What items are worth the premium to pay for the name brand/high end stuff? What are not?

Most stuff in a hardware store - you don't necessarily need to buy the most expensive, but the cheapest one is going to break/bend/need replacing much more quickly.

For example - I bought a claw hammer recently - they range in the hardware from $10 - $200 dollars. The one I bought was $40 or so. It feels good in my hand, appears well made and is likely to last longer than the $10 one. I'm not a builder, so this is just for the things I do around the house. I don't need to $200 one (if I was a builder - maybe...), but I suspect I'm not going to need to buy another hammer in my lifetime.

 

Shoes. Well, really, boots. A good pair of Docs is money well spent.

A car. I purchased a new car last year, spent a little less than 10K more to get a diesel. It has saved me so much money on gas and maintenance (I drive a lot-- just hit the 40K mile mark), and I know it'll hit the 300K mile mark with no issues if I just do the regular tune-ups.

Shampoo. I know it sounds stupid, but I'll drop $20-30 on a small bottle of good shampoo and the difference is noticeable.

Sheets. A high thread count and something that doesn't pill up after six washes? I'm in.

Lingerie. I love Calvin Klein. Good material against your skin is wonderful.

 

Sushi. I'm generally not impressed by the stuff that comes around on a conveyor belt. If I'm going to eat sushi I am going to spend a sizable chunk and get the good stuff.

 

hmm - I'm not sure a conveyor belt is the sign of bad sushi. I'm with you on the 'don't buy bad sushi', just not so much on the best way to identify it. Freshness is the key - fresh fish, fresh rice, freshly prepared. yum. Now I'm wondering if I should go get some sushi for lunch!

 

Booze is a no brainer. I've always been of the opinion that if you are willing to settle for the cheap stuff, you are drinking for the wrong reasons.
Q-Tips are another thing I completely agree with, I've had bad experiences with the cheapies.
Razors are something else where you stick with something good.

 

Razors.

I howl as I think of years of using cheap disposables. "Economy." Economy? Worse shaves and less of them per unit. Grrr.

 

I never said conveyor belt sushi was bad, just not impressive. However, I'll still take conveyor belt sushi over the stuff they serve at those lunch buffet places that try to serve all the different types of asian food. I think that's the worst sushi

 

Q-Tips
Heinz Ketchup
ASICS shoes

 

My girlfriend will drop $200 or $300 on a bra that fits properly: by all accounts its worth the money. Clothes, both casual and dress, for myself are very important and I'd rather have a few, high quality versatile items than many cheaper versions. Given my stature (5'6", muscular), I find it very difficult to fit off the rack stuff, so I spend much time looking for great clothes.

Anything your life depends on: knives; first aid kits; firearms; safety equipment.

 

Ditto with me on the hardware and kitchen items. Pay the extra $$
and scissors.

a/v cables I go cheap. especially on hdmi cables. monoprice has them at like 1/10 the store price and they work fantastic.

My local grocery has taste test specials every week where you get their generic store-brand free if you buy the branded product so you can compare.
Ive tried their test on a few items and am coming back 50/50
generic gatorade is about the same as regular
generic potato chips taste like Lays
generic cookies were crap compared to the chips ahoy they were the generic of
the generic cereal was not a big hit with my daughter compared to the branded ones

I told the store manager that the cookies tasted like ass and he gave me a free bonus package of chips ahoy. Figured they would like to know the results of their taste test.

 

When son was going out to Basra, I tried shopping around for body armour that would protect his dangly bits. The guys who sell to US police dont sell to civilians. Could have had a set tailor made in London (for a price). So much cost and hassle - but what price do you put on your testicles lads? In the end, regular kit, and I got the little bugger home safe - well - apart from the suspected Lymes disease.... but thats another story.
Things I stock up on are good quality dog meal when its reduced - that way its not much more than chep generic. Found some kidneys with 75%off, got half for my dogs and half for my mates - they thought it was yum. I suspect they may have thought they were wolves for a second or two.
Good shoes help you walk the earth more positively. Most important is remember to look after them and they will last you longer. Cant wear heels and such any more, now I have flatties and some are damned ugly - but comfey. High days and holidays I still have a pretty pair from russell & bromley - with elastic laces no less - and I know its all in the head stuff, but I do feel more comfortable with the way I am dressed in those old friends.

 

I'll spend $$ on tools if i'm going to use them regularly. Otherwise, if its just occasional use, its harbor freight all the way. The pipe threader i've use 3 times in the past 7 years? Harbor freight for sure. The pneumatic drill and 1-60 drill index I use almost daily? $130 on the drill and $55 on the bits. Sometimes, especially with regular use, quality is a huge factor.

 

I love quality expensive items, however I tend not to pay the price. I will quite happily wear last seasons jeans/sweatshirt/tshirt as long as I can get it cheap. Much better quality fabric and tends to fit better at a similar price (sometimes even cheaper!) I tend to like expensive tools with a lifetime warranty however I always check the validity of the warranty and the possible cost of replacement items. That said on occasion some things are so cheap it doesn't matter, for example a claw hammer I bought a few years ago only cost me £1 in a pound store and it is still as good as new, and its more of a joke as its half sized and pink!!! Still does the job!

The right shoes can be a miracle, I wear very expensive shoes on the recommendation of a friend and reading medical research. I consider these shoes to be hideously expensive at over £150 a pair when I bought my first pair, however they made the difference between me being able to walk like a pensioner to running and jumping around like a teenager in the space of 6 months! On the other side I still love fashion shoes and buy only the cheapest as I can only wear them for a few hours a couple of times a month so it matters not how they last.

 

To me, unhealthy foods are worth splurging on.

With all due respect to Snickers bars and McDonalds French fries, if you're going to eat something unhealthy like high saturated fats and/or high processed sugar, you might as well make it worth breaking your normally healthy diet. For example, I've been experimenting with partially grilling, then partially smoking homemade hamburger patties made of 70/30 high quality chuck. The experience of eating such a burger goes so far beyond anything a fast food restaurant could possibly hope to offer that it's not even funny. And homemade chocolates are unreal. I made a homemade Snickers a few years back for Christmas from a peanut nougat recipe I found along with my famous caramel, some organic peanuts, and encased in Ghirardelli chocolate (my favorite chocolate for chocolate candy). Though they're much, much more experience and time consuming than their fast-food counterparts, there's simply no comparing the flavor, texture, and overall experience.

As an aside, I think the fact that I can now enjoy these foods without bingeing or eating them to feel better about myself or to deal with pain or sadness means I've finally beaten my food addiction for good.

 

Absolutely. Beer is one of those things where you really are getting what you paid for if you buy cheap.
I mean if the only reason you are buying it is to get absolutely blotto then sure the cheap stuff will indeed do the job but it still tastes like piss.

Also, its an only in Canada thing but Presidents Choice White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is a million times better than Kraft Dinner.

 

Beer, whiskey, knives, cheese, and ice cream... good ice cream is really good.

 

Plumbing Products.

Yep, there is a huge difference in quality in the plumbing world.

You can buy a cheap delta faucet for $69.00, or you can buy a quality Kohler faucet for $600.00. There is a massive difference.

 

Being in the construction industry I spend money on tools. I also will spend money on boots. I have worn cheap boots before and they will terrorize my feet. Also, I will spend money on cold weather gear. I live in a relatively warm climate but travel and work all over the states. THerefore I have found that by spending big $$ on base layers and ohter coldweather stuff I stay much warmer and still have the ability to work.

Flip Flops, must have good flip flops again comfort is the biggie.