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People Explain Which Items They Never Buy On The Cheap

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People Explain Which Items They Never Buy On The Cheap
Image by mostafa meraji from Pixabay

We all love to save some coin. It's one of my favorite things in life. Even saving a quarter makes my day. But there are just a few things over time where going on the side of cheap, really isn't the best move. Sometimes, those few extra duckets spent are worth it. Let's hear from experience....

Redditor u/Wesology87 wanted to know about when "quality" counts the most by asking... What is something you WILL NOT buy the cheap version of?

I always buy generic. And I am proud about it. But once and awhile, especially when purchasing medication... I get nervous. Pillows can be cheap, and comfortable, but life saving meds... not so much. Let's compare notes.

Safety First

tangled up skydiving GIF by Thomas RhettGiphy

Safety gear.

BLACKWINGSgocaw

When I got my first harness, I kept giving my husband heart attacks cuz I'd do stuff like put it on the ground while putting my shoes on or something. He'd be like "OMG THERE COULD BE STUFF ON THE GROUND THAT MELTS YOUR HARNESS." And then I developed a new fear.

AggravatingCupcake0

The Boulder Holder

Bras. It's hard enough getting one that fits properly. If it fits nicely I don't care about the price.

Sunny-Cactus

I hate that my bras are so damn expensive. I recently tried a $15 Bali bra because I didn't want to spend another $60 on one bra. I seriously could not believe how bad it was.

Now I remember why I always buy expensive bras.

NonfatNoWaterChai

Investments

A winter coat and winter boots - they are SO worth the investment. You could get four or five - or more - good winters out of this investment.

I used to buy cheap, especially the coats as a good one can be costly, but a really warm, waterproof coat for winter makes the commute that little bit easier and life that little bit cosier. Sturdy, water-proof boots are also a great investment - no more cold toes and wet socks and the expensive ones really do last well.

I'm due a new coat for this winter and I've already started to put a little bit aside each paycheck for it.

LasRua

The Body Artist

Tattoos...

DeadHairUnderwear

The Hepatitis C outbreak in my neighboring county was traced to a single tattoo "artist". He made a tattoo gun out of an electric toothbrush and some fine guitar wire, and would take it to parties to give strangers tattoos (get a tat to commemorate this epic party brah!).

He had HepC himself, and would always go first to prove how good he was.

He sterilized the needle with a lighter, but he double dipped the ink, and managed to give dozens of people HepC. They eventually sent him to prison after he killed someone via sepsis from a seriously infected tattoo

The news story about his arrest didn't mention his name, but the Facebook comments were full of shit like "I bet it was <his name>, he gave my sister HepC".

Get tattoos from a professional shop, not some random dude.

Ut_Prosim

Back Support

happy office GIF by PRTGGiphy

An office chair is a great investment for the long run. Saves your back.

cozonacRO

Imagine my surprise when I was able to pick up two Herman Millers for $20 from someone liquidating their business assets 🤤.

Mr_Fraggle

See, that is a lot of... spend the coin ideology. A good office chair saves lives. And a safety harness is always a must... no matter what. Let's see who else won't compromise...

For $20?

Bored Married With Children GIFGiphy

PSU for a computer, get one from a reputable brand, not the $15 from some random brand no one has heard of. if you cheap out on a power supply you're asking for it to fail and take other components with it.

seanpokemon120

People Explain The Worst Thing That's Ever Happened To Them On Their Birthday

Feet Talk

Shoes. Mostly running shoes but all shoes really.

interstatebus

I only buy on sale items... Of name brands. So they could be a season or two old butt I'll never buy the fresh new pair.

INeedAUserName89

Mid-Range

I won't buy the cheapest electronics. Mid-range or higher is what I look for.

fixitorbrixit2

Best Buy cashier: "Would you like to purchase an insurance plan for that?"

Me: "It's a five dollar pair of earbuds. I think I'll be fine."

II_Confused

Sleep Well...

Pillow. $150 but feels like a poofy cloud. Have had it for 2 years now, so less than $.25 a day and going down.

Edit: I searched my old emails and found it for u guys! Hope it can help some of you out. It says side sleeper but I sleep on my back and and sides, love it. Good sheets help too I have Egyptian cotton 600 thread count. https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3309939/royal-majesty-cotton-damask-check-side-sleeper-600-thread-count-pillow.jsp

Down fill, gusseted sides, and a decent fill weight are a recipe for success. If it gets a little low just punch in the sides and back to floof.

Skydolize

Catching Zzzzzz

Tired At Home GIF by IKEA USAGiphy

A BED.

If you have only bought crappy cheap beds your entire adult life, save your money for awhile and buy an awesome bed. That purchase can change your life. For real.

TitusMatinicus

The EYES have It!

Lasik eye surgery. Friend I worked with kept telling me I could get it for $500 in Colombia. Did it here in Georgia for $3k with a doctor who had done over 100,000 procedures. I'll stick with having perfect vision.

mcknightrider

To the Center

My co-worker and I had LASIK the same week. She went to a center 200 miles away and spent $250. I had mine done in town by a world recognized surgeon for $5k. I breezed through, she had complications for months and had to drive back to the center several times. Best money I've ever spent!

sleepisbeauty

Booted

Work boots. on your feet most the day, out in construction or sketchy areas for your feet? a great pair of work boots makes all the difference in the world.

edit: Thorogood is the brand of boots that changed my perspective on just how important great footwear truly is.

Glassclose

Chef it Up

Henry Danger Wow GIF by NickelodeonGiphy

Kitchen cookware.

Back2Bach

The difference of quality between knifes is night and day. I have Victorinox and a Zwilling & Heckel 8 inch chef knifes and while Victorinox is good, the other one is just amazing.

StealthyBasterd

The Great Outdoors

Camping tents. I've been Chinese water tortured on a rainy night in a cheap tent one too many times to ever skimp again.

UnassumingAlbatross

Just outdoors gear in general. Cheap stuff will break when you need it most. There might be a few exceptions but for the most part avoid the cheap crap you get from places like Walmart or Aly express.

HoverJet

Important Facts

Tampons. OB or nothing

Chocolate.

I love No Name brand stuff but I always get name brand Kraft Dinner!

JayneD-oh

Don't trust Balducci's...

Sushi

Feeling guilty that some kind soul gave me a Helpful award for this one-word reply, so here's some unsolicited advice. :-)

Grocery store sushi is usually a hard pass, but there are a few exceptions. Where I live (US East coast), both Balducci's and Wegman's have very high quality sushi. Balducci's in particular rivals many respectable sushi restaurants I've been to.

Both also offer sashimi and low-carb options (usually they'll make rolls using a very thin sheet of sliced cucumber in place of the rice). Whole Foods (at least the 3 I've tried) is surprisingly disappointing. While the quality is fine, the portions are small, and the fish-to-rice ratio is way too low.

brainbarker

And Shoes...

spongebob socks GIFGiphy

Socks. No more cheap socks for me.

From now on I only buy socks made from 100% merino wool. Typically Darn Tough socks since they have a lifetime warranty.

B**chy_Ghost

TP

Toilet paper.

aleagueofmyown

This is true, some people leave a hand towel by the toilet and wash often though that's a little much for me.

To further back you up, when drying off your wet boom hole you want that thick TP as the cheap stuff would disintegrate due from the water.

contheartist

Cheap Electrics...

Electronics. With cheap electronics you realise why they were so cheap so quickly. Cheap headphones for example.

By a mid range or high end product and you'll have it years, buy something cheap and you'll bee replacing it every few months or its so bad you hate using it.

TheHeroicOnion

In the Ear

bart simpson GIFGiphy

Q-tips. Suffered for two years because a 500 count was 2 bucks cheaper and I was to stubborn/cheap the throw them out.

Brap_Zanigan

Quality is quality. There are just somethings you can't skimp on. Trust me, I've tried. I love a good sale but are you paying for less then? Think about it.

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REDDIT

People's Craziest 'You Can't Eat At Everyone's House' Experiences

Reddit user 195901 asked: 'What is your “can’t eat at everybody’s house” horror story?'

Person cooking in home kitchen
Conscious Design on Unsplash

We've all heard the phrase, "You can't eat at everybody's house," but some of us have a few examples of our own to live by.

From not properly cleaning the environment to questionable hygiene ourselves, there are countless reasons why a person may not want to eat what you've cooked after watching you prepare it.

Bracing themselves, Redditor 195901 asked:

"What is your 'you can't eat at everybody's house' horror story?"

Fly Spray Sandwiches

"I told my dad my sandwich tasted like fly spray at my grandma's house. He didn’t believe me."

"Two days later, I caught my grandma spraying the benches 'clean' with the two-dollar fly spray you find at the cheap store."

"Dad figured it was safe to make sandwiches straight on the countertop because they looked clean. I dragged him over to see and he apologized and took my sister and me for fish and chips for lunch."

- littlehungrygiraffe

Special Seasoning Deviled Eggs

"My crackpot aunt served us a lovely tray of deviled eggs, complete with very old paprika sprinkled on top. So old, in fact, the many weevils mixed in it were dead."

- PhoneboothLynn

A Disturbing Surprise

"I visited a friend's house who was living with his mother, and she asked if I wanted a coffee and I said I would."

"Upon getting to the bottom of the cup and taking the last few gulps, I found there was a used bandaid stuck to the bottom… I never ate or drank there again."

- MrRailton

In Need of Child Protective Services

"I was babysitting a kid in a pretty dirty house. I was told to wake him up, supervise bathing and changing clothes, and feed him. I was welcome to whatever was in the fridge. Okay. The house and his clothes were filthy."

"Then, when I opened the cabinets, floods of roaches poured out. There were roaches in every opened box and container."

"I took him back to my house and returned him later that day. I hope the boy ended up in a better situation. I found out CPS (Child Protective Services) got involved shortly after."

- Alltheprettydresses

Traumatized by Raisins

"I was gonna complain about raisins in the potato salad but the other comments on here are scary. Oh my god."

- tcumber

"When I was a young kid, I stayed over at a friend's place, and his mom made veal or something with godd**n raisins INSIDE the meat somehow. It was so nasty, I never forgot it."

- User2716057

You WISH That Was Vinegar

"My MIL fished around in the green bin (compost bin) with her bare hands, didn't wash them, WIPED her GARBAGE JUICE HANDS on the tea towel, and then WENT BACK TO PREPPING THE SALAD."

"She also got horrifically offended if I didn't want to eat at her house."

- 116843189

Poor Home Hygiene

"My first boyfriend’s parents invited me for Thanksgiving. I came over a few days before Christmas and all the same dirty dishes from Thanksgiving were still in the kitchen. I passed on coming over for Christmas dinner."

- MinimalistHomestead

Every Surface Covered

"I went to a friend's house after school, he was going to teach a group of us to play D&D (Dungeons and Dragons)."

"We got there and his house was disgusting. I'm not the neatest person but the carpet hadn't been vacuumed in forever, clothes were all over the place, and dirty dishes were stacked everywhere."

"I tried to be polite even though the place reeked, but at some point, he was like, 'Who wants snacks!'"

"He picked up a bowl that was crusted with stuff, splashed in some water, wiped it with a towel that clearly hadn't been washed that decade, and poured chips into it. Then he asked if we wanted to stay for dinner. We did not."

- KnittinAndB***hin

O Holy Expiration Dates

"When I was a kid, Christmas Eve was always celebrated at Grandma's. I always got sick afterward. Like, Merry Christmas, you're going to puke now."

"It wasn't until I was all grown up and helping her out in the last weeks of her life that I learned why. She did not believe in expiration dates on anything!"

- SundayMorningTrisha

An Immune System to Remember

"My grandma made me a food phobic from a young age. Whether it was ramen with moths floating on top, or chunky milk in my cereal, it just scarred me for life."

"Dinner at her house was always a fight. Not eating her food was not an option. I'm not sure why that was the hill she would always choose to die on, because she was an amazing grandma other than this."

"Expiration dates aren't a thing. If the cheese was moldy, you cut it off... I think living through the great depression and raising kids in poverty changed her mindset on food."

"I mean obviously, she's doing something right because she's 91. She must have the immunity of a superhero."

- tha_stormin_mormon

Neighborly Love

"I used to help an old neighbor out with grocery shopping, I’d drop the bags at her door and she’d give me a check for the amount of groceries. She’d give me homemade cookies once in a while, chocolate chips."

"I didn’t ever eat them because one time I caught sight of her apartment. It was a large studio, a small kitchen, and tv, and a bed/couch. And there were about 20 cans of cat food, half-eaten, and one million flies and small maggots in different stages of growth, dishes with crusty food stuck to them, and a wall of empty beer cans."

"After I saw that, and got a whiff of her apartment, I started helping her with taking garbage out and putting groceries away, cleaning out her fridge, and making sure her cat was healthy."

"A couple of months later, she got the virus, ended up at a rehab facility, and passed within two weeks."

"Some people need help and a little company…"

- SnooPeripherals6557

No Longer Rice

"A girl I was interested in at the time had cats. I came to her house one day to pick her up for a date and he had a large sack of rice open in her pantry with the pantry door open."

"One of the cats hopped out of the sack of rice and she just casually laughed at it like, 'Oh, they are always getting into things.'"

"I came over the following weekend that SAME sack of rice was in the pantry and I could hear one of them tussling around in it again, we stopped dating sometime after that but anytime she offered to cook for me I immediately pivoted to taking her out to eat instead."

- justad**nfool

"Those cats probably used it as litter."

- Anonymanx

"Yeah, that was my fear."

- justad**nfool

Could Have Warned Her

"My mom told me one about going over to her aunt Virginia's house. She, her parents, and her siblings were sat around the kitchen while her aunt cooked, and my mom could not figure out why no one else was having ANY of this incredibly delicious bread that was on the table."

"She was on her third slice when her aunt stepped out to do something else, and my mom was told by her brother to go look in the flour bin."

"It was absolutely filled with miller moth larvae. Aunt Virginia had been losing her eyesight for years."

- smoothiefruit

"It's f**ked of her parents not to warn her not to eat the bread... like, what the f**k, you KNOW the bread isn't safe, so you're not eating it, but you're fine with letting your daughter have three slices?"

- whydontthissitework

Bad to the Point of Malnutrition

"I graduated high school at 6' 10" tall, but weighing only 120 pounds."

"That's not skinny, that's emaciated."

"The food prepared by my bio-mom was so bad that it wasn't providing me with the nutrients or calories I needed to survive. I went off to college where I had to cook for myself (I wasn't allowed to cook at home because my father insisted that "cooking was women's work")."

"Not only did I discover that food didn't have to be burnt to a crisp, flavorless, or boiled until everything was grey. I also discovered that food can be made to taste good, and using things like salt, or pepper, spices, or various condiments can make it taste amazing."

"The "freshman 15" likely saved my life."

"The thing is, I don't think that my biomom was even aware that her food was that disgusting. Whenever we went out for dinner (which was more often than what my father wanted, but he was the one who insisted on going), she did nothing but complain about how the food was undercooked, 'practically raw,' or 'too spicy,' to eat."

"When she went to other people's houses (including her own extended family) she would criticize them for 'doing it wrong' when she watched them cook anything. She would often end up refusing to eat their food because she 'watched them ruin it,' when they cooked it. We never had guests over to eat her cooking. Ever."

- Galaxy_Ranger_Bob

Clean Hands

"We have a chili contest every year at work around Thanksgiving and I've stopped participating in voting for it because I want to know whose I'm eating before taking any. I work with some great people, but I wouldn't eat at or anything from their house. Strangely enough, the guy I absolutely despise I'll gladly eat his chili because he is clean and well kept and I know his house is."

"I also work with a bunch of people who don't wash their hands after using the bathroom in any capacity and we've secretly kept a list so to avoid any potlucks where they take food or to get food before they do."

- SafewordisJohnCandy

We're left with chills after reading these stories.

Where some people might make some mistakes in the kitchen out of just not knowing, like not properly washing rice before cooking it, most of these are just careless mistakes that have disgusting, if not dangerous, results.

Collection of VHS tapes
Bruno Guerrero/Unsplash

What makes us all unique is our passions and the things we love, whether it's singing in the shower, reading books, or listening to specific music artists.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are judged for our various tastes and interests thanks to social media, and it makes us consciously selective about sharing the things we love on the internet.

Curious to hear about people's personal desires under anonymity, Redditor sweet_chick283 asked:

"What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?"

These aren't really chores for the following Redditors.

Good Clean Fun

"Mopping, im a janitor and generally hate my work... but damn mopping is so good."

– MrDDog06

"When you have a great rhythm going it is something special. I get the same feeling while I vacuum, but won’t let my wife know I enjoy it."

– Bogus_34

Act Of Unwrinkling

"Ironing clothes. A dozen of them. Can’t explain how it relaxes me. I told one person and they looked at me like I’m crazy."

– eerie_white_glow

"My mum misses the days when dad would be out on a Friday night, my brother out with friends and me upstairs quietly playing PS1. She would pour herself a Bacardi & Coke and do the ironing while watching her TV shows."

"I'm sure she doesn't really miss it now that we've moved out and they've retired but it was her wind-down after a busy working week so I can see how people can find it relaxing."

– xdq

Our solo actions can spark joy.

Big Brother Is Watching

"pretending to be on the Truman show and whenever im in my house i act all inconspicuous so they dont know that i know that they’re watching me."

– Bec_121

"C’mon man, you’re not supposed to let him know. You signed a contract when signing up for live views. I’m reporting you."

– doeswaspsmakehoney

The Multi-Tasker

"Playing video games naked at home while eating cheese."

– thickening_agent

Releasing The Kraken

"I love the feeling when you've eaten good fibre and let out a solid long train log in the toilet. That feeling is heavenly."

– therapoootic

"Even better when it’s a clean wipe and not a poo crayon."

– TheWarmestHugz

Ultimate Comfort

"My (male 41) weekend routine is coming home from work, make hot chocolate, start a fire, dress in a ugly pink nightgown made for old ladies and watch forensic files."

– crazyloomis

Some people are obsessed with collecting things.

So Kawai

"Sanrio stationery stores. All those different multicolor pens, a thousand kinds of erasers, spiral bound notebooks galore... my kids sadly have absolutely no appreciation for this wonderland..."

– HavingNotAttained

It's A Staple

"Office supplies have a weird, special place in my heart ever since I was a kid. They don't even have to be 'cute' necessarily."

"Japan's legendary stationery stores is unironically a reason I want to go."

– _CozyLavender_

Not Caring Anymore

"The older I get the shorter that list gets. Not because I love less things, but because I don't care about hiding it."

– Bi-Beast

"YES!! I'm 53 now. I'm working my first job in public since 2006. Today is Halloween and we're allowed to dress up so I am sitting here waiting to go to work dressed as a VERY bad Wednesday Addams. My bf said I'd 'look stupid' because no one else will probably dress up and I'm like, 'WHO CARES!' My makeup looks horrible and not like I practiced, but I DO NOT CARE! I'm having fun with it anyhow and I don't care if my coworkers dress up or not. I'm bein' ME! :)"

– deanie1970

Honorable mentions start here.

The Savior

"Picking up worms from the street and sidewalks when it rains and moving them into the dirt so they don’t burn in the sun, every time it rains I do this."

– sky_kitten89

Hero Of The Moment

"Yoooo I scoot SO many snails and worms. I work as a tech/mechanic at an automotive shop, I had a peoject car towed to my house the other day and it was covered in snails. I saw them when the tow guy/coworker was unloading and I was like, 'oh! It comes with free snails!' and began moving them. He laughed then realized and said, '... Oh, you're serious. Uh... Okay.'"

"I don't care who knows it. These little things barely can look out for themselves, why shouldn't we if we can take a moment to help? I don't care what happens next, it probably doesn't matter overall but I can help this moment."

– chris14020

Why should some of the hidden desires mentioned above have to be secret?

Redditors opening up about some of these would make them a hit at parties–no shaming.

As a matter of fact, I'll totally be down for a Forensic Files viewing party where we all make hot chocolate, light the fireplace, and cozy up together in our respective pink ugly nightgowns for old ladies.

historical reenactors
Sigmund on Unsplash

We've probably all heard some variation of the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction."

Real life isn't just strange, it can also be downright ridiculous.

History is riddled with moments of absurdity.

So ridiculous that people have a hard time believing real life is, well, really real.

Keep reading...Show less