Quality counts
Nov. 16th, 2010 08:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I like a bargain as well as the next person, but I've learned over the years that there are some things that it's worth paying more for.
* A good iron - one that will really take out wrinkles, and not accidentally make more. I hated ironing until I got a fold-down ironing board and a good Braun iron.
* A real razor - I used to use the plastic disposables and I cut myself all the time. My sister gave me a Gillette Sensor years ago and I've rarely cut myself since. I like the Gillette Venus now, but YMMV.
* Really comfortable shoes - it's hard to be happy when your feet hurt. I have 3 pairs of Dansko clogs, and they're worth every penny I spend on them.
What's on your list?
* A good iron - one that will really take out wrinkles, and not accidentally make more. I hated ironing until I got a fold-down ironing board and a good Braun iron.
* A real razor - I used to use the plastic disposables and I cut myself all the time. My sister gave me a Gillette Sensor years ago and I've rarely cut myself since. I like the Gillette Venus now, but YMMV.
* Really comfortable shoes - it's hard to be happy when your feet hurt. I have 3 pairs of Dansko clogs, and they're worth every penny I spend on them.
What's on your list?
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Date: 2010-11-16 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 01:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 02:34 pm (UTC)(Recently I was preparing food at someone else's house and said to the person who'd stepped in to help, "be very careful with that knife -- it's not very sharp." We laughed because it sounded funny, but it's totally true.)
Also, while I'm not saying everybody needs to have one, I am amazingly happy with my VitaMix. Yes, it costs a lot more than a regular blender, but it's really way beyond a blender and I can do things I couldn't even *think* about doing before.
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Date: 2010-11-16 02:49 pm (UTC)This is a thing that I have heard many times, but I never cut myself with my old bad knives, but I *did* cut myself several times soon after getting my good knives. Generally doing stupid things like washing them, because I wasn't sufficiently careful of the blade.
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Date: 2010-11-16 03:54 pm (UTC)I meant while actually chopping, because a bad knife (or even a good one with a dull blade) has to be used carefully because it will often slip over/off the food instead of going through it. My knife technique is okay -- I'm definitely no expert, but when I'm using someone's bad knife I make much more of an effort to do the proper fingertips-tucked-under thing just in case, which has saved my hands on multiple occasions. Bad knives also make prep take much longer.
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Date: 2010-11-16 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 01:33 pm (UTC)It's funny, I've developed a different attitude about irons. I bought a really nice one (Shark brand) for $70 some years ago. It stopped working spontaneously after two years. I couldn't find anyone willing to repair it because of liability issues. So threw out the Shark and bought a cheap $25 iron, which I've been using happily for 3.5 years now. I hate our consumer/disposable culture, but if money can't buy me quality, I'd rather spend $25 than $70 on something I'm going to have to throw away when it stops working.
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Date: 2010-11-16 02:26 pm (UTC)I have been known to spend $150 on a haircut. If you had my hair, you would agree that this is a necessity.
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Date: 2010-11-16 02:33 pm (UTC)Theater tickets for the good seats, which is why I rarely go -- I can't afford to buy the tickets that are worth it.
Also, I believe Kitchen Arts was resurrected, but I haven't been so I can't confirm.
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Date: 2010-11-16 03:05 pm (UTC)Also, happy birthday!
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Date: 2010-11-16 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 03:33 pm (UTC)If you get a cheap one, you will be replacing it in three years. If you get a good one, no such problems.
A subscription to Consumer Reports (online or magazine).
There are too many goods out there to be an informed consumer about everything, except when you have a tool like Consumer Reports. This pays for itself every year.
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Date: 2010-11-16 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 06:25 pm (UTC)But when I used to where it more often, I did get the good stuff.
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Date: 2010-11-16 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 03:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 06:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-17 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 04:22 pm (UTC)Food. It doesn't need to be super expensive Buck-a-Grape food, but eating food that makes you happy is really nice.
Kitchen knives. If you've got a couple good knives and a good stone, (and know how to use it) you don't need any more (I don't need any more) extra, crappy knives just get in the way.
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Date: 2010-11-16 08:16 pm (UTC)Though lately, I've found that my cooking skills have surpassed the mid-level restaurants that used to be my fall back options. I don't know if that's good or what, because now when I don't want to cook, I don't enjoy eating out as much!
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Date: 2010-11-16 11:18 pm (UTC)Going out to eat has gotten more expensive for me because in many cases I can cook better than what they'll serve me. Exceptions include ice cream and french fries (anything deep fried). I don't want that mess in my house.
Embrace your cookatude!
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Date: 2010-11-16 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-17 12:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-16 08:25 pm (UTC)I would say that I don't always spend tons of money on things, but I try really hard to take good care of them. Even between myself and Andy, my phones tend to last longer and my clothes hold up better. I'm really over-cautious.
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Date: 2010-11-16 08:44 pm (UTC)* Soldering irons.
* Laptops.
* Toilet paper.
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Date: 2010-11-16 09:24 pm (UTC)HOUSE PAINT! I'm going to pretty categorically say Never paint with house paint that costs less than $30 a gallon. $40 is better. I absolutely won't paint with ANY of the crap they sell at H.D. Plus if you put that garbage on your walls it will require more coats in order to cover, and need to be repainted 5 to 15 years sooner than if you put on good paint in the first place. Plus for $5 more per gallon you can get "zero-VOC" paint. Eventually I assume that will become mandatory, but until then it's still an excellent thing to spend money on.
Someone mentioned power tools, but I'll add that a well made hand tool is so incredibly much better than a cheap one, and often the price difference is not even exorbitant. A pair of pliers that doesn't close well or feels loose goes straight in the trash. And OMG hammers with loose heads? eep!
Also I'm with everyone who says "kitchen knives" and will add Knife Blades (x-acto and utility blades). It pains me to see old, dull crappy blade in my friends' utility knives... you know a pack of 100 blades is still probably about the cost of my co-pay for stitches at the hospital. Also a sheet of mat board costs $10, and if you cut it with a dull blade, chances are good you'll trash it and have to buy another sheet; a pack of 100 x-acto blades is 25-35 bucks.
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Date: 2010-11-16 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-17 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-17 02:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-17 04:26 am (UTC)SUITS!!!!!!
Date: 2010-12-09 11:17 pm (UTC)Exhibit A