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False economy (merged threads)

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  • Nothing to do with feet at all. But false economy for me is cheap paint. It took many years of buying cheap paint and having to do 3 or 4 coats. Now I only buy crown or dulux. I did my bedroom today. 1 coat of crown emulsion 1 2 1/2 litre can, a perfect finish in one go. Time is money as well.
    Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination:beer:

    Oscar Wilde
  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,162 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I'm a quality girl all the way.

    I don't use this site to find cheap stuff.

    I use it to find the quality I like at the best possible price;)

    I go for quality in most things furniture, homewear, clothes, food, holidays, ect.

    I'm trying to think of something I prefer the cheapie version of.......

    Bleach - for a good reason you do a lot less damage in an accident with cheap bleach than thick bleach:D

    Thats my Tip-for-the-day:rotfl:
  • metherer
    metherer Posts: 560 Forumite
    Just another thought on shoes - we never had our shoes 'fitted' as children but usually had Start-Rites. They were usually slight seconds though - my aunt/uncle and a couple of cousins used to work there.

    Now, I live in sandals and have probs finding comfy heels for work - I have wide feet, and a half size.

    If I have kids in the future, they will be able to barefoot when they want, and will have whatever shoes we can afford.


    False economies for me - own brand pickle. Bought some for DH, tried it myself, and we both agreed it was far too sweet. Back to the Branston I think.
    Not heavily in debt, but still trying to sort things out.
    Baby due July 2018.
  • BrandNewDay
    BrandNewDay Posts: 1,717 Forumite
    We always had Clarks shoes and sandals, our feet are perfect still as adults.

    I'd rather not take the risk of getting cheap ill-fitting shoes for my children, they have Clarks or Start-Rite too. We make sacrifices in other areas if necessary.

    You're not risking anything. The feet of America are not all deformed just because kids there learn to walk in plimsols. :rolleyes:
    :beer:
  • I've done a quick search and I don't think there is a thread devoted to this, and I thought it might be helpful for those of us looking to re-vamp our OS economies in the coming year.

    So, what are some false economies/frugal myths you have come across?

    For example, I recently did an online shop and switched to the super market own brand stock cubes thinking it would save me money. However, when I started mixing them up I realized the cubes made far less stock than my original organic brand!

    Another I have found is that name brand hot chocolates seem to go further than their own brand counter parts.

    I'm a little curious about meats. OH and I have considered buying a large joint for the slow cooker to make multiple meals, but I'm never quite convinced we'll get enough meals out of it to justify the initial outlay (except for rubber chickens, I can stretch those around the block!).

    So what false economies or frugal myths have you found? They don't have to be food related! Food is just what I know best!:D
  • rinabean
    rinabean Posts: 359 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Similarly to your stock cubes, good herbs and peppercorns. Not the very best, and not always organic, but they only cost a few pennies per meal (if that!) and the difference they make is incredible. It's what allows me to use less flavoursome ingredients in the rest of the meal. Cheap, stale herbs and pre-ground pepper are not worth it.

    Good soaps (and washing up liquid) go further than the cheap stuff, and they're nicer.

    The worst one is surely buying in greater quantities than you can/will use as it's cheaper per item/kg. I'm just as guilty of this as anyone else. I'm just secretly convinced I'm feeding 20, not 2!
  • Bella56
    Bella56 Posts: 215 Forumite
    Huge chocolate bars are a false economy around here, even if they are cheaper per 100g or whatever, because whatever size it is, it will be eaten within 10 minutes :eek: Better to pay less for a smaller size and be healthier!
    Debts 2004: £6000..............................................Aug 2007: £0!!!!
  • snozberry
    snozberry Posts: 1,200 Forumite
    Bella56 wrote: »
    Huge chocolate bars are a false economy around here, even if they are cheaper per 100g or whatever, because whatever size it is, it will be eaten within 10 minutes :eek: Better to pay less for a smaller size and be healthier!

    I second this!
  • I agree, good washing up liquid, laundry detergent are musts here. Along with tomato sauce, the chosen by you one is good and only £1 a bottle. I rarely use it but find it goes further than the own brand one.

    Completely agree with stock cubes as well, I buy own brand ones and mix between the two as I don't notice too much difference. Crisps are another thing I find to be cheaper to buy sharing packs or decent brands when on offer. Much better than buying the cheapest which are not great.

    Coffee is another one of my things, cheapest is really rubbish but yet the gold label one is really good and cheaper than say Nescafe so I suppose a saving is still made there.

    Furniture is another thing for me along with homewares. I find that spending a bit extra on those items means they last far longer than buying the cheapest possible only for them to break a few months down the line.

    Clothing I find is similarily a false economy, buying the cheapest is not horrendous but I find the clothes don't wash as well or retain their shape. I buy things in the sales a year in advance from say Next, george (although not the cheapest on offer) and find these so much better at lasting and also for being able to be passed on. Again the difference is a couple of pounds but the quality is so much better.

    i personally think it's trial and error until you find what you are happy with. I buy the smartprice hot chocolate for my son because he enjoys it, it;s cheaper and I add half a cup of milk to cool it down anyway. I honestly wouldn;t want to drink it but he enjoys it.

    Ummmm I also find that smartprice potatoes work out more expensive than buying packs on offer such as 2 for £2. It's definately worth keeping an eye out to see what works out not only cheapest in the short term but also in the long term :)
    Credit Card: £796 Left/£900 October 2011 :eek:
    Store Card: £100 October 2011 :o
    Declutter 100 Things In January 100/100:j:beer:
    No Buying Toiletries 2012
  • Rainy-Days
    Rainy-Days Posts: 1,454 Forumite
    I would never scrimp on laundry detergents. The only thing I buy the Basic Sainsbury's powder for is using a mug full in my roasting tins on a Sunday to clean them. Same with Washing up liquid.

    DH only likes the Branston baked beans so I try and stock up on those when on offer. HP Sauce - no arguments or room for manouvre on that!

    Swartz packet mixes - maybe it because we have always used them and it's what we prefer but anything else doesn't cut it.

    Coffee, (as previously mentioned) either Gold Blend or Douwe Egberts. Anything else is a poor substitute and believe me we know the difference. Tea bags are another one that we can tell.

    Only use the Oxo cubes. Use the Knorr stock pots allot as well but not really found anything that competes with those.
    Cat, Dogs and the Horses are our fag and beer money :D :beer:
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