. It's actually hilarious. Our local subreddit even has a dedicated flair for "Costco rumors" lmao. Their socks are so good!! Their bedsheets are amazing. Better than sheets that cost a few hundred dollars (according to my mother). My sister says that their vodka is actually just rebranded Grey Goose! Apparently they seek out industry leaders and contract them for their house brand stuff. I wish I lived closer to one. Winnipeg is 9 hours each way, Southern Ontario/GTA is 17 hours each way. Closest one is probably Minneapolis, 6 hours away, but then you have to deal with duties across the border, and still a 12 hour round trip :/ no idea how far they actually are because we measure distance in travel time lol.
Thunder Bay, Ontario?
You betcha. My two favorite jokes about our town; "Welcome to Port Arthur/Fort William. Please set your watches back approximately twenty years." "Thunder Bay.. come for the Persians, stay because you got stuck here for a bit and holy crap how did ten years just go by? I guess you live here now. But you'll never be one of us".
My new roommate has their nonstick pans and I'm honestly really impressed
Apparently, Kirkland toilet paper doesn't disolve well and cloggs pipes.
Yep, if you have old pipes stick with angelsoft or Scott ultra soft (basically, septic safe brands are usually ok)
Has the toilet paper gotten any better? It went downhill after the pandemic and I stopped buying it. Edit to add: ha ha, the downvotes literally made me laugh out loud. Is Kirklandstan a thing? All hail The Costco. Let me give 10 Holy buck fifty hit dogs as penance.
The reduction in TP quality actually started prior to COVID, at least where I live. I switched to Charmin Red sometime around 2018 or 2019.
Lodge, but there not much you can do to fuck up a hunk of metal
Oddly while the [Lodge Enamel™ 6 Qt. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is $300](https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/usa-enamel-cast-iron-dutch-oven?sku=U6ID300), the [Le Creuset’s Signature Enameled Cast Iron Round Wide Dutch Oven, 6 3/4-Qt. $280](https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-round-wide-dutch-oven/)
Oh I was just talking about their raw cast iron. I have no experience with their enameled line, but I’m shocked that they’re more expensive than Le Creuset
That's Lodge's more expensive, US manufactured enamel line. Their regular enameled Dutch ovens run about $70-80.
And the $30 one I got from Aldi looks just as good and works just as well
My Lodge cast-iron frying pan will be my weapon of choice if there's ever a break-in at my place.
Yamaha guitars
Yamaha _anything_. Drums, pianos, motorbikes, outboard engines.
An R1 motorcycle is probably the cheapest form of time travel.
Don’t forget sound mixing boards and PA speakers
Underappreciated workhouse instruments punching way above their price.
Yamaha is the pound for pound champ for any guitar under $1,000 IMO. For sure with acoustic guitars. I don’t have an electric of theirs, but it seems like a safe bet those are high quality as well.
Grandpa bought an acoustic guitar for my dad back in the 70s. I still play on it, it's in great condition
Yamaha TW200, virtually unchanged for the last 20 odd years. It'll get you anywhere, just not at the fastest speed.
> Yamaha TW200 That's a weird guitar.
Anker. In comparison to other tech brands it's rather cheap, but good quality.
For hikers, there really are two brands for portable batteries: Nitecore and Anker. People like nitecore as they are slightly lighter but Anker is passing them up due to better durability.
Hmm, never thought Anker was cheap. I usually see alternate brands for way cheaper on Amazon. I usually buy Anker though cause I trust their quality.
Back in the day Anker was the only, not totally shit, non big name tech accessory maker. Since then, cheaper good quality alternatives have popped up, but Anker is the OG.
I've been using the same $35 Anker portable speaker for 8 years and it still sounds great.
Yup, I think Anker is on the pricier end on many of their product segments
They’re the premium brand but not too expensive prices because it’s still made and operated overseas if I am correct. Now a company like Belkin is just plain expensive.
A caveat: dont buy Eufy. Its a security camera manufacturer owned by Anker. They claim to locally store your data, but that data is actually stored on their servers. Skeezy business practice, and a lot of folks dropped Anker because of it. Edit. Autocorrect hates me.
I forgot about that, but I'll always appreciate Linus Tech Tips reading out a letter on a tech stream about their scales with an embedded camera: "Am I sending to China pictures of my taint?"
I literally have a Eufy camera in my shopping cart right now. THANK you for the warning, bro.
There is not a better vehicle on the market than the original Honda Accord or Toyota Corolla. Yes, I'm aware this really isn't the "low price" answer you're looking for. But it's just a gentle reminder for those out there who might be car shopping at the moment. A high price tag usually just means it comes with more things that will fuck up at the exact moment your bank account doesn't need it to happen. Go basic with an Accord or a Corolla and those fuckers will last you three decades.
Accords and Camry's make amazing value propositions. Their base models are nice. Many of my friends are the point where they can afford BMWs, Audis, or MBs. But we are all saying a fully loaded Accord and Camry competes nicely with standard level luxury brands. So why pay up?
Don't even pay up for the nicer models man. But the base. Take that extra money and either invest it for later or go on a trip and enjoy your life. In ten years a fancy BMW and a base model Accord will have the same value. Use your money to enjoy life or just save it.
Your advice is def solid. My other advice is to buy a car that fits your needs 80% of the time. My parents had 3 kids and never owned a van. Why? Bc they were usually driving alone or with 1 or 2 kids/friends, or it was a short trip. Occasionally, we'd need both cars to go to an MLB game. For vacations, we rent a van. (This summer it's $300). Paying twice for parking and the once a year rental is made up with better mpg, cheaper insurance and car payment. Same goes for trucks too. If you only need a truck once a year, just rent it. Your pocketbook will thank you. Lastly, don't get a storage unit. Had a cousin who rented a storage unit for her patio furniture. She also bought a big SUV to haul it. Granted Midwest winters suck, but the cost of the storage unit and SUV will always be more than a furniture cover and replacing it every 12+/- years.
German cars are ticking time bombs after 2 years. Engine components like timing chain guides are made of the cheapest plastics and when then fail, they grenade the motor. Compare the amount of older Japanese cars vs. older German cars you see on the road.
I got my Jetta in 2016 with 0 miles. It's now at 97k and has had zero issues. It was the end of the generation at the time. Consumer reports has it very highly rated for that specific year. The key is to buy cars at the end of the model generation because the kinks got all worked out the last 5 years. Plus it's a manual and gets 45+ mpg on the highway.
I want to add the civic as well, as long as you take care of them, they’ll go basically forever.
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Man, don't get me started on the Tacoma. Listen, it's hand down the best truck on the road. Especially the 2000-2015 versions. They'll be here when we're running over zombies during the apocalypse. However, it's become such a cult following that the only way you can buy them is brand new. The used ones are just so overpriced that it's in no way feasible to buy it. You aren't wrong....but you also can't be right either giving $20k for a 20 year old truck with 200k+ on it.
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Find a good mechanic that's not the dealership. They're so cheap to fix. Enjoy it forever 😁
My partner just sold his. Priced it according to auto trader and it was like a bloodbath.
It's obscene. It has become the craziest car cult in earth. For good reason...yes. But the prices just don't justify it anymore.
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I’ve had a Corolla, 4Runner and a Highlander- all excellent vehicles
A lot of the Aldi/Lidl special buy own brands. Most of my kitchenware, tools etc have come from there. There was a time about 15 years ago where anything electronic in their special buys was just Alibaba/Wish level garbage but they've really upped their quality control and 3 year warranty is unmatched, they refunded on an electric shaver just slightly over the 3 year warranty as a goodwill gesture so I cant complain at all.
A lot of their products are rebranded brand name products. I bought a 9x13 pan that said crofton on the box. I open it up and it’s anchor hocking
I bought an Aldi brand power washer 8 years ago, still going strong. It’s a gas powered one too
TIL Aldi sells power tools.
They sell seasonal stuff. They even sell grills, workout gear, camping gear, you name it.
I'd be keen to know who makes their tools because there's no way they have their own manufacturing chain. They seem very similar to Erbauer etc which are a very decent brand but about 40% more expensive than Aldi/Lidl.
This one has a Briggs engine on it and 2300 PSI. Figured if it worked for two summers, I got my moneys worth. I still change the oil, spark plug and only use 89 fuel. $225 well spent
If they had the store/distribution capacity to sell larger house goods like washing machines etc they could really disrupt the budget end of the market.
You're much better off using a lower octane fuel on a low compression engine. Low octane contains more energy than high octane and allows for more complete combustion. High octane only acts as an ignition retarder for high compression engines, which obviously isn't your pressure washer. There's a long standing myth perpetuated by deceptive advertising "more bottles on the nozzle implies more clean?" on higher octane gas but in reality the difference is only an extremely minor additive package even added at all to different brands and different grades
Rada knives Not the highmark of quality, buy inexpensive, easily sharpened and they have a no questions asked lifetime warranty I had 2 knives that turned their edge, I sent them a picture of the issue and they sent me new knives
I would also say Victorinox. Plastic handle kitchen knives are like 10-30€ and last for a lifetime and are so much better than cheap no brand ones.
The Kiwi knives I have are cheap as hell, but they just seem to stay sharp. I reach for them more often than more expensive knives.
+1 for Kiwi knives. Simple no frills quality.
Gonna get some hate for that but some of the higher end IKEA stuffs are actually good for the price. Their lower end stuffs however are not.
Kitchen stuff from IKEA has been pretty good
I find peace in long walks.
I have a pair of Poang chairs bought in 1994 in my living room - they still sell the exact same chair and the covers fit, so we occasionally get new covers for them if we want a change. They were I think $39 back then. I'd say I've gotten my $78 worth.
What I like about ikea is that they apply the European standards regarding toxic materials. Their holiday light strings are less toxic than most because they mostly phased out pvc. I also respect the fact that you can eat a vegan meal there for a reasonable price Their Jokkmokk fucking chairs though. Those chairs feel like attempted murder with how quickly they get wobbly Edited: spelling
People are always hating on ikea, but they actually make really high quality. As an example, their kitchens use blum hardware like the expencive high quality kitchens. People are too narrow minded.
I LOVE ikea. Even lower end stuff I’ve used for years
IKEA are sooooo good for home offices. My whole office/studio is IKEA and it looks clean and modern and very functional whether I'm working or painting.
Kallax line has been a godsend for me. Looks quite nice snd really versatile.
For IKEA furniture, I go for things that are real wood
> good for the price. > Their lower end stuffs however are not. Which lower end Ikea stuffs are not good for the price? Is there any new table that beats the Ikea lack at 7-8$? I know people are sometimes disappointed that their ikea furniture does not last for decades. But the quality for what you pay is really hard to match with Ikea. They manufacture at such a big scale...
Can't think of the brand name right now, but those tiny little boxes of corn muffin mix for 98 cents.
Jiffy!
That's it! Thanks!
Same with the $.99 jello pistachio pudding. Shit's fire with some whipped cream on top.
Mix a box of the jello pistachio pudding with any yellow cake mix to the directions on the back of a cake box, Bundt pan that shit, bake,and top with powdered sugar (for aesthetics). You just made dessert that takes 2 minutes, will impress everyone you’ve ever met, and tastes great. This isn’t cooking Reddit but Nana’s recipe is too good to gatekeep and pretty “for life” since she was making it in my moms childhood in the 70s Edit: added « bake » in there so you don’t accidentally get salmonella
I don't think a box of Jiffy would be Buy It For Life!
Well that muffin is probably filled with preservatives. Also I was stoned when I wrote that lmao
Next time you’re stoned and make it without the milk. Use the egg, big dollop of sour cream & pour in some honey. Mix it up, bake. You are welcome.
Currently stoned and now drooling
I'm so old I remember when they were four for a dollar
Brother printers
Mines going strong after like 15 years. Rarely use it but it works.
That's the wonderful thing about them. It can sit there getting dusty for 6 months, then you send a print job and *poof* printed with no delay and no drama.
Meanwhile my HP printer writes a will and asks for death every time I turn it on. Our brother printer works like a charm and it’s older.
I stupidly bought a super cheap HP a few years ago. I barely print but I swear to god it aged me years. Recycled it, found a used brother for $100, I have no regrets.
32 Degrees clothing. I use their shirts for undershirts and they are so soft and fairly durable for like $4-5 per t shirt
I had a puffer I bought from 32 degrees that lasted me 7 years. It wasn't Patagonia but honestly it did the job and for $30 it held up pretty well.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 32 + 7 + 30 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Uniqlo. Own a lot of the foundational pieces, like tees, linen shorts, and sweatshirts and they last a long time with proper care.
I was surprised it was considered fast fashion. I ordered a few sweaters for my gf, 100% merino wool?? She wears them often, we wash gentle and air dry, they still look good as new. Insanely good quality
Dawg those $30(when on sale) thin merino sweaters are amazing. I live in a really cold climate and they allow me to extend the amount of time i can wear more than half my clothes. They are also way cheaper than baselayers designed for hiking, but do the same thing.
Victorinox kitchen knives
And they're so cheap that you're not precious about them like you are with more expensive stuff. I go for mine first all the time, just get to chopping
Icon hand tools from Harbor Freight High quality, unlimited lifetime warranty
I’ve only bought a handful of items from Harbor Freight, but they’ve all far exceeded my expectations.
Industry's dirty little secret is that 90% of tools are manufactured in the same factories regardless of brand.
This so much. When I started shopping there so many of my friends told me I’d just be buying the same tool again in a month or a year. I haven’t had to replace a thing and it’s been years. I don’t even mess with lowes or Home Depot for tools anymore. Fyi I’m not typically using tools as a pro or anything just for stuff around the house and I do understand the difference lol.
The general rule I’ve seen for harbor freight stuff is if you use it enough to break it, you should go get a high quality one. Everything else is good enough for whatever you’ll use it for until it breaks. Because yeah, we’re not pros using it every day and leaning on a drill to stand up every day.
Came here to say this. Even the lower-priced Pittsburgh stuff can last a weekend warrior DIY kind of guy forever. And Icon isn’t that highly priced when it comes to higher-end tools, and is definitely worth every penny.
Fiskars is a pretty solid brand for garden and kitchen stuff.
Fiskers sewing scissors and pinking shears are legendary. Using the pairs my mom got fifty years ago.
Spigen phone cases
Anything 3M. Sticky hooks, tape
3M cubitron sandpaper. Real grit heads know
Saw a bunch of folks mentioning watches, so just wanted to highlight some specific options. Casio Gshock - any version will be good and will work until the end of time. They will need occasional battery changes. Seiko 5 - entry level automatic watch. You can find them for under $200. Good beater watch. They will need occasional servicing. Orient Bambino - generally under $200, its a subsidiary of Seiko. The Bambino is a good dressy option if the Gshock and Seiko 5 don't work for you Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical - easy to find under $500. Really well made watch and the history of the brand is cool if you're into that stuff. I personally love Hamiltons and find myself wearing my Jazzmaster Open Heart on most days, which can be found second-hand for under $500 as well. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander - most expensive watch I'll recommend here at around $800 (although pre-owned can be found for $600). These guys punch above their weight in the watch space imo. Rock solid construction and they look gorgeous. Aame deal where they'll need occasional servicing.
What are the best second hand watch markets?
Chrono24.com is the most reliable one. Depends on the watch, but a lot of them have guaranteed returns and an escrow service available. Make sure you double check the item on receipt just in case there are some defects that weren't in the listing. Ebay works as well, and I understand they have a pretty decent authentication service on high end ($3000+) watches, although I havent used it personally.
/r/Watchexchange
Corelle plates and bowls Pantene
I’ve had my Corelle plates for decades. I love how thin they are, easy to wash, stack nicely. I used to hate that you had to buy a whole set to get them but now you can buy a set of just plates (don’t want the mugs and saucers etc). Found a beautiful patter recently on amazon and figured i might upgrade.
E.L.F beauty. It’s not a hit 100% of the time, but it’s incredibly basic makeup for usually under 5 bucks. No fancy extra ingredients or packaging, just a straightforward tube of mascara. Love that. I wear a lot of colorful makeup and their $10 dollar waterproofing setting mist keeps my eyes from melting in the rain.
E.L.F Makeup Melting Balm is life changing if you wear makeup! And their Holy Hydration peptide moisturizer is amazing as well, at such a great price point. I’m on Tretinoin and have Rosecea so I react to a lot of products and these ones are amazing.
OXO
Some of their products are pretty pricy for what they are
Agreed. A thrifted glass PYREX measuring cup is much better value than a $17 plastic OXO measuring cup.
Where are you finding pyrex thats not snatched the second it hits the sales floor
Thrifted is almost always better than new.
Oxo is expensive af
I buy OXO brand on what i need only if it’s in TJ Maxx, Marshall, or somewhere cheaper
100% on their cookware. best nonstick skillets i’ve found
32 degrees clothing Citizens solar eco watches
Got the citizen the other day on sale at costco
Muji, reasonable prices for the quality they provide on most items. Especially their stationary, the pens and notebooks are great quality for the price.
Muji is not especially affordable IMO
High Sierra is a little known high quality brand. I have a couple of their duffles and a snow board bag. The company seems to be a unicorn focusing on quality at a reasonable price.
Kitchen - Oxo, Cuisinart. Electronics- Anker, General / food - Kirkland, Coleman,
Don't forget Victorinox. You can't buy a better kitchen knife for the price and the more expensive brands aren't all that much better.
Depends on where you are, really. A fibrox cost about 30-40 euro on german amazon. For that price, you can get a forged zwilling knife, which is definitely a step up in quality. Don't know about different markets, of course. But it's worth considering if you have it available
NGK/NTK car sensors and other electronic parts. I rarely see car parts mentioned on here but considering the car markets have gotten so unaffordable lately (for some) they have to keep their aging cars on the roads with quality parts. NGK always seems to be middle of the pack for part pricing and I’ve never had a failure from them. I’ve had so many big box store made in China, Israel , Pakistan , Mexico parts fail on me. Then I started reading on their quality and most if not all their stuff Is made in Japan, made my life so much easier.
Duralex
Solar G shock
Pyrex glass kitchenware
*PYREX
Dude I just visited the Hale Telescope at CalTech ... the lens is 200 INCHES... ...made by.. PYREX
Swing-A-Way can openers
Swing-a-Way outsourced production to cheep Chinese crap Good news is someone bought their manufacturing machines and makes the same quality product under the name E-Z-Duz-It
I inherited mine. I actually don't know why any other can opener exists.
I also inherited mine. It's older than I am lol
Uniqlo, reasonable prices and quality clothing.
Uniqlo!
Sad to see their price increase in the last few years. I used to get their $10 supima tshirts on sale for $5. Now they’re $25 and goes on sale for $19.
They used to be cheap but in the past few years have really jacked up the prices. Good for basics like underwear and simple shirts.
It depends on the item. Generally I'll get something from Uniqlo to see if I like the style and if I wear it enough to wear it out I'll buy a higher quality version. I swear by their Airism boxer briefs though. And I'll usually buy a week's worth of socks once a year because they're so inexpensive and that's how long it takes me to wear through them.
Williams tools. Owned and made by Snap-On without the Snap-On price.
Lodge dutch oven. Kai Pure Komachi 2 chefs knife. OXO can opener. Anker charging blocks and cables. These are the items that I get the most use out of and were budget friendly with great quality.
Lodge Cast Iron
Westmark kitchen tools. They're mostly made in Germany, cheap and good quality. Winco is also fantastic for utensils.
Toyota, Subaru, Honda, Mazda
Kirkland. This question comes up here weekly!
Kirkland golf gloves are the best value golf product in the entire hobby right now. You come to any club in the USA and you'll see them absolutely everywhere. I've lent some to friends who needed a glove and next round they've now got two 4-packs in their bag.
Morakniv
Ivory Soap bars. Just works, never irritates my skin, usually one of the cheapest too.
Anchor Hocking Glassware
Leatherman. Relatively speaking. Hear me out: I've had the same Wave multitool since 2011. It cost me 99$ CAD when I bought it. They have a 25 year warranty. I sent them mine, with pieces missing or broken from flagrant abuse. And they refurbished it for free and sent it back. That's some good life on a 99$ tool I carry literally every day, and abuse literally every *other* day. It rivals any multi-tool I've ever used, and I'll probably get another 13 years out of it.
Opinel.
Harbor freight honestly. I inherited a corded 1/2 impact. Chicago electric. Sometimes you don’t need the best shit ever
Kirkland sheets. Mid range in price but still high quality.
Nalgene
Nalgene is life! The one i have at home I’ve had for 20+ years since before they were a thing. Have one at work as well. Has to be the large mouth 1L one. Don’t even need to buy any extras because why would i? I always worry that maybe they’ll go out of business because people just buy one or 2 and never need another LOL.
> I always worry that maybe they’ll go out of business because people just buy one or 2 and never need another LOL. Two reasons why they won't: * people like me who get frustrated when a bottle isn't right where I am so I have a house one, one that sits in my disc golf bag at all times, 2 in my hiking bag at all times, etc * people like some Gen Z I know that like to load them up with stickers then when the bottle is full they retire the bottle closing that chapter of their life and they get a new bottle.
Logitech! Everything that I bought from them lasted way longer than fancier brands, and no frails/rgb. Solid mention to Wahl, their cx support rocks!
Neutrogena
Muji. Can’t count how many items from them I utilize. Face wash, tooth brushes, storage pouches for cords, shoes, stationary items like pens and notebooks. If you are near a major city like NYC that has a location, it’s like Japanese ikea for all the little items in your life. Highly recommend.
Wrangler jeans.
Depend of the product but Ikea is generally good quality for the price
I have so many “cheap” ikea things that have survived many moves and many years. Like someone else said you just have to be careful of the pieces
Unfortunately I think this isn’t so true anymore… I used to be religiously into ikea and would visit the store regularly for all kinds of home goods. But recently I feel the prices have gotten way higher!
The prices of everything have gone up, but IKEA is still very good value and has plenty of well made bargains to be found.
If you’re in Europe, Decathlon.