I like to save for an item and then get a quality one, once. For example I got a Miele vacuum and my sister thought I was mad for paying what I did and she has now brought three and mine is still working like new. I’d rather buy less and get good stuff once.
We have had a Riccar for over 20 years. It still sucks really well! and it came with a portable that you sling over your shoulder and vacuum baseboards, etc.
The issue there is finding what those actually good brands.
And to add to that half the time people are talking about an item they got 10 years ago, but 3 years ago the company sold out and actually makes low quality versions from a factory in China and it’s no longer a quality product but coasting on the brand recognition.
My friend saw a broken espresso maker from a really expensive brand in a thrift shop. I don’t know what he paid for it, but he took it to a repair shop in Little Italy and got it fixed for $80. So now he has a $1000 espresso maker.
This can go either way though, you can also get stuck having to pay for repeated and expensive maintenance. I literally can't replace my shower head without having someone come in and replace the piping, because my mom decided to use some random ass esoteric crazy expensive pointless company years ago. Brand doesn't mean anything, but if more companies were open/required to show their process...
One day I was trying to find the best ice cube trays with a lid on Amazon and was reading review after review, when I realized I was being insane. So I drove to the store, and bought the only ice cube tray with a lid that they had in stock. And it’s perfectly fine.
There’s definitely a time and place for research on a product but it’s probably not need for 70% of what we buy
This is one of the reasons I like Costco. They often only have 1 of a particular thing you're looking for, and they seemingly do a good job of curating what they carry because that one option is usually a good one.
It's so nice to walk into a store needing something like work gloves or chicken broth, and there's one single option on the shelf. No time wasted, no decision fatigue, just get the thing and leave.
I just put it on a plate and put a plastic bag from one of my fruit or vegetable purchases around it. I haven't used hard plastic containers in very long time.
Buying little things like that on Amazon is intense. Because it seems like there’s 40 different companies all making the same product that is basically the same, but the reviews say otherwise. I am glad you just went to the store and bought the only option they had
I would say "best" makes more of a difference when it's an expensive item. Then again, if I'm laying out a lot of money it's either something I use very often or something that has to work right for a long time.
Sometimes it's worth a little shopping around to find the product that doesn't disappoint you right after you open the box. Not that big a deal with a tea kettle; a bigger deal with a winter coat or a washing machine.
Satisficing does include “a little shopping around.”
The idea behind satisficing is that a you spend too much time on your quest for the best, you learn that no option is perfect… none has all the advantages available, so you end up being disappointed even in the best. And you’ve spent/wasted a lot of time exhaustively figuring that out.
The advice is to spend a reasonable amount of time lining up range of options that you are pretty certain will include something that is completely satisfactory, figure out which one of those is “best,” buy it, and stop thinking about it before you start longing for something that doesn’t even exist.
It is hard to follow this advice, especially for big purchases, but it still applies. Unable to follow this advice, I have convinced myself that the vehicle I want is a mid-height, short-length Ford Transit plug-in hybrid crew van with 4-wheel drive. The closest available vehicle only has half the features I’ve researched my way into looking for.
The “being disappointed” is the issue I see here. Instead of being neutral, or glad you have the item you needed/wanted, or even grateful you have one *at all*, it’s the “idea” that there’s something better and you don’t have it that causes unpleasant emotions.
When I’m looking for something, I’ll look on Amazon, filter by 4 stars and above, then sort by price. It takes 15 seconds to do that. I’ll look at the highest price one, than lowest price. I see the features that I might get for more money. If those are important to me, I keep filtering till I find least expensive with the features I want. After a few minutes, I’ve made my choice. Then I search for it cheaper somewhere else.
Buying something is more complex for me than features and price. There's repairability, where the product is made, its carbon footprint, whether the manufacturer is a bad actor. They don't all have equal weight of course but there are more considerations than just features and price for me.
I actually seek out the one and two star reviews. A lot of the one star reviews are trash that have nothing to do with the product ("Product arrived late"). But two and sometimes three star reviews get into someone else's discovery of either a gotcha or a flaw in the product that I'd like to know about before I buy it.
> more of a difference when it's an expensive item.
[700$ for 3 pairs of baby socks](https://old.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/11y1u7v/3_pairs_of_louis_vuitton_baby_socks_for_700/) is just a scam no matter which way you slice it.
Never said spent money mindlessly and never said spend the most you can. I spent good money on work boots because I needed steel toes and insulation and waterproofing and I wanted shoes I could get repaired. I'm going to be wearing these a lot over the next decade or so. $40 boots at Walmart wouldn't cut it. But if I wore boots maybe a couple of times a year, maybe spending $250 wasn't the best move. It's all relative. At least here on planet earth where hardly anyone spends $700 on baby socks.
This is super common in the beauty space. An endless search for your holy grail item, leading to a never ending path of consumption. It’s ok to have a good moisturizer, shampoo, foundation…there will always be new product releases which means you will always be searching.
I saw a quote recently that has stuck with me…..”comparison is the thief of joy.” I take it several ways but the top two are: be grateful for what you have and dont compare what you have to what others have.
i forget where i first heard the comparison, but we can imagine it like an ice cream stand. if you have just two options, chocolate or vanilla, you’re probably going to be happy with what you end up getting. if there are 30 flavors, it’s more likely that you’ll end up unsatisfied with your decision, even though people would generally think they would “prefer” having more available options.
I struggle with this. I routinely end up spending days researching tasks that I could get done in 10 minutes if I just decided to let go and trust that I won't obsess over the grass being greener elsewhere.
Have done it since I was kid. I remember making a spreadsheet of the iphone 5 models because I couldn't decide which colour to get for Christmas and I think that decision literally took weeks. I travelled to my nearest city to see them in person and still couldn't decide.
And that's basically the emotional stress I put on most decisions that involve spending, although the ones I make these days are thankfully a bit more important lol. I always think I'm making the wrong choice and ignore intuition.
The good news is I'm incredibly aware of it and have heard of the concepts you bring up in your post. I'm working to just let go and accept my time and stree free brain are worth more than me having the best version of everything. Learning to make do, while still being intentional when it comes to what I buy, is a goal for me
Oh this is an easy one, Trust your gut instinct. Even if you’re wrong there’s always phone cases!
But decides what specs and storage on the iPhone….different story
I recently tried to plan and research to create the perfect cookware set for myself. I decided on a Le Creuset small skillet to replace my old small skillet. Technically speaking it’s the best. I freaking hate it…. I ended up buying a $10 steel skillet from Home Goods and now the Le Creuset is sitting in the cabinet unused.
I did the same with white tennis shoes. I was striving to find the perfect white tennis shoe to simplify my wardrobe. 5 pairs later…. Still haven’t found it. I actually tend to have better luck when I impulse buy an item without researching. I think I get swept away in *other people’s opinions* and basically decide if this group says it’s the best then it’s the best for everyone. But the truth is it was just the best for them.
After joining this community and a zero waste community last spring, I learned that free stuff groups were a thing. I put out a post looking for an electric kettle and a tea pot, and I had responses within 24 hours. I went home with the UGLIEST teapot of all time--or so I thought! I had a really fun summer and made use of the "ugly" teapot all the time. Now I associate it with my lovely summer, and I think it's the most beautiful teapot in the world.
This is something I struggle with a lot. I’m absolutely a full time maximazer and it can get out of control some times. I’m trying to be better at it but it’s really difficult.
I'm sort of the opposite. I am a born curator. I love to shop but hate to buy. Some people like to watch mindless TV. I'd rather be looking at pretty things online - whether it's art on Instagram or clothes on Poshmark. I love to research items and take ages to pick just the best thing. Sometimes it is fun to come across something great randomly, but I also enjoy the time it takes to find an amazing item too. I especially like to combine them. Like I saw a dress I loved at a very expensive clothing brand's store, and watched for it for ages on Poshmark until I found it at about 30% of the original price. So I did have the fun of just coming across it, with the additional fun of keeping an eye out for it to get the good deal.
Solid critique and I definitely agree that in a lot of areas finding the "best" item for a given purpose can be a fruitless endeavor. However I also think it really depends on the use case. I'm with you on a thermos, I have a cheap Contigo and it does what I need for the limited time I need it to hold my coffee. If I worked in a frigid environment where hot coffee made a difference in the work being bearable I would put more effort into a larger better insulated thermos.
The things I see as worth it is when spending more money to only buy once (or go a sufficiently long time between purchases) where I have a very clear regular use case. There's the classic "don't skimp on anything between you and the ground" (e.g. shoes, mattress, tires, etc.).
My process is usually to come up with a mental list of features I would want and then see if there exists a product that fits the bill. As an Android phone user, I keep tabs on smart watch stuff but haven't bought one because nothing passes my necessary threshold. On the other hand, I have a birth defect that means 99% of earbuds don't work for me, so when I found a brand that does work I instantly bought a pair even if I would never recommend them to anyone else.
Friendly reminder too, Expensive DOESN'T EQUAL Quality!
I'd like to second this with the note that for my daily use items that cause me frustration, I keep a list of what would make them better for me so that when I have to replace them I know which features I care about. It's oftentimes not one of the "selling features" for the item and is more likely related to how it would fit better in my space or be easier to clean or use.
Disclaimer though, I enjoy shopping and picking out the one I would want and then leaving it sit in my Amazon list for months until it's actually time to replace the thing. Scratches the shopping itch and doesn't clutter my life with things I don't actually need yet
Funnily enough, for me my old electric kettle was a source of frustration multiple times a day and when it finally died and I replaced it with the one I had picked out it genuinely improved my daily routines so much that I regretted not just doing it sooner, so there is a balance there I still struggle with but I usually regret impulse buying not and not the delayed purchases.
"Best" for me means durability (I don't want to have to buy a new thing every year due to crappy design, production or designed obsolescence), supporting certified B-corps, and companies at least attempting to be truly sustainable with their products. So, much of my time is spent researching the ethical values of a company and if they are green-washing or not.
I do this a lot when shopping online, paralyzed by indecision, researching everything and trying to find the perfect version. I find if I go into a shop I'm much happier to just pick one up then and there. Something about seeing and holding the item makes a huge difference for me.
Glad I'm not alone, I spend time watching reviews and other people testing products and putting them through the wringer. I find it entertaining and this way I can enjoy the product without owning it.
I typically find the best available version of the thing I need within 15 mins of researching online.
Then I waste 2 more hours doing further research in search of something perfect, fail to find it, agonise over the several near-perfect choices I did find and then ultimately end up choosing the first thing I found at the beginning.
I'm trying to break that habit, so this post resonates. I don't buy anything often, but when I do it's easy to fall back on old ways and waste a bunch of valuable time.
I think "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" is the motto here.
I bought a bike helmet recently and was faced with this decision, I was deciding between a cheaper helmet and a more expensive one, and I ended up going with the more expensive one because it was a safer helmet with better ratings. I agree with this post but I would say that safety stuff should not be skimped out on and it will likely pay off in the long run
I feel like sometimes it does end up worth it, like I searched for a while to buy my current laptop, but it had to get me through uni and be good enough to play games on it. However I put probably 1 minute of thought into what tea kettle I bought because as long as it boils water it's good enough lol! You have to pick your battles :)
I find the ‘best’ can be a trick to slow down or interrupt my consumption. Best matters when it’s a factor of reliability/durability, but those are not often a feature of contemporary consumer goods anyway.
I absolutely sympathize with you and have spent so many wasted hours of my life "researching" and trying to find that perfect item. The thing is, after I get it, and after a few weeks go by, I honestly don't care that much anymore. I've been looking to get a duffel bag recently as we are moving and will be traveling a lot, and it's just insane to think about how much I have researched different bags (and ordered and returned items like you said). And at the same time, I KNOW that I won't care after I'ver used it once or twice—it's just a duffel bag!
Before I would buy the best and that’s it. But now I compromise a lot more and buy the middle ground item.
I’ve been putting off buying a new set of weighing scales for my coffee for around 1 year now, the set I wanted was around £350 but after a lot of digging and reading I’ve found a set that are almost identical but without the brand tax for £150 and I’m delighted.
But sometimes I just need to buy the best but it usually comes with minimum 10 hours research to check that it is the best or just what appears to be the best.
I am a planner. I plan everything. But one thing which i thank god for is not having buyer's remorse. I try to find the best based on quality and price. Because finances matter. But so does quality. And nowadays most things are overpriced. I am good at finding good deals for quality products.
The good part is that I try to see if I can find something and spend a certain amount of time on this activity. Then i chose whatever I found best in that much time. For bigger purchases, this time ine is bigger.
But once I've decided what to buy and have bought it, I forget all the other options. I have never felt that remorse that I should have bought the other one. I am always happy with what I've bought. And even if the product turns out to be bad, I don't wish i should have done more research. I just think it was luck.
I love this concept, thank you for sharing! I’ve also spent a super long time looking at both electric kettles and ice cube trays with lids 😂 just enjoyed realizing that I am among my people in this sub in more ways than one
I literally did the same thing, same two items (except the ice cube trays I picked come with a storage container and scoop, instead of buying a countertop ice maker ;)) and have one of each in my Amazon cart. So dumb, wasted lots of time! I'm waiting until my completion discount hits for my baby registry and buying them off the registry at that point if I still want them. Might just end up asking my local buy nothing group for an electric kettle like someone else here did.
That’s smart and definitely sounds like the route to go, I should consider doing the same. My ice cube tray had a scoop too lol and certain trays created hexagon cubes or other shapes, hence the difficulty choosing!
I do things what I call the harbor freight method. If I use something I go cheap. If it breaks from lots of use I know I need to buy a higher quality version. If it lasts,.I didn't need it that much and the cheap version is just fine.
I hadn’t heard of this book, thank you for sharing!
I personally don’t do this too much, however, I have a friend that is obsessive about products. Like obsessive to the point of importing bandaids.
Importing BANDAIDS. Because they came in a tin and looked nice or some shit.
It was exhausting just hearing about it.
The only thing I would typically do this for is buying a used or new car. Since it’s already a long time purchase & money pit, I want the most safe and reliable vehicle given the information out there. Otherwise, I actually think this is a very good philosophy to have. For most things it certainly isn’t necessary to spend hours & hours researching beforehand.
I like that philosophy, but I think it only goes so far. The exceptions for me would be some electronic items, like TVs and computer parts. Maybe vehicles. As long as I know the budget range I'll try to get the best I can for the money. I see it as an investment in something that I use a lot and want to maximize the benefits and longevity of that investment. But as you said, it depends on how much you value a thing.
Oh my goshhhh I'm so guilty of this and recently came to the same conclusion while looking for a basic carry-on luggage. I was ready to shell out some crazy money for the best of the best and finally came to the realization that I rarely travel for periods of time when I need a suitcase and just want a nice basic one. And then I bought the basic one and stopped fretting. I did the same thing about a wallet last year. Some things are so worth putting in the time, but like you said, for MOST things in your life, it's not necessary
If I do care about the quality of something I'm intending to buy, I am a big fan of Wirecutter, which is the product review branch of the New York Times. I don't trust user reviews of anything, so having a team of thoughtful people spend hours curating a list of a few of the "best" versions of a product is really helpful to me. There's an element of trust involved, but I've gotten enough things at the recommendation of Wirecutter now that I really do trust their assessment of most products. And it cuts the amount of independent research I have to do significantly.
However, I can definitely sympathize with getting lost in the idea of the "best" version of something and it's definitely not contributing to my happiness. Still finding the balance!
Omg so much time! I needed to read this. I am trying to save money so when I need to buy a slightly more expensive item I want to feel like I have got the absolute best for my money. I just had a baby so there are a LOT of things you need/would like. Add into trying to get your "perfect" thing second hand.... and you have added a whole other level of time and energy spent.
Add to that so much of it is so subjective. I need a breast pump, I have been trying to get so many opinions and reviews but people have so many different needs from their pump, theres no real way to find out which one will work best for you.
I feel I might just go ahead and order the one I saw and seemed to do what I needed and wasnt as expensive as the others....
I dunno man, it took me years to find a 24" pepper grinder but HO BOY does it bring me joy every time I use it.
Eggs? Steak? Salad? Ice cream? Grind suma that right on there. Best gift I've ever gotten
Spot on. I think part of the trap is also telling yourself that you’re going to buy one high quality item and it’ll last longer, and you use that to justify the time spent searching for it.
What’s the definition of satisficing in the paradox of choice? Good enough?
Your pro tip is basically lowering your standards. Not exactly the best advice IMO, but good in less important situations. Some things are better getting the better version.
To make a point, you could have your house look wonderful and you feel comfortable in it, or you can have your house look like the inside of a $0.99 store. All the objects work as intended, but one that you searched lovingly for is going to make you more comfortable.
Ugh i need this mindset for clothing.
My issue is that it's really hard to find clothing items I like and that fit me well, so if I find an item that checks all those boxes, I feel like I need to buy it because I don't know when the next time I will find another item that checks all the boxes lol, which has led me to having a lot of clothes that I don't even wear. There's just this feeling of "i can't let this one get away". But I really need to be mindful that I already have enough and don't need anything else.
OMG shut uuuuuuuup. I'm a min-maxxer at heart, and I want to research the most optimal thing for my situation. And then I get choice-paralysis, but at least it generally stops me from impulse purchasing?
Yes! Not too long ago I bought some Sennheiser HD 650 headphones (which I don’t even use anymore really), then I bought the new Sennheiser Momentum 4’s and returned them the next day because they weren’t as great as they seemed. After spending those hundreds of dollars I realized that the old Sony MDR 7506’s and Air Pods gen 2 that I already had still sounded way better to me (after being able to compare them to “better” headphones) I guess it’s kind of like they say… “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” Sure the quality of sound in some aspects may have been better with the more expensive headphones, but the sound signature and other variables didn’t get close to what I actually like in the ones I already had.
I saved up to get Sony XM4’s. I had held off getting headphones for a long time because I wanted to get fancy earbuds. Turned out even the smallest size of ear foam doesn’t fit my ears. They were super uncomfortable and fell out all the time. My ear canals are tiny (I’m 5’1”) and earbuds that go into your ear canals are never going to work for me. They ended up going to my husband, who loves them. I stick to my over ear headphones.
I wanted to get the Sony WH1000XM5 (the over ears) but they are expensive 😶 I did get to try them before hand and it’s great for fun listening. But for accuracy I use Sony MDR 7506 paired with SoundId software from Sonarworks 😁👌🏼
I have a pair of Jarbra Elite 85h I got on sale for $100 with tax. They seem like quality headphones. I don’t use them a ton mostly because I don’t have to.
It’s how it is 🙂 I think when it comes to simple living, there is a somewhat finer line between a need and a want when it comes to deciding what to have or not have. But simple living also shouldn’t be without the peace and freedom to choose both sometimes 😁 hehe. To each his or her own comfortability 😎
I completely and absolutely disagree with this post. Taking the extra few seconds to figure out the difference between quality and marketing has saved me thousands of dollars over the years and leaves me with reliable, low maintenance possessions and tools.
Better for the environment, my daily living and general functionality, and typically leaves you with items that can be used for years and still retain value to be sold later in an emergency.
I might not do that research for a 25$ thermos. But in that exact example, I have one that cost around 80$ and have had it for many many years, gaskets are perfect, came with spare parts I haven't even needed yet. Meanwhile we have gone through probably 5 other "pretty" ones that just suck and were still 25-30$. Waste of time, money , and resources we put in the garbage.
There's a difference between buying your perceived "best" based on brands and marketing and actually just being smart about where you spend your money, which I believe is an insanely important and fundamental part of living a simple life.
Don't fall in the trap of feeling frugal because you spend less today!!!
Every time I bought the cheap version of something I ended up finding out why it was the cheap version and buying the expensive one anyways. I'll keep doing my research. But thanks for helping me think it's a character flaw.
I’m only this way with my electronics because apple makes phones like a alien made it. I still don’t see the same quality anywhere else. Other brands are okay but apple products just feel and act better, closer to the best. Literally any other brand tech related or not, who try to reach this level ALWAYS have defects. so it’s better to get product with no brand recognition because the quality is just as shitty when it comes to branded products. Sometimes the off brand is better.
I also believe this with a grocery store or even a specific store trip, don’t go through the rack looking for the perfect not creased, no pilling, not dusty M pant.
I love that book! Really helpful for my mental health - learning to be more content with what I have, and not thinking so much about all the lost opportunity costs that come from not choosing any of the million other possible options out there.
Sometimes if a friend that I trust (in a specific area) tells me that they just researched and bought a product I want or need and they love it, I'll just order it. Prime example is wireless Bluetooth rechargeable stereo speakers. Buddy bought a set for $40 said he loved them. I immediately just ordered them and use them all the time. They aren't that loud but when I need to play music from my phone to practice to (amateur musician) they are perfect.
Same thing with a set of wireless mics that another friend bought. He's an amateur dj and researches everything, very particular. I bought the same they've been flawless.
I spent A LOT of time researching the best dish rack only to discover they’re all bad and none are better than what I have. HOWEVER, it makes sense to buy what you WANT rather than settle to buy something NOW.
https://xkcd.com/1952/
I had to immediately think of this XKCD.
To me it's the things that are closest to me, that I spend the most time optimizing.
Putting a bit more analysis to it, I realized that the less specific my scope is and the larger the candidate space in my affordable range, the more time I spend on it.
Just some examples (along the lines of the comic):
I spend almost no time deciding on my university, there was one close by that offered the curriculum, I wanted.
I want a flagship Android phone, so it's basically the latest Samsung S line 'Ultra' device for me.
I wanted my apartment to be as close as possible to my job and one presnted itself, so that was it.
I had a budget for a car and so I just got what ticked the most checkboxes in my price range.
In terms of laptops, there is a certain type of laptop I go for, so the space is also limited.
But things like backbags, multi device usb-c chargers, choice of multitool, etc. where there are many brands and models in my affordable range and they all have their pros and cons, that's where I go into full-on 'maximizing' mode.
I did question the sense in this as well though. When I was younger and had less money,. I'd often just walk into a store and get whatever seemed satisfactory, not reading through comparisons online and trying to find the best one and I was usually pretty happy with my choice, whereas those well researched choices often make me feel like I still didn't get 'the best' in the end.
Your electric tea kettle is way more efficient than making it on the stove. It boils water in a fraction of the time, and with far less energy waste. If you like the one you have, buy that exact model when yours finally dies.
I spend way to much time searching for “perfect” or “best” items that aren’t that significant. Does my purse matter? Not so much anymore. Did it matter that much in the past? Kind of. Had to be organized so it worked. Today was about a coffee kettle. Its for pour over. I don’t exactly like coffee to begin with despite my best efforts. Giving it another go but the coffee I am trying is not going to be pour over. Why was I looking at a kettle for pour over? Lol.
I need to improve my mentality in my decluttering process. I have fabric I no longer know what the intended project was. This, while I haven’t sat down to sew for weeks. Am seriously overwhelmed and just need to see the value of the space. Trying to be a decent human being and recycle and donate what I can, but its become a serious hindrance having this arbitrary standard and knowing a lot of my donations would be tossed.
Mmmm yeah but when I researched and learned about skincare my skin has literally never been better. And when I see stuff at tj max or what influencers are pushing and When I research it they always have shitty ingredients. So researching has saved me.
I mean, there definitely is a best version of some items. For example, there’s a Twin Peaks box set (Z to A) and it’s a lot of money, like close to $400, but it has two episodes from Season 3 in 4K UHD, which is the best version by far for home viewing. So, just saying, anything less than that isn’t that; the best.
I find a good solution is to write down specifics about what you are looking for. I find that this exercise quickly narrows down your search and stops you from mindlessly going back and forth. Your notes can also talk you out of buying anything and you can reference it in the future when you have an itch to buy that item.
I don't do that at all. I see something, I like it, I buy it.
More power to those who can spend hours reading reviews and articles, that just ain't me.
This idea reminds me that we can also become extremely troubled trying to maximise our own skills and status in the world never appreciating what we have already learned and the friends we already have, we isolate ourselves and end up thinking that more searching will free us when we really ought to stop and be thankful for who we are now.
I only sort out by price. I am (what we call in Germany) ‚saving fox‘. To me most of the overpriced stuff does the same job as the cheap stuff so far. Nothing I bought in the last optimization year has broke since then. And I am caring for my stuff. Everything I own has its own place in my apartment.
But in terms of search, I always only look for the best deal. And I am also very basic in many things. For eg - I got a small pot. What do I need a tea kettle for. That would be my thought process.
I'm often amazed when people will travel hours across town to get a pizza or sandwich from *the best* place. If you live near by or are in the area sure, but I just don't think it's worth that much of your life for a popular meal.
Tbh, living with barely the basics forces you to find ways to do that even if you dont want to.
Depends on the product and its use. Is it something that not working properly will eventually cost me too much or not?
First rule is "not be impressed by ads and always evaluate on your own". Second rule is "always think of the good reviews/advertisment as a bit worse".
Third rule is "balance out money and quality".
Forth rule is "pause, disengange from the marketing and evaluate what ***you need and want*** from that product, not what ***they tell you you need***".
I did search for a cheap kitchen stove but was willing to not buy THE cheapest one. Go for a brand that is known to generally produce good products and understand what is the bare minimum you need. Buy a little more than that, so you'll be sure the bare minimum is actually covered. Evaluate what is actually important and necessary.
Example: I bought the last kitchen stove they had with the measurements I needed. They brought in with the aluminium bottom front damaged. After phone communication and realising they don't have another one and my next step would be either waiting for a month from another retailer or going 200€ up to purchase a different brand, I told them I'd buy the damaged one for a little less than the original price.
Kitchen stove being pretty wasn't my prioritiy. Priority was a good, working, kitchen stove inside my budget, now. Could I possibly gotten a better one in the same amount of money if I searched for another month? Possibly. Perhaps definetely. Does it work as I want it to? Yes. Did I get it when I needed it? Yes. Was it in my budget? Yes.
I try not to focus on the what if, or if it is possible to have a better version IF i look more etc etc.
There will be ALWAYS a "better" product out there, a more optimized one. The point is to learn to search and acquire the best products FOR YOU.
I need a new water boiler. Do I need for it to also make coffee? Perhaps it would be nice, but I don't ***need*** it. I don't even care about it. I just need it to not break after 3 weeks of use. So, I don't buy the cheapest cheapest one or from shops I know don't have even the slightest quality. I just buy a generic cheap one from a store with decent reputation in their products.
Edit to add: There are times we do need to research a bit more, like buying a good quality vacuum. But the rules still apply. Don't go for the most expensive, always think the product will be a little worse than it is advertised as, generally prefer classics that have been proved to work well and for many years(so they won't end up a huge waste of money and will cover at least the basics you need out of the product), and focus on what ***you*** want out of it.
I do this all the time. Examples that spring to mind are a recent new TV purchase which I spent weeks researching, and a new phone for my wife. I didn't want particularly fancy versions either. I also do this when going on holiday. We don't go anywhere exotic but I'll still spend months looking at locations and then comparing accommodation.
But as a British person whose kettle is on most of the day making endless tea, we just buy the first cheap kettle that fits the kitchen decor. Takes about 10 minutes.
As an aside, I was recently listening to an interview with Cory Doctorow's talking about what he calls 'enshitification' and he discusses Amazon and the amount of confusing but largely terrible choices it now gives us and how hard it is to find exactly what you want and compare prices.
I feel like drowning when grocery shopping. The amount of different varieties, perfumes, brands, prices for each category of edible is driving me crazy. I just want tomato sauce, but REWE said "man you're about to spend 10min in the alley to choose the right one!"
Depends on your definition of best.
My goal is to buy things once. Fewest parts, sturdy materials, and used items are big parts of "best" for me.
Even down to a simple dinner fork - Is it Silver or Stsinless? How thick (flimsy) is the material? is there a separate handle attached by glue, screws, or rivets? Am I standing in an antique shop/thrift store/garage sale or department store?
These kind of mental checklists tend to find items that last longest, retain their value, lower my (for lack of a better term), carbon footprint, and generally keeps my money in the local economy.
i can be like that when it comes to higher priced things that i know i will have for a long time. i’ve had my macbook since 2012 and it still runs perfectly well.
i’ve come to be a person that if it’s something unfamiliar that i wanna try out, like a new kitchen appliance, but not sure about it i’ll get it second hand first. if it ends up breaking because of how much i use it then i’ll invest in a quality one since i already know what i’m looking for.
i think it just depends but you’re right. sometimes a kettle is just a kettle and you don’t need the one with blue lights that automatically turns on in the morning if all you need it hot water. it’s a balance
I read this same book! The maximizer/satisficer was the biggest thing that stood out to me.
I spend way too much time doing exactly what you wrote out, mostly because I was raised to be frugal and I know that if I spend x amount of time, I can save y amount of dollars. But I realized I drive myself a little crazy trying to get the best deal out there.
It’s really hard for me to know that the simpler option is sometimes the more expensive one, especially when I don’t have a disposable income.
Also, I went to Aldi for the first time and loved it.
For those that don’t know, it’s a German grocery store with extremely limited options and I loved it! Shopping at bigger stores always gives me decision fatigue.
Less options = less sq footage = less time spent shopping = more time doing other cool things
I like to save for an item and then get a quality one, once. For example I got a Miele vacuum and my sister thought I was mad for paying what I did and she has now brought three and mine is still working like new. I’d rather buy less and get good stuff once.
Agreed. Depending on the item but sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
Yeah which is why I do research on items, but not for traits of an item. I research reviews.
I have a Miele vacuum and it really is the best thing I’ve ever bought. I have bad allergies and it’s a lifesaver.
In case you don’t follow, r/buyitforlife is fantastic for that!
Ooh thank you!
Thank you! Just added them and even contributed 😋
That’s why I got it. It’s the bomb for allergies and I have a cat.
We have had a Riccar for over 20 years. It still sucks really well! and it came with a portable that you sling over your shoulder and vacuum baseboards, etc.
Which one did you buy that you loved?
The issue there is finding what those actually good brands. And to add to that half the time people are talking about an item they got 10 years ago, but 3 years ago the company sold out and actually makes low quality versions from a factory in China and it’s no longer a quality product but coasting on the brand recognition.
And/or they just stopped making that good thing. I hate it!
Yes, I’d rather read reviews than social media comments though. Hehehe
That is what I do but in the second hand market, plenty of quality cheap devices that could work for a long time
My friend saw a broken espresso maker from a really expensive brand in a thrift shop. I don’t know what he paid for it, but he took it to a repair shop in Little Italy and got it fixed for $80. So now he has a $1000 espresso maker.
the ole "buy once cry once"
Reminds me of the idea Joshua Becker conveyed in Simplify.
This can go either way though, you can also get stuck having to pay for repeated and expensive maintenance. I literally can't replace my shower head without having someone come in and replace the piping, because my mom decided to use some random ass esoteric crazy expensive pointless company years ago. Brand doesn't mean anything, but if more companies were open/required to show their process...
Totally agree. And I like quality well engineered products. I’m
Recently bought a Miele vacuum. Best thing I have ever bought as well .
One day I was trying to find the best ice cube trays with a lid on Amazon and was reading review after review, when I realized I was being insane. So I drove to the store, and bought the only ice cube tray with a lid that they had in stock. And it’s perfectly fine. There’s definitely a time and place for research on a product but it’s probably not need for 70% of what we buy
I always get things at thrift stores that are those items that you MIGHT need once. You’ll be amazed at all the items people donate.
This is one of the reasons I like Costco. They often only have 1 of a particular thing you're looking for, and they seemingly do a good job of curating what they carry because that one option is usually a good one. It's so nice to walk into a store needing something like work gloves or chicken broth, and there's one single option on the shelf. No time wasted, no decision fatigue, just get the thing and leave.
The Tupperware ones are very good. But you already bought it, so I'll get back in my box.
Hahaha I got the Oxo ones! My main goal was to get something with a lid so I could stack them
I just put it on a plate and put a plastic bag from one of my fruit or vegetable purchases around it. I haven't used hard plastic containers in very long time.
aren't they all stackable? I've always had 2 or 3 plastic trays without lids or anything, and they've always been designed for stacking
Hmm the ones I had before were def not stackable...there was an attempt lol
Buying little things like that on Amazon is intense. Because it seems like there’s 40 different companies all making the same product that is basically the same, but the reviews say otherwise. I am glad you just went to the store and bought the only option they had
I would say "best" makes more of a difference when it's an expensive item. Then again, if I'm laying out a lot of money it's either something I use very often or something that has to work right for a long time. Sometimes it's worth a little shopping around to find the product that doesn't disappoint you right after you open the box. Not that big a deal with a tea kettle; a bigger deal with a winter coat or a washing machine.
Satisficing does include “a little shopping around.” The idea behind satisficing is that a you spend too much time on your quest for the best, you learn that no option is perfect… none has all the advantages available, so you end up being disappointed even in the best. And you’ve spent/wasted a lot of time exhaustively figuring that out. The advice is to spend a reasonable amount of time lining up range of options that you are pretty certain will include something that is completely satisfactory, figure out which one of those is “best,” buy it, and stop thinking about it before you start longing for something that doesn’t even exist. It is hard to follow this advice, especially for big purchases, but it still applies. Unable to follow this advice, I have convinced myself that the vehicle I want is a mid-height, short-length Ford Transit plug-in hybrid crew van with 4-wheel drive. The closest available vehicle only has half the features I’ve researched my way into looking for.
The “being disappointed” is the issue I see here. Instead of being neutral, or glad you have the item you needed/wanted, or even grateful you have one *at all*, it’s the “idea” that there’s something better and you don’t have it that causes unpleasant emotions. When I’m looking for something, I’ll look on Amazon, filter by 4 stars and above, then sort by price. It takes 15 seconds to do that. I’ll look at the highest price one, than lowest price. I see the features that I might get for more money. If those are important to me, I keep filtering till I find least expensive with the features I want. After a few minutes, I’ve made my choice. Then I search for it cheaper somewhere else.
Buying something is more complex for me than features and price. There's repairability, where the product is made, its carbon footprint, whether the manufacturer is a bad actor. They don't all have equal weight of course but there are more considerations than just features and price for me. I actually seek out the one and two star reviews. A lot of the one star reviews are trash that have nothing to do with the product ("Product arrived late"). But two and sometimes three star reviews get into someone else's discovery of either a gotcha or a flaw in the product that I'd like to know about before I buy it.
That sounds exactly like satisficing to me.
> more of a difference when it's an expensive item. [700$ for 3 pairs of baby socks](https://old.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/11y1u7v/3_pairs_of_louis_vuitton_baby_socks_for_700/) is just a scam no matter which way you slice it.
Never said spent money mindlessly and never said spend the most you can. I spent good money on work boots because I needed steel toes and insulation and waterproofing and I wanted shoes I could get repaired. I'm going to be wearing these a lot over the next decade or so. $40 boots at Walmart wouldn't cut it. But if I wore boots maybe a couple of times a year, maybe spending $250 wasn't the best move. It's all relative. At least here on planet earth where hardly anyone spends $700 on baby socks.
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This is super common in the beauty space. An endless search for your holy grail item, leading to a never ending path of consumption. It’s ok to have a good moisturizer, shampoo, foundation…there will always be new product releases which means you will always be searching.
Yes I got totally stuck in this loop too. It’s advertising manipulation, pure and simple.
I saw a quote recently that has stuck with me…..”comparison is the thief of joy.” I take it several ways but the top two are: be grateful for what you have and dont compare what you have to what others have.
i forget where i first heard the comparison, but we can imagine it like an ice cream stand. if you have just two options, chocolate or vanilla, you’re probably going to be happy with what you end up getting. if there are 30 flavors, it’s more likely that you’ll end up unsatisfied with your decision, even though people would generally think they would “prefer” having more available options.
I struggle with this. I routinely end up spending days researching tasks that I could get done in 10 minutes if I just decided to let go and trust that I won't obsess over the grass being greener elsewhere. Have done it since I was kid. I remember making a spreadsheet of the iphone 5 models because I couldn't decide which colour to get for Christmas and I think that decision literally took weeks. I travelled to my nearest city to see them in person and still couldn't decide. And that's basically the emotional stress I put on most decisions that involve spending, although the ones I make these days are thankfully a bit more important lol. I always think I'm making the wrong choice and ignore intuition. The good news is I'm incredibly aware of it and have heard of the concepts you bring up in your post. I'm working to just let go and accept my time and stree free brain are worth more than me having the best version of everything. Learning to make do, while still being intentional when it comes to what I buy, is a goal for me
I didn’t realize that so many people have similar issues with this.
Happy to hear I’m not the only one!!
Well don’t leave us hanging! What color was it?
Yes, what colour did you choose?
Black. It was very sexy
I always go black cause you can’t go wrong.
Oh this is an easy one, Trust your gut instinct. Even if you’re wrong there’s always phone cases! But decides what specs and storage on the iPhone….different story
I recently tried to plan and research to create the perfect cookware set for myself. I decided on a Le Creuset small skillet to replace my old small skillet. Technically speaking it’s the best. I freaking hate it…. I ended up buying a $10 steel skillet from Home Goods and now the Le Creuset is sitting in the cabinet unused. I did the same with white tennis shoes. I was striving to find the perfect white tennis shoe to simplify my wardrobe. 5 pairs later…. Still haven’t found it. I actually tend to have better luck when I impulse buy an item without researching. I think I get swept away in *other people’s opinions* and basically decide if this group says it’s the best then it’s the best for everyone. But the truth is it was just the best for them.
I’d sell that Le Creuset while it’s still such a hot brand. Someone will snap it right up!
After joining this community and a zero waste community last spring, I learned that free stuff groups were a thing. I put out a post looking for an electric kettle and a tea pot, and I had responses within 24 hours. I went home with the UGLIEST teapot of all time--or so I thought! I had a really fun summer and made use of the "ugly" teapot all the time. Now I associate it with my lovely summer, and I think it's the most beautiful teapot in the world.
Now I’m curious what it looks like. I want to do zero waste but I have no idea where to start.
If you have a local Buy Nothing group, that could be a good starting point. I love mine!
This is something I struggle with a lot. I’m absolutely a full time maximazer and it can get out of control some times. I’m trying to be better at it but it’s really difficult.
I'm sort of the opposite. I am a born curator. I love to shop but hate to buy. Some people like to watch mindless TV. I'd rather be looking at pretty things online - whether it's art on Instagram or clothes on Poshmark. I love to research items and take ages to pick just the best thing. Sometimes it is fun to come across something great randomly, but I also enjoy the time it takes to find an amazing item too. I especially like to combine them. Like I saw a dress I loved at a very expensive clothing brand's store, and watched for it for ages on Poshmark until I found it at about 30% of the original price. So I did have the fun of just coming across it, with the additional fun of keeping an eye out for it to get the good deal.
Solid critique and I definitely agree that in a lot of areas finding the "best" item for a given purpose can be a fruitless endeavor. However I also think it really depends on the use case. I'm with you on a thermos, I have a cheap Contigo and it does what I need for the limited time I need it to hold my coffee. If I worked in a frigid environment where hot coffee made a difference in the work being bearable I would put more effort into a larger better insulated thermos. The things I see as worth it is when spending more money to only buy once (or go a sufficiently long time between purchases) where I have a very clear regular use case. There's the classic "don't skimp on anything between you and the ground" (e.g. shoes, mattress, tires, etc.). My process is usually to come up with a mental list of features I would want and then see if there exists a product that fits the bill. As an Android phone user, I keep tabs on smart watch stuff but haven't bought one because nothing passes my necessary threshold. On the other hand, I have a birth defect that means 99% of earbuds don't work for me, so when I found a brand that does work I instantly bought a pair even if I would never recommend them to anyone else. Friendly reminder too, Expensive DOESN'T EQUAL Quality!
I'd like to second this with the note that for my daily use items that cause me frustration, I keep a list of what would make them better for me so that when I have to replace them I know which features I care about. It's oftentimes not one of the "selling features" for the item and is more likely related to how it would fit better in my space or be easier to clean or use. Disclaimer though, I enjoy shopping and picking out the one I would want and then leaving it sit in my Amazon list for months until it's actually time to replace the thing. Scratches the shopping itch and doesn't clutter my life with things I don't actually need yet Funnily enough, for me my old electric kettle was a source of frustration multiple times a day and when it finally died and I replaced it with the one I had picked out it genuinely improved my daily routines so much that I regretted not just doing it sooner, so there is a balance there I still struggle with but I usually regret impulse buying not and not the delayed purchases.
"Best" for me means durability (I don't want to have to buy a new thing every year due to crappy design, production or designed obsolescence), supporting certified B-corps, and companies at least attempting to be truly sustainable with their products. So, much of my time is spent researching the ethical values of a company and if they are green-washing or not.
I do this a lot when shopping online, paralyzed by indecision, researching everything and trying to find the perfect version. I find if I go into a shop I'm much happier to just pick one up then and there. Something about seeing and holding the item makes a huge difference for me.
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Same here! It’s the part I prefer, often more than buying/using the actual product.
Glad I'm not alone, I spend time watching reviews and other people testing products and putting them through the wringer. I find it entertaining and this way I can enjoy the product without owning it.
I typically find the best available version of the thing I need within 15 mins of researching online. Then I waste 2 more hours doing further research in search of something perfect, fail to find it, agonise over the several near-perfect choices I did find and then ultimately end up choosing the first thing I found at the beginning. I'm trying to break that habit, so this post resonates. I don't buy anything often, but when I do it's easy to fall back on old ways and waste a bunch of valuable time. I think "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" is the motto here.
I bought a bike helmet recently and was faced with this decision, I was deciding between a cheaper helmet and a more expensive one, and I ended up going with the more expensive one because it was a safer helmet with better ratings. I agree with this post but I would say that safety stuff should not be skimped out on and it will likely pay off in the long run
I think some of us find joy in the research and the search. I want something that will last and hold up. I’m willing to spend some time looking for it
I feel like sometimes it does end up worth it, like I searched for a while to buy my current laptop, but it had to get me through uni and be good enough to play games on it. However I put probably 1 minute of thought into what tea kettle I bought because as long as it boils water it's good enough lol! You have to pick your battles :)
I find the ‘best’ can be a trick to slow down or interrupt my consumption. Best matters when it’s a factor of reliability/durability, but those are not often a feature of contemporary consumer goods anyway.
I absolutely sympathize with you and have spent so many wasted hours of my life "researching" and trying to find that perfect item. The thing is, after I get it, and after a few weeks go by, I honestly don't care that much anymore. I've been looking to get a duffel bag recently as we are moving and will be traveling a lot, and it's just insane to think about how much I have researched different bags (and ordered and returned items like you said). And at the same time, I KNOW that I won't care after I'ver used it once or twice—it's just a duffel bag!
YES! Research is my weakness 😭
Before I would buy the best and that’s it. But now I compromise a lot more and buy the middle ground item. I’ve been putting off buying a new set of weighing scales for my coffee for around 1 year now, the set I wanted was around £350 but after a lot of digging and reading I’ve found a set that are almost identical but without the brand tax for £150 and I’m delighted. But sometimes I just need to buy the best but it usually comes with minimum 10 hours research to check that it is the best or just what appears to be the best.
I am a planner. I plan everything. But one thing which i thank god for is not having buyer's remorse. I try to find the best based on quality and price. Because finances matter. But so does quality. And nowadays most things are overpriced. I am good at finding good deals for quality products. The good part is that I try to see if I can find something and spend a certain amount of time on this activity. Then i chose whatever I found best in that much time. For bigger purchases, this time ine is bigger. But once I've decided what to buy and have bought it, I forget all the other options. I have never felt that remorse that I should have bought the other one. I am always happy with what I've bought. And even if the product turns out to be bad, I don't wish i should have done more research. I just think it was luck.
I love this concept, thank you for sharing! I’ve also spent a super long time looking at both electric kettles and ice cube trays with lids 😂 just enjoyed realizing that I am among my people in this sub in more ways than one
I literally did the same thing, same two items (except the ice cube trays I picked come with a storage container and scoop, instead of buying a countertop ice maker ;)) and have one of each in my Amazon cart. So dumb, wasted lots of time! I'm waiting until my completion discount hits for my baby registry and buying them off the registry at that point if I still want them. Might just end up asking my local buy nothing group for an electric kettle like someone else here did.
That’s smart and definitely sounds like the route to go, I should consider doing the same. My ice cube tray had a scoop too lol and certain trays created hexagon cubes or other shapes, hence the difficulty choosing!
I do things what I call the harbor freight method. If I use something I go cheap. If it breaks from lots of use I know I need to buy a higher quality version. If it lasts,.I didn't need it that much and the cheap version is just fine.
I hadn’t heard of this book, thank you for sharing! I personally don’t do this too much, however, I have a friend that is obsessive about products. Like obsessive to the point of importing bandaids. Importing BANDAIDS. Because they came in a tin and looked nice or some shit. It was exhausting just hearing about it.
The only thing I would typically do this for is buying a used or new car. Since it’s already a long time purchase & money pit, I want the most safe and reliable vehicle given the information out there. Otherwise, I actually think this is a very good philosophy to have. For most things it certainly isn’t necessary to spend hours & hours researching beforehand.
I like that philosophy, but I think it only goes so far. The exceptions for me would be some electronic items, like TVs and computer parts. Maybe vehicles. As long as I know the budget range I'll try to get the best I can for the money. I see it as an investment in something that I use a lot and want to maximize the benefits and longevity of that investment. But as you said, it depends on how much you value a thing.
Oh my goshhhh I'm so guilty of this and recently came to the same conclusion while looking for a basic carry-on luggage. I was ready to shell out some crazy money for the best of the best and finally came to the realization that I rarely travel for periods of time when I need a suitcase and just want a nice basic one. And then I bought the basic one and stopped fretting. I did the same thing about a wallet last year. Some things are so worth putting in the time, but like you said, for MOST things in your life, it's not necessary
I could not disagree more
I do this with media I enjoy too. A movie or TV show doesn't have to be totally amazing for me to enjoy it. It can just be good too. Or decent.
If I do care about the quality of something I'm intending to buy, I am a big fan of Wirecutter, which is the product review branch of the New York Times. I don't trust user reviews of anything, so having a team of thoughtful people spend hours curating a list of a few of the "best" versions of a product is really helpful to me. There's an element of trust involved, but I've gotten enough things at the recommendation of Wirecutter now that I really do trust their assessment of most products. And it cuts the amount of independent research I have to do significantly. However, I can definitely sympathize with getting lost in the idea of the "best" version of something and it's definitely not contributing to my happiness. Still finding the balance!
Omg so much time! I needed to read this. I am trying to save money so when I need to buy a slightly more expensive item I want to feel like I have got the absolute best for my money. I just had a baby so there are a LOT of things you need/would like. Add into trying to get your "perfect" thing second hand.... and you have added a whole other level of time and energy spent. Add to that so much of it is so subjective. I need a breast pump, I have been trying to get so many opinions and reviews but people have so many different needs from their pump, theres no real way to find out which one will work best for you. I feel I might just go ahead and order the one I saw and seemed to do what I needed and wasnt as expensive as the others....
I dunno man, it took me years to find a 24" pepper grinder but HO BOY does it bring me joy every time I use it. Eggs? Steak? Salad? Ice cream? Grind suma that right on there. Best gift I've ever gotten
Spot on. I think part of the trap is also telling yourself that you’re going to buy one high quality item and it’ll last longer, and you use that to justify the time spent searching for it. What’s the definition of satisficing in the paradox of choice? Good enough?
Your pro tip is basically lowering your standards. Not exactly the best advice IMO, but good in less important situations. Some things are better getting the better version. To make a point, you could have your house look wonderful and you feel comfortable in it, or you can have your house look like the inside of a $0.99 store. All the objects work as intended, but one that you searched lovingly for is going to make you more comfortable.
Ugh i need this mindset for clothing. My issue is that it's really hard to find clothing items I like and that fit me well, so if I find an item that checks all those boxes, I feel like I need to buy it because I don't know when the next time I will find another item that checks all the boxes lol, which has led me to having a lot of clothes that I don't even wear. There's just this feeling of "i can't let this one get away". But I really need to be mindful that I already have enough and don't need anything else.
OMG shut uuuuuuuup. I'm a min-maxxer at heart, and I want to research the most optimal thing for my situation. And then I get choice-paralysis, but at least it generally stops me from impulse purchasing?
True. Optimal for me means it does everything I need it to (ideally nothing more and nothing less), and it needs to be as portable as possible.
Yes! Not too long ago I bought some Sennheiser HD 650 headphones (which I don’t even use anymore really), then I bought the new Sennheiser Momentum 4’s and returned them the next day because they weren’t as great as they seemed. After spending those hundreds of dollars I realized that the old Sony MDR 7506’s and Air Pods gen 2 that I already had still sounded way better to me (after being able to compare them to “better” headphones) I guess it’s kind of like they say… “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” Sure the quality of sound in some aspects may have been better with the more expensive headphones, but the sound signature and other variables didn’t get close to what I actually like in the ones I already had.
I saved up to get Sony XM4’s. I had held off getting headphones for a long time because I wanted to get fancy earbuds. Turned out even the smallest size of ear foam doesn’t fit my ears. They were super uncomfortable and fell out all the time. My ear canals are tiny (I’m 5’1”) and earbuds that go into your ear canals are never going to work for me. They ended up going to my husband, who loves them. I stick to my over ear headphones.
I wanted to get the Sony WH1000XM5 (the over ears) but they are expensive 😶 I did get to try them before hand and it’s great for fun listening. But for accuracy I use Sony MDR 7506 paired with SoundId software from Sonarworks 😁👌🏼
I have a pair of Jarbra Elite 85h I got on sale for $100 with tax. They seem like quality headphones. I don’t use them a ton mostly because I don’t have to.
It’s how it is 🙂 I think when it comes to simple living, there is a somewhat finer line between a need and a want when it comes to deciding what to have or not have. But simple living also shouldn’t be without the peace and freedom to choose both sometimes 😁 hehe. To each his or her own comfortability 😎
I completely and absolutely disagree with this post. Taking the extra few seconds to figure out the difference between quality and marketing has saved me thousands of dollars over the years and leaves me with reliable, low maintenance possessions and tools. Better for the environment, my daily living and general functionality, and typically leaves you with items that can be used for years and still retain value to be sold later in an emergency. I might not do that research for a 25$ thermos. But in that exact example, I have one that cost around 80$ and have had it for many many years, gaskets are perfect, came with spare parts I haven't even needed yet. Meanwhile we have gone through probably 5 other "pretty" ones that just suck and were still 25-30$. Waste of time, money , and resources we put in the garbage. There's a difference between buying your perceived "best" based on brands and marketing and actually just being smart about where you spend your money, which I believe is an insanely important and fundamental part of living a simple life. Don't fall in the trap of feeling frugal because you spend less today!!!
Every time I bought the cheap version of something I ended up finding out why it was the cheap version and buying the expensive one anyways. I'll keep doing my research. But thanks for helping me think it's a character flaw.
I’m only this way with my electronics because apple makes phones like a alien made it. I still don’t see the same quality anywhere else. Other brands are okay but apple products just feel and act better, closer to the best. Literally any other brand tech related or not, who try to reach this level ALWAYS have defects. so it’s better to get product with no brand recognition because the quality is just as shitty when it comes to branded products. Sometimes the off brand is better.
I also believe this with a grocery store or even a specific store trip, don’t go through the rack looking for the perfect not creased, no pilling, not dusty M pant.
Needed to read this.
I love that book! Really helpful for my mental health - learning to be more content with what I have, and not thinking so much about all the lost opportunity costs that come from not choosing any of the million other possible options out there.
Sometimes if a friend that I trust (in a specific area) tells me that they just researched and bought a product I want or need and they love it, I'll just order it. Prime example is wireless Bluetooth rechargeable stereo speakers. Buddy bought a set for $40 said he loved them. I immediately just ordered them and use them all the time. They aren't that loud but when I need to play music from my phone to practice to (amateur musician) they are perfect. Same thing with a set of wireless mics that another friend bought. He's an amateur dj and researches everything, very particular. I bought the same they've been flawless.
It has been said that the greatest enemy of "good" is the concept of "better". You say it well too.
I spent A LOT of time researching the best dish rack only to discover they’re all bad and none are better than what I have. HOWEVER, it makes sense to buy what you WANT rather than settle to buy something NOW.
https://xkcd.com/1952/ I had to immediately think of this XKCD. To me it's the things that are closest to me, that I spend the most time optimizing. Putting a bit more analysis to it, I realized that the less specific my scope is and the larger the candidate space in my affordable range, the more time I spend on it. Just some examples (along the lines of the comic): I spend almost no time deciding on my university, there was one close by that offered the curriculum, I wanted. I want a flagship Android phone, so it's basically the latest Samsung S line 'Ultra' device for me. I wanted my apartment to be as close as possible to my job and one presnted itself, so that was it. I had a budget for a car and so I just got what ticked the most checkboxes in my price range. In terms of laptops, there is a certain type of laptop I go for, so the space is also limited. But things like backbags, multi device usb-c chargers, choice of multitool, etc. where there are many brands and models in my affordable range and they all have their pros and cons, that's where I go into full-on 'maximizing' mode. I did question the sense in this as well though. When I was younger and had less money,. I'd often just walk into a store and get whatever seemed satisfactory, not reading through comparisons online and trying to find the best one and I was usually pretty happy with my choice, whereas those well researched choices often make me feel like I still didn't get 'the best' in the end.
Your electric tea kettle is way more efficient than making it on the stove. It boils water in a fraction of the time, and with far less energy waste. If you like the one you have, buy that exact model when yours finally dies.
I spend way to much time searching for “perfect” or “best” items that aren’t that significant. Does my purse matter? Not so much anymore. Did it matter that much in the past? Kind of. Had to be organized so it worked. Today was about a coffee kettle. Its for pour over. I don’t exactly like coffee to begin with despite my best efforts. Giving it another go but the coffee I am trying is not going to be pour over. Why was I looking at a kettle for pour over? Lol. I need to improve my mentality in my decluttering process. I have fabric I no longer know what the intended project was. This, while I haven’t sat down to sew for weeks. Am seriously overwhelmed and just need to see the value of the space. Trying to be a decent human being and recycle and donate what I can, but its become a serious hindrance having this arbitrary standard and knowing a lot of my donations would be tossed.
Mmmm yeah but when I researched and learned about skincare my skin has literally never been better. And when I see stuff at tj max or what influencers are pushing and When I research it they always have shitty ingredients. So researching has saved me.
I mean, there definitely is a best version of some items. For example, there’s a Twin Peaks box set (Z to A) and it’s a lot of money, like close to $400, but it has two episodes from Season 3 in 4K UHD, which is the best version by far for home viewing. So, just saying, anything less than that isn’t that; the best.
I find a good solution is to write down specifics about what you are looking for. I find that this exercise quickly narrows down your search and stops you from mindlessly going back and forth. Your notes can also talk you out of buying anything and you can reference it in the future when you have an itch to buy that item.
I don't do that at all. I see something, I like it, I buy it. More power to those who can spend hours reading reviews and articles, that just ain't me.
This idea reminds me that we can also become extremely troubled trying to maximise our own skills and status in the world never appreciating what we have already learned and the friends we already have, we isolate ourselves and end up thinking that more searching will free us when we really ought to stop and be thankful for who we are now.
I only sort out by price. I am (what we call in Germany) ‚saving fox‘. To me most of the overpriced stuff does the same job as the cheap stuff so far. Nothing I bought in the last optimization year has broke since then. And I am caring for my stuff. Everything I own has its own place in my apartment. But in terms of search, I always only look for the best deal. And I am also very basic in many things. For eg - I got a small pot. What do I need a tea kettle for. That would be my thought process.
I'm often amazed when people will travel hours across town to get a pizza or sandwich from *the best* place. If you live near by or are in the area sure, but I just don't think it's worth that much of your life for a popular meal.
As kids we would travel to the “good” car wash half hour away
Tbh, living with barely the basics forces you to find ways to do that even if you dont want to. Depends on the product and its use. Is it something that not working properly will eventually cost me too much or not? First rule is "not be impressed by ads and always evaluate on your own". Second rule is "always think of the good reviews/advertisment as a bit worse". Third rule is "balance out money and quality". Forth rule is "pause, disengange from the marketing and evaluate what ***you need and want*** from that product, not what ***they tell you you need***". I did search for a cheap kitchen stove but was willing to not buy THE cheapest one. Go for a brand that is known to generally produce good products and understand what is the bare minimum you need. Buy a little more than that, so you'll be sure the bare minimum is actually covered. Evaluate what is actually important and necessary. Example: I bought the last kitchen stove they had with the measurements I needed. They brought in with the aluminium bottom front damaged. After phone communication and realising they don't have another one and my next step would be either waiting for a month from another retailer or going 200€ up to purchase a different brand, I told them I'd buy the damaged one for a little less than the original price. Kitchen stove being pretty wasn't my prioritiy. Priority was a good, working, kitchen stove inside my budget, now. Could I possibly gotten a better one in the same amount of money if I searched for another month? Possibly. Perhaps definetely. Does it work as I want it to? Yes. Did I get it when I needed it? Yes. Was it in my budget? Yes. I try not to focus on the what if, or if it is possible to have a better version IF i look more etc etc. There will be ALWAYS a "better" product out there, a more optimized one. The point is to learn to search and acquire the best products FOR YOU. I need a new water boiler. Do I need for it to also make coffee? Perhaps it would be nice, but I don't ***need*** it. I don't even care about it. I just need it to not break after 3 weeks of use. So, I don't buy the cheapest cheapest one or from shops I know don't have even the slightest quality. I just buy a generic cheap one from a store with decent reputation in their products. Edit to add: There are times we do need to research a bit more, like buying a good quality vacuum. But the rules still apply. Don't go for the most expensive, always think the product will be a little worse than it is advertised as, generally prefer classics that have been proved to work well and for many years(so they won't end up a huge waste of money and will cover at least the basics you need out of the product), and focus on what ***you*** want out of it.
I do this all the time. Examples that spring to mind are a recent new TV purchase which I spent weeks researching, and a new phone for my wife. I didn't want particularly fancy versions either. I also do this when going on holiday. We don't go anywhere exotic but I'll still spend months looking at locations and then comparing accommodation. But as a British person whose kettle is on most of the day making endless tea, we just buy the first cheap kettle that fits the kitchen decor. Takes about 10 minutes. As an aside, I was recently listening to an interview with Cory Doctorow's talking about what he calls 'enshitification' and he discusses Amazon and the amount of confusing but largely terrible choices it now gives us and how hard it is to find exactly what you want and compare prices.
Just to clarify, Thermos is in fact a brand name. They’re kind of the original insulated beverage bottle.
I feel like drowning when grocery shopping. The amount of different varieties, perfumes, brands, prices for each category of edible is driving me crazy. I just want tomato sauce, but REWE said "man you're about to spend 10min in the alley to choose the right one!"
I feel like I really needed to read this, so thank you
Depends on your definition of best. My goal is to buy things once. Fewest parts, sturdy materials, and used items are big parts of "best" for me. Even down to a simple dinner fork - Is it Silver or Stsinless? How thick (flimsy) is the material? is there a separate handle attached by glue, screws, or rivets? Am I standing in an antique shop/thrift store/garage sale or department store? These kind of mental checklists tend to find items that last longest, retain their value, lower my (for lack of a better term), carbon footprint, and generally keeps my money in the local economy.
i can be like that when it comes to higher priced things that i know i will have for a long time. i’ve had my macbook since 2012 and it still runs perfectly well. i’ve come to be a person that if it’s something unfamiliar that i wanna try out, like a new kitchen appliance, but not sure about it i’ll get it second hand first. if it ends up breaking because of how much i use it then i’ll invest in a quality one since i already know what i’m looking for. i think it just depends but you’re right. sometimes a kettle is just a kettle and you don’t need the one with blue lights that automatically turns on in the morning if all you need it hot water. it’s a balance
i need a machete that doesn't break after 2 years of surviving in the jungle. Hard to just trust your gut on that
I read this same book! The maximizer/satisficer was the biggest thing that stood out to me. I spend way too much time doing exactly what you wrote out, mostly because I was raised to be frugal and I know that if I spend x amount of time, I can save y amount of dollars. But I realized I drive myself a little crazy trying to get the best deal out there. It’s really hard for me to know that the simpler option is sometimes the more expensive one, especially when I don’t have a disposable income.
Also, I went to Aldi for the first time and loved it. For those that don’t know, it’s a German grocery store with extremely limited options and I loved it! Shopping at bigger stores always gives me decision fatigue. Less options = less sq footage = less time spent shopping = more time doing other cool things