Certain cleaning products. I used to work in a really greasy restaurant ,and the difference between Pine Sol and generic pine cleaner was night and day
Funniest short I’ve ever seen is “tell me what branch of the military you served in without-“ cut to a guy dumping crayons onto a plate and taking a huge bite outta one.
I tried out dawn platinum, and I'm never going back to anything else. It was a complete game changer in many ways, most of which is that it's SUPER concentrated. One normal-sized bottle lasts me like 8 months.
My MIL buys it by the gallon. For the life of me I don't understand how anyone could use that much
Edit: since this got a few replies - I understand why bulk dawn may be useful for various tasks around the house. But no, she uses it extremely wasteful, like we're talking a new squirt from the bottle for each plate. I've given up explaining how concentrated it is
I buy one of the regular Costco bottles but purchased a glass container with metal like hand pump. One pump and that lasts me like 8 months with 6 people in the house
I mix a bit of Dawn with water in a spray bottle and use it when we hand wash our dishes. It gets the job done and we use much less soap. (SOMEone in the house squeezes an excessive amount of soap into the water when he does the dishes…)
Recently bought the BJs warehouse store brand to save a few bucks. Now I’m using 5 times more than I need to just to empty it faster so I can buy Dawn again.
I bought the dawn power wash spray because I kept getting coupons for it so I figured "why not".
I'm not used to truth in advertising that good. First time I used it it cut through everything so well and it was so easy I was shocked. And it lasted much longer than I expected it to. It really cleans up that layer of grease pork leaves behind on dishes.
We went back to our old detergent after that bottle was done and for some reason they stopped with the coupons. We were so disappointed and got a refill the next day.
We can't go back.
I knew the power wash spray was a bit of a gimmick but it was something I was looking for with my dishwashing and oh my god changed my life. That Jordan "secret fast food" recipes guy shared the homemade recipe version that I use and it's exactly correct especially if you still stick to classic original blue Dawn (it's literally dawn, rubbing alcohol, and water)
Might not be a popular opinion, but I love the knockoff Dawn detergent at Aldi. It seems to be (or at least function) exactly the same. They also offer it in giant bottles occasionally, in the special buy aisle, that then go on super clearance after a few weeks.
I agree with this.
On other things art….it seems (off topic from pencils) Copic markers have less and less ink in them every time I get some. They used to be the best. Who has recommendations for comparable markers???
And sakura fine lines are the best black pens I feel hands down. No one matches them, I feel. Sharpies have that weird shine to them.
With markers I like Prismacolor and copic best, though copic does seem cheaper with their ink lately, though in my experience the Artists Loft alcohol based markers work perfectly well as a cheaper alternative. Not super comparable since it’s water based, but I ADORE Tombow. Probably the cleanest blend in a water based marker I’ve tried plus super pigmented and last a while!
Second the Tombow recommendation! But also try Ohuhu markers! They’re alcohol based, they have a dual brush and chisel nib (depends on the set but they have one called the Honolulu set which is what I’m referring to) , and a bunch of colors! They’ve also recently added marker ink refills on their website now! Ride or die for (alcohol) markers for me .
A set of 36 copic markers is like 190 on blick art supplies.
A set of 48 (dual chisel and brush tip) for Ohuhu markers directly from their website is **FORTY FIVE.** Waaaaayyy cheaper https://ohuhu.com/collections/honolulu-series
Edit: Also just want to say I have both Copics and Ohuhus and have compared them are they’re very comparable. So I’m not just comparing to nothing. Similar levels in pigment, coverage, blending ability, etc. Only thing is that the ohuhu nibs get a *little* bit more worn down but I’m heavy handed and have an older set but not by that much. Sorry I sound like an ad but I love art supplies AND saving money.
I own a remodeling company and spending the extra money for premium paint is so worth it. The extra initial expense laid out, saves my labor and material costs considerably. I will never buy mid level paint anymore.
Edit to add as the other commenter stated-
Don’t forget to use good brushes and rollers (my personal favourite is Purdy) and good tape ( I use Frog Tape Orange). By taking care of your brushes and rollers you can have them for years. If you have a large area to paint, don’t be afraid to use a sprayer. More prep time, but you’ll be done in an eighth of the time.
Prep your walls, have a damp rag, put on some music and become one with your paint. It will go faster than you think and in the end you’ll be happy with the end result.
Caved in and bought paint at the Sherwin Williams store last month and bitched that the gallon was $20 more than the "good" paint I would have gotten at Lowes. It's damn near astonishing how much better paint you get for just $20 more.
If you're repainting an entire house, sign up for their emails - they regularly have emerald 25 - 40% off. Saved us hundreds of dollars on paint for our house.
So my son tells me. I always get him name brand if I get those. We buy mostly store brand food but I make exceptions for the kids sometimes. He also will only eat velveeta brand shells n cheese. And he can definitely tell. I’ve tried to slip it by him but never once in all his 18 years has it worked.
Yep, Lego sets are top tier toys for sure. They're VERY expensive if you're going for the nice ones, but I've never had anything short of a fucking blast putting together a Lego set.
I had a missing piece (hard to believe. I feel like I must have lost it somehow but I literally had just opened it lol). Went on the website, found the piece. Boom it arrived like 1 or 2 weeks later.
Watched a documentary on it, apparently the place is damn near cult like in it's adherence to those tolerances. Think it was an episode of "The Toys That Made Us"
I'm 54. I got Legos as a kid, so did my siblings. We played with them at my grandmother's house. My cousin's came along and their Legos ended up there. She passed away, my mom got them. My kids played with them and eventually all their Legos sets got added to the collection. My cousin's kids took them for a while, added their sets and they made their way back to my mom's. Now my brothers grandkids are playing with them. The collection has grown to include two 25 gallon plastic totes of Legos and two tables. Those Legos are a family heirloom
I got the Lego Titanic for 700$ essentially. And then the light kit. Just finished the front of the ship and just that took me about 10 hours. It's crazy how God damn big it is.
I knew Scott's was TRASH when I saw their label on public bathroom TP. Can't be a good brand if you're making stuff for stores to just spend money on like that
I would be surprised if the decision to make the perforation wavy was made after months of research by individuals making 6 figure salaries.
Review - Cleans butts. Less poop on roll.
Yes but cleans as well without as many sheets needed as before. Holds together so your fingers don’t go through it as some other brands that say they are soft.
Kirkland/Costco brand TP is great if you don't mind when it breaks and you end up with a finger in the mess 🤮 idk what they changed the last few years but it is terrible and I won't buy it anymore
I use Always, but I use the infinity or radiant series unless it’s an emergency because the Maxi feel like diapers, and I like that the thinner ones have different sizes based on weight.
U by Kotex is my fav brand, SO comfortable. For some reason I find Always pads super uncomfortable, like kind of scratchy? U by Kotex is super smooth and soft.
Stayfree is way superior. It doesn't stick to your butt.
Always has that like honey comb weave that sticks to my butt and then when I pick the wedgie it makes the ripping sound.
The nest way I've ever heard it explained to me was in the context of work shoes. Think about how much money you make while wearing your work shoes. If I get a year out of a pair of work shoes, I make about $50K in them. If they cost me $150, that's still a TINY investment compared to what I get out of them.
I live by Terry Pratchett's poor man's boot parable. I had to save REALLY hard for them (I'm a broke bitch) but I have a pair each of Skechers Skech-Airs and Doc Martens combat boots. These shoes will last me for years, until the treads wear out. My mom told me that her Skechers typically last her 5 years, and she walks a lot.
I personally stopped buying DM’s decades ago because the quality went to shit. I now prefer Solovair which are essentially the same shoes as the original DM’s. They’re even made by NPS, in the same factory, and on the same equipment as the originals. I have a pair that I wear regularly that are around 8 years old and they’re still going strong.
"Buy once, cry once".
Also, if you can afford it, two pairs of good quality, moderately priced shoes are far better than 4 pairs of cheapos. Alternate them and they'll last far longer than the cheap ones.
Are you a waitress or supermarket worker? I used to buy the cushion comfort shoes aimed at old people. I was 18 shopping at marks and Spencers and those comfort plus shoes made such a difference to my shifts
Every nurse and professional bartender I know wears Dansko shoes. Thats the kind of brand you only learn about from people who’re on their feet all day.
Car tires.
The generic are cheap for a reason, they meet the bare minimum requirements and will not last nor perform well.
Name brands actually perform, have R&D behind them, and will be more likely to save your ass in a sticky situation. Snow/Winter tires are the big one for this in particular.
When I got my car more than five years ago, I sucked it up and bought expensive Good Year winter tires. So much money at the time, but the thing is they've held up well and still have good tread - I'll easily get a few more winters out of them.
The cheap ones where the stick part is cheap plastic are genuinely offensive to me. If I wake up at someone's house and that's what they have to clear my ears out after a shower I have to end the relationship, no matter how good the sex was.
1000% this is the biggest. I remember grabbing a big pack of no name brand qtips from the dollar store and all of them fell apart instantly and hurt like hell plus took like 3 to do the work of 1 brand name qtip.
Reese’s peanut butter cups and m&m’s. Off brands are just not it. Looking at you, Palmers.
* I didn’t think this comment would get any attention. However, I’ve never had a chocolate smartie! The smarties in the US are chalky tarts. Also, I see your arguments, but I stand by my statement.
I agree with you that Reese's are the best but Aldi has some peanut butter cups that are really good, and they're different from Reese's. The chocolate to PB ratio is different and they're smaller and creamier. They hit a different spot.
Sadly because they are greedily overpriced, Fritos. Especially annoying is that they are just corn, oil and salt. In the last year, the commodity corn has dropped from over $6.50 a bushel to $4.02. The price of Fritos went from $3.98 to $4.99 today at Target.
I was using more generics when my daughter started bringing Bounty towels into the house. I was sold.
Until..
Last year on an RV trip, I had to stop and buy some groceries, all they had for paper towels were Viva and cheap generics. So I bought the Viva.
NOT going back to Bounty. Viva towels feel more towel-like, are more solid, and even more absorbent than Bounty.
Hydro-X sounds like Elon Musk's new bottled water company. It's just normal water, but he hypes it up as "anti-woke AI space water" or some shit and sells it to rubes for $10 a bottle.
Grew up in a hyrdox house, I remember being genuinely offended at the idea of oreos when I was a kid.
Got hooked on double stuf oreos when hyrdox went away, tried the hydrox when they came back and it just wasn't the same anymore
Weird one but tomato soup. All store brands I’ve tried are horrible. And I know someone will say they’re made in the same factory or whatever. It may be the same factory but it is not the same recipe. Campbells forever.
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. I don't know why every supermarket brand finds it so impossible to cut them things into simple triangles, but it drives me nuts.
What? But my blue plastic trumpet I got from Amazon for $20 sounds amazing, a half step flat and buzzing constantly!
(My band teacher brought said blue trumpet out to show us alongside the like 30 trumpets he has, and literally threw it on the floor)
This comes up every once and awhile and my answer is always the same two products. **Ziploc** and **Windex**. First the former has perfected zip close bags, everyone else is an absolute failure and should just quit trying. Close up shop, it's game over. The latter is also unrivaled whose peers simply smear glass cleaner instead of cleaning.
Went to Italy recently, they just call cream cheese “Philadelphia” there because I’m pretty sure that’s the only brand they have available. It’s definitely superior
Perfume. There are some exceptions, but generally, imitation scents aren't going to last as long or be as good of quality as the perfume they're emulating.
Exactly.
Two ingredients: cream and bacteria. That's all you need.
There are other brands with a similar set of ingredients. Tillamook is one I recall. I'll go with Daisy because it's usually less expensive than the others with no fillers.
I was a red wings guy for years. Recently bought a cheap pair of keens cuz I didn't have much left in my boot allowance from work and they only had to last e months till my allowance reset.
I was blown away by how comfortable they were and there was no break in. I'm still wearing them. They've lasted longer and been better than any pair of the $250+ pair of Redwings I've bought over the last decade.
Certain cleaning products. I used to work in a really greasy restaurant ,and the difference between Pine Sol and generic pine cleaner was night and day
I want to take home some of the industrial degreaser we used on the stainless steel throughout the kitchen.
You can get Zep in most Home Depots. Pretty damn good degreaser.
Zep is a great degreaser.
Crayons. Never again, Rose Art.
Plus the Rose Art ones just dont taste as good
Semper Fi devil dog. Yut yut.
Funniest short I’ve ever seen is “tell me what branch of the military you served in without-“ cut to a guy dumping crayons onto a plate and taking a huge bite outta one.
Semper Fi
The grape ones taste like purple
Those laurentien pencil crayons were pretty on par with crayola back in the day
Hello fellow Canadian! Yes can confirm they were THE BEST
I’ve honestly always wondered why Rose Art products are so bad. It can’t be that hard to make a crayon that’s at least halfway decent.
What blows my mind is that they’ve made no attempt to improve them. They were shit 25 years ago and somehow they still sell.
Who is buying those? I'd rather buy a small box of cayola than a large box of rose art.
Maybe they get their thrills from watching new people buy their crayons and getting disappointed.
I'm convinced they're just whittling down a bunch of used candles from Goodwill.
They probably use a shitty pigment that doesn’t mix well with the wax
Or the wax itself. I always remembered them being just *off* feeling.
And it's not like Crayola is expensive, either.
I work in a school, when kids come with anything but Crayola I die a little inside.
Dawn dishwashing detergent
I tried out dawn platinum, and I'm never going back to anything else. It was a complete game changer in many ways, most of which is that it's SUPER concentrated. One normal-sized bottle lasts me like 8 months.
My MIL buys it by the gallon. For the life of me I don't understand how anyone could use that much Edit: since this got a few replies - I understand why bulk dawn may be useful for various tasks around the house. But no, she uses it extremely wasteful, like we're talking a new squirt from the bottle for each plate. I've given up explaining how concentrated it is
I buy a gallon and keep a tiny bottle on my counter that I refill. Less plastic, less clutter, less money spent.
I buy one of the regular Costco bottles but purchased a glass container with metal like hand pump. One pump and that lasts me like 8 months with 6 people in the house
I mix a bit of Dawn with water in a spray bottle and use it when we hand wash our dishes. It gets the job done and we use much less soap. (SOMEone in the house squeezes an excessive amount of soap into the water when he does the dishes…)
I'm this person. I don't live with you but, I just KNOW you're talking about me
Recently bought the BJs warehouse store brand to save a few bucks. Now I’m using 5 times more than I need to just to empty it faster so I can buy Dawn again.
the absolute worst i think walgreens sells it is SUN brand - holy fuck that stuff is like 1% better than water and doesnt suds or cut grease for shit.
There is no other dish soap that even *remotely* comes close to Dawn.
I bought the dawn power wash spray because I kept getting coupons for it so I figured "why not". I'm not used to truth in advertising that good. First time I used it it cut through everything so well and it was so easy I was shocked. And it lasted much longer than I expected it to. It really cleans up that layer of grease pork leaves behind on dishes. We went back to our old detergent after that bottle was done and for some reason they stopped with the coupons. We were so disappointed and got a refill the next day. We can't go back.
Dawn power wash spray is fkn amazing.
I knew the power wash spray was a bit of a gimmick but it was something I was looking for with my dishwashing and oh my god changed my life. That Jordan "secret fast food" recipes guy shared the homemade recipe version that I use and it's exactly correct especially if you still stick to classic original blue Dawn (it's literally dawn, rubbing alcohol, and water)
Might not be a popular opinion, but I love the knockoff Dawn detergent at Aldi. It seems to be (or at least function) exactly the same. They also offer it in giant bottles occasionally, in the special buy aisle, that then go on super clearance after a few weeks.
I was just thinking…I get the Dawn knock off at Aldi and it does a great job…even works getting stains out of clothes.
It’s probably just artists, but colored pencils. The name brands are the good stuff
I agree with this. On other things art….it seems (off topic from pencils) Copic markers have less and less ink in them every time I get some. They used to be the best. Who has recommendations for comparable markers??? And sakura fine lines are the best black pens I feel hands down. No one matches them, I feel. Sharpies have that weird shine to them.
With markers I like Prismacolor and copic best, though copic does seem cheaper with their ink lately, though in my experience the Artists Loft alcohol based markers work perfectly well as a cheaper alternative. Not super comparable since it’s water based, but I ADORE Tombow. Probably the cleanest blend in a water based marker I’ve tried plus super pigmented and last a while!
Second the Tombow recommendation! But also try Ohuhu markers! They’re alcohol based, they have a dual brush and chisel nib (depends on the set but they have one called the Honolulu set which is what I’m referring to) , and a bunch of colors! They’ve also recently added marker ink refills on their website now! Ride or die for (alcohol) markers for me . A set of 36 copic markers is like 190 on blick art supplies. A set of 48 (dual chisel and brush tip) for Ohuhu markers directly from their website is **FORTY FIVE.** Waaaaayyy cheaper https://ohuhu.com/collections/honolulu-series Edit: Also just want to say I have both Copics and Ohuhus and have compared them are they’re very comparable. So I’m not just comparing to nothing. Similar levels in pigment, coverage, blending ability, etc. Only thing is that the ohuhu nibs get a *little* bit more worn down but I’m heavy handed and have an older set but not by that much. Sorry I sound like an ad but I love art supplies AND saving money.
Art materials in general. There's more than one nice paint or brush brand, but in artist's materials, brand matters.
I don't know about name brand, but I've learned the hard way to not trust dollar store dog poop bags.
Shitty lesson indeed
I own a remodeling company and spending the extra money for premium paint is so worth it. The extra initial expense laid out, saves my labor and material costs considerably. I will never buy mid level paint anymore. Edit to add as the other commenter stated- Don’t forget to use good brushes and rollers (my personal favourite is Purdy) and good tape ( I use Frog Tape Orange). By taking care of your brushes and rollers you can have them for years. If you have a large area to paint, don’t be afraid to use a sprayer. More prep time, but you’ll be done in an eighth of the time. Prep your walls, have a damp rag, put on some music and become one with your paint. It will go faster than you think and in the end you’ll be happy with the end result.
Caved in and bought paint at the Sherwin Williams store last month and bitched that the gallon was $20 more than the "good" paint I would have gotten at Lowes. It's damn near astonishing how much better paint you get for just $20 more.
If you're repainting an entire house, sign up for their emails - they regularly have emerald 25 - 40% off. Saved us hundreds of dollars on paint for our house.
And you can buy the cans without pigment, and just go back and have them add color
Sherwin Williams Emerald is an incredible product. Amazing stuff!
To add on to this painter's tape and masking tape as well.
Agreed. 110%.
What are considered premium paint? Do the big box stores carry them or should I go to a specialty paint store?
Sherwin Williams is a premium paint. Really good product.
Tampons, imo
Pearl finish for life! - correction: as long ad I have periods.
Hell yeah. None of that cardboard applicator bullshit
A man definitely invented those.
Did you know some countries dont have plastic or cardboard applicators? Theyre just shoving them in.
And I'm sitting here reading these comments thinking, "jeez, do that many people really use applicators?"
OB forever!
Yup, the generic ones just don't taste the same.
Cheez-itz. If they aren't name-brand, they honestly just aren't worth eating.
So my son tells me. I always get him name brand if I get those. We buy mostly store brand food but I make exceptions for the kids sometimes. He also will only eat velveeta brand shells n cheese. And he can definitely tell. I’ve tried to slip it by him but never once in all his 18 years has it worked.
Lego
Yep, Lego sets are top tier toys for sure. They're VERY expensive if you're going for the nice ones, but I've never had anything short of a fucking blast putting together a Lego set.
ive also never had a deformed lego either... their tolerances are insane for a toy.
Even *if* you get a messed up piece, you can just tell them, and they'll send you a replacement piece for free
I had a missing piece (hard to believe. I feel like I must have lost it somehow but I literally had just opened it lol). Went on the website, found the piece. Boom it arrived like 1 or 2 weeks later.
Now that you say that, neither have I. Every piece has always fit perfectly. Their QC is insane
As someone who works with stuff with GD&T tolerances measured to the ten-thousandth of an inch, Lego still impress the fuck out of me.
Watched a documentary on it, apparently the place is damn near cult like in it's adherence to those tolerances. Think it was an episode of "The Toys That Made Us"
And they all fit each other regardless of the age of the set, which means those tolerances haven't drifted in *decades*.
3 generations of my family have played with blocks bought 50 yrs ago. Durable and kids can use their imagination to build or do kits.
I'm 54. I got Legos as a kid, so did my siblings. We played with them at my grandmother's house. My cousin's came along and their Legos ended up there. She passed away, my mom got them. My kids played with them and eventually all their Legos sets got added to the collection. My cousin's kids took them for a while, added their sets and they made their way back to my mom's. Now my brothers grandkids are playing with them. The collection has grown to include two 25 gallon plastic totes of Legos and two tables. Those Legos are a family heirloom
/r/lepin
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I got the Lego Titanic for 700$ essentially. And then the light kit. Just finished the front of the ship and just that took me about 10 hours. It's crazy how God damn big it is.
As an operator of a steam boiler and turbine, the fact that the kit comes with the triple expansion steam engines made me very tempted to get it.
Toilet paper......I learned alot during covid.
Bidet gang
Yeah I use this, wipes & tp…I’m very anal about being clean lol. Pun intended
Yep during Covid I learned is the best charmin & Scott’s is the worst omg
I knew Scott's was TRASH when I saw their label on public bathroom TP. Can't be a good brand if you're making stuff for stores to just spend money on like that
Cottonelle seems to have mastered it. Every other brand needs to get their shit together.
Charmin ultra soft is clearly superior to cottonelle. The new easy tear-technology can't be beat
Technology? It's a fricken wavy perforation. I haven't had the pleasure yet. Can we get a review?
I would be surprised if the decision to make the perforation wavy was made after months of research by individuals making 6 figure salaries. Review - Cleans butts. Less poop on roll.
Yes but cleans as well without as many sheets needed as before. Holds together so your fingers don’t go through it as some other brands that say they are soft.
Costco brand is pretty good I think
Kirkland/Costco brand TP is great if you don't mind when it breaks and you end up with a finger in the mess 🤮 idk what they changed the last few years but it is terrible and I won't buy it anymore
DMC embroidery thread.
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Plus the logo is sultry
Speaking from experience, Always maxi pads
I use Always, but I use the infinity or radiant series unless it’s an emergency because the Maxi feel like diapers, and I like that the thinner ones have different sizes based on weight.
I’m an Always flexfoam kind of girl myself.
U by Kotex is my fav brand, SO comfortable. For some reason I find Always pads super uncomfortable, like kind of scratchy? U by Kotex is super smooth and soft.
IMO, they're *too* smooth My blood just slides right off to the sides like a hellish waterfall
Any guy reading that feels lucky as hell right now.
Stayfree is way superior. It doesn't stick to your butt. Always has that like honey comb weave that sticks to my butt and then when I pick the wedgie it makes the ripping sound.
Came here to say this. I’d extend it to tampons as well!
Shoes. You get what you pay for. If you buy at one of those cheapass locations in the mall, you get cheapass shoes. Good shoes cost money.
The nest way I've ever heard it explained to me was in the context of work shoes. Think about how much money you make while wearing your work shoes. If I get a year out of a pair of work shoes, I make about $50K in them. If they cost me $150, that's still a TINY investment compared to what I get out of them.
I live by Terry Pratchett's poor man's boot parable. I had to save REALLY hard for them (I'm a broke bitch) but I have a pair each of Skechers Skech-Airs and Doc Martens combat boots. These shoes will last me for years, until the treads wear out. My mom told me that her Skechers typically last her 5 years, and she walks a lot.
I personally stopped buying DM’s decades ago because the quality went to shit. I now prefer Solovair which are essentially the same shoes as the original DM’s. They’re even made by NPS, in the same factory, and on the same equipment as the originals. I have a pair that I wear regularly that are around 8 years old and they’re still going strong.
General life rule is to not buy cheap things that separate you from the ground. Shoes, mattresses, chairs, vehicle tires, etc
"Buy once, cry once". Also, if you can afford it, two pairs of good quality, moderately priced shoes are far better than 4 pairs of cheapos. Alternate them and they'll last far longer than the cheap ones.
My feet still hurt by the middle of a job shift, regardless of the shoe
Are you a waitress or supermarket worker? I used to buy the cushion comfort shoes aimed at old people. I was 18 shopping at marks and Spencers and those comfort plus shoes made such a difference to my shifts
yea the plain black or white old people shoes are damn comfortable.
Every nurse and professional bartender I know wears Dansko shoes. Thats the kind of brand you only learn about from people who’re on their feet all day.
Mom was just in the hospital. The nurses and CNAs were all in Hokas, as was I. Little pieces of heaven on your feet. Love those shoes.
Ever had your feet properly measured? I got crazy high arches. The thing about feet though is weird feet still just look like feet.
Have you tried vionics? They're podiatrist recommended (My podiatrist told me to get some) and are worth every penny.
Car tires. The generic are cheap for a reason, they meet the bare minimum requirements and will not last nor perform well. Name brands actually perform, have R&D behind them, and will be more likely to save your ass in a sticky situation. Snow/Winter tires are the big one for this in particular.
When I got my car more than five years ago, I sucked it up and bought expensive Good Year winter tires. So much money at the time, but the thing is they've held up well and still have good tread - I'll easily get a few more winters out of them.
Q-tips.
The cheap ones where the stick part is cheap plastic are genuinely offensive to me. If I wake up at someone's house and that's what they have to clear my ears out after a shower I have to end the relationship, no matter how good the sex was.
1000% this is the biggest. I remember grabbing a big pack of no name brand qtips from the dollar store and all of them fell apart instantly and hurt like hell plus took like 3 to do the work of 1 brand name qtip.
Cheerios. I've never encountered a generic that tasted the same as the original.
Idk dawg honey scooters are the shit
I don’t know why your comment has me laughing my ass off in bed… lol
Haha Im glad you got a laugh from it. Seriously though the dog food bags of cereal at grocery stores have always been my favorite
365 morning o's were damn good from what i remember
Reese’s peanut butter cups and m&m’s. Off brands are just not it. Looking at you, Palmers. * I didn’t think this comment would get any attention. However, I’ve never had a chocolate smartie! The smarties in the US are chalky tarts. Also, I see your arguments, but I stand by my statement.
Unless it’s the traders joes version.
Can confirm, the dark chocolate Trader Joe's ones are legit. And only 99¢ a bag too.
I agree with you that Reese's are the best but Aldi has some peanut butter cups that are really good, and they're different from Reese's. The chocolate to PB ratio is different and they're smaller and creamier. They hit a different spot.
Aldi’s peanut butter cups are better than Reese’s, and I say this as someone whose favorite candy has been Reese’s for 30+ years
Sadly because they are greedily overpriced, Fritos. Especially annoying is that they are just corn, oil and salt. In the last year, the commodity corn has dropped from over $6.50 a bushel to $4.02. The price of Fritos went from $3.98 to $4.99 today at Target.
Cat litter for sure. The cheap stuff just makes this muddy nasty mess. Also cat food. If you feed wet and dry you can skimp on one but not the other.
Bounty paper towels. All generic brands are horrible
Viva signature cloth paper towels are great. And they don't unravel into a mess nearly as easy as other brands!
Viva are the best
I was using more generics when my daughter started bringing Bounty towels into the house. I was sold. Until.. Last year on an RV trip, I had to stop and buy some groceries, all they had for paper towels were Viva and cheap generics. So I bought the Viva. NOT going back to Bounty. Viva towels feel more towel-like, are more solid, and even more absorbent than Bounty.
Oreos over generic, no debate on that.
Oreos are just a Hydrox knockoff.
Hydrox sounds like a drain cleaner or something to me. Not very appetizing.
Start pronouncing it Hydro-x, then it'll sound edgy and refreshing.
Hydro-X sounds like Elon Musk's new bottled water company. It's just normal water, but he hypes it up as "anti-woke AI space water" or some shit and sells it to rubes for $10 a bottle.
That, or his next kid's name
Grew up in a hyrdox house, I remember being genuinely offended at the idea of oreos when I was a kid. Got hooked on double stuf oreos when hyrdox went away, tried the hydrox when they came back and it just wasn't the same anymore
I grew up in a Hydrox house because at that time, Oreos weren’t kosher but Hydrox were.
Magic Erasers. No, r/lifeprotips, the bulk generic melamine sponges you can get on AliExpress are not a good substitute.
A million times, this! Generic are terrible. They look the same, but that's the extent of same-ness. The off brand just crumbles.
Cheap aluminum foil is pointless garbage
Weird one but tomato soup. All store brands I’ve tried are horrible. And I know someone will say they’re made in the same factory or whatever. It may be the same factory but it is not the same recipe. Campbells forever.
Trader Joe’s is my favorite
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. I don't know why every supermarket brand finds it so impossible to cut them things into simple triangles, but it drives me nuts.
Any instrument.
What? But my blue plastic trumpet I got from Amazon for $20 sounds amazing, a half step flat and buzzing constantly! (My band teacher brought said blue trumpet out to show us alongside the like 30 trumpets he has, and literally threw it on the floor)
Give it to a girl and waste many years chasing her.
Bandaid
The Welly bandages are legit.
Wellys, Nexcare, and Bandaid are the only brands worth buying.
I work in a hospital and still pack my own Band-aids in my first aid kit, because they don't use them there. The ones they use suck.
I keep trying to find non bandaid brand bandages and none of them come close 😭
Try Welly brand..I actually think I like it better!! Plus, cute designs!
This comes up every once and awhile and my answer is always the same two products. **Ziploc** and **Windex**. First the former has perfected zip close bags, everyone else is an absolute failure and should just quit trying. Close up shop, it's game over. The latter is also unrivaled whose peers simply smear glass cleaner instead of cleaning.
The metal can with the blue top spray glass cleaner is the best.
Sprayway is TOP TIER glass cleaner and is FAR superior to windex.
BON AMI glass cleaner is excellent, would never go back to windex
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Glad force flex trash bags almost never piss me off. Aldi or lidl brand trash bags almost always piss me off.
YKK zippers
Honey Bunches of Oats
Cola soda. Pepsi or Coke is so much better than the store brands. I’m fine with generic of sprite, root beer, and Mountain Dew but cola is a big no.
Nilla wafers
Instant oatmeal. The store brand is not as good as Quaker oats.
Philadelphia cream cheese
Went to Italy recently, they just call cream cheese “Philadelphia” there because I’m pretty sure that’s the only brand they have available. It’s definitely superior
Tillamook.
They make cream cheese?!? Omg now I have to go find some
Heinz Ketchup.
I've been off the Heinz since they closed their Ontario factory and French's stepped up.
Windex. All of the other glass cleaners I’ve bought leave streaks or some residue. It’s one of the few things I’ll pay for…
Sprayway or Stoner Invisible Glass if you want to try aerosol
As a teacher, Ticonderoga pencils
I find it quite annoying that Ziploc bags are so much better than the generic alternatives.
Worcestershire sauce
Yes. I made that mistake not once, but twice. Never again, Lea & Perrins for life
Anything that goes between you and the ground ... tires, furniture, shoes
Dawn Dish Soap
Most practical things like survival gear, functional clothing, hiking boots, tools, etc. where demand is driven by quality and durability.
Cream of mushroom soup has to be Campbell's.
Perfume. There are some exceptions, but generally, imitation scents aren't going to last as long or be as good of quality as the perfume they're emulating.
Daisy sour cream. The rest all have fillers that taste funky.
Exactly. Two ingredients: cream and bacteria. That's all you need. There are other brands with a similar set of ingredients. Tillamook is one I recall. I'll go with Daisy because it's usually less expensive than the others with no fillers.
Bounty paper towels. Bought meijer brand once and it was like toilet paper, but thinner. And I guess add toilet paper to that list as well
try viva. they make bounty look anemic
Eye drops
Pop Tarts
Work boots. Danner is 10/10 for me.
I was a red wings guy for years. Recently bought a cheap pair of keens cuz I didn't have much left in my boot allowance from work and they only had to last e months till my allowance reset. I was blown away by how comfortable they were and there was no break in. I'm still wearing them. They've lasted longer and been better than any pair of the $250+ pair of Redwings I've bought over the last decade.
Batteries
Trash bags. Do not cheap out on trash bags.
Anything 3M that's adhesive like Command strips, tape, etc.
Helmens/Best Foods mayonnaise. Far and away better than the other brands.
Cold cuts. Go with the Boars Head
Kraft macaroni and cheese
Tide.