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Original poster

Examples of false economy where cheap means crap

245 replies

unn · 10/09/2025 16:48

. Buying cheap baking trays and tins
. Buying economy washing up liquid. You need half a bottle to produce suds

OP posts:
looselegs · 10/09/2025 18:36

Silverbirchleaf · 10/09/2025 16:49

Cheap bin bags.

Was going to say the same!

Original poster
unn · 10/09/2025 18:35

@CalzoneOnLegs I agree with the cheese. Those breeze blocks of economy cheddar have no taste in them. A couple of slices of a better quality cheddar - you can taste it.

Another food example- bacon. The cheap stuff has lots of fat and rind to trim off leaving with FA bacon.

OP posts:
SpottyAardvark · 10/09/2025 18:32

Definitely tyres.

Cheapo tyres are fine for pootling around town at 30mph. But when you need to make an emergency stop on the motorway in pouring rain, you will which you had paid for proper tyres.

NeedAnyHelpWithThatPaperBag · 10/09/2025 18:29

YANBU. Or things that aren't cheap, but in reality are masquerading as quality.

oncemoreuntothebeachdearfriends · 10/09/2025 18:27

Flat-pack furniture. OK in situ, but try moving it.....

Anyahyacinth · 10/09/2025 18:27

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 10/09/2025 17:58

I'm not so sure, you don't hear any complaints about faulty ones

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😂♥️

Anyahyacinth · 10/09/2025 18:26

BreezyPeachGoose · 10/09/2025 17:35

Parachutes.

😂

taxguru · 10/09/2025 18:24

Food
Clothes
Vacuum cleaners
Tools and gadgets
Furniture

Basically everything really. There's a reason why "cheap" things are cheap.

CalzoneOnLegs · 10/09/2025 18:18

Tea and coffee
cheese
tomatoes
eggs

actually most food, excluding carrots as they are cheap and good

Mumptynumpty · 10/09/2025 18:14

Furniture. Old Victorian is better than new stuff.

White goods generally. Sometimes you get lucky.

Hoovers but not Dyson which is stupid prices.

Cars.

Bedding.

Glassware.

LifeBeginsToday · 10/09/2025 18:10

Anything from Shein or Temu

MyDogHumpsThings · 10/09/2025 18:08

Large picture frames

NormasArse · 10/09/2025 18:07

Hiking shoes/boots.

Loo roll.

Chompingatthebeat · 10/09/2025 18:06

Fast fashion

PuppyMonkey · 10/09/2025 17:59

Chardonnay.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 10/09/2025 17:58

BreezyPeachGoose · 10/09/2025 17:35

Parachutes.

I'm not so sure, you don't hear any complaints about faulty ones

Bluebay · 10/09/2025 17:55

Butteredtoast55 · 10/09/2025 17:29

Clothes and bed linen. Today I am proudly wearing a cotton shirt (M&S) I've had for over 20 years which is in excellent condition because it was decent quality in the first place.

I have some sheets and pillowcases in a primrose yellow colour that my mother-in-law had from at least the 1970s. They are a cotton/terylene mix.
They look like new. They don't crease - at all!
Feel much like slightly thicker poly-cotton, but they are much, much better quality.
I don't think you can buy terylene blend sheets now. (IIRC my school dresses were the same type of cloth in the 1960s).

Violinist64 · 10/09/2025 17:47

Shoes, especially children's shoes.

smallpinecone · 10/09/2025 17:47

Washing up liquid
Cutlery
Sofas/armchairs
Wrapping paper
Felt tip pens

ByLimeAnt · 10/09/2025 17:43

MirandaWest · 10/09/2025 17:29

Bin bags
Tin foil

Sorry to derail...Antonia Forest fan????

Butteredtoast55 · 10/09/2025 17:40

YouCouldFallOutWithYourselfInAnEmptyRoom · 10/09/2025 17:37

Expensive doesn’t mean quality these days though.
I still have a perfectly shaped BHS T-shirt, it’s been gone nearly a decade, but the T-shirt was several years old then already.
I don’t see the same quality as that T anywhere these days, even if they are expensive.

Show quote history

I agree that quality generally is poor these days but I think decent fabric makes a difference. Also, I'm not advocating wildly expensive, just not dirt cheap...for ethical reasons as well as cost.

DabOfPistachio · 10/09/2025 17:39

MargaretThursday · 10/09/2025 17:35

Tyres

I came on to say this. Risky too.

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 10/09/2025 17:38

Bin bags
loo roll (but also, I’m not buying branded)
fake designer goods - still more expensive than unbranded, and probably not as good quality as H&M, for example

YouCouldFallOutWithYourselfInAnEmptyRoom · 10/09/2025 17:37

Butteredtoast55 · 10/09/2025 17:29

Clothes and bed linen. Today I am proudly wearing a cotton shirt (M&S) I've had for over 20 years which is in excellent condition because it was decent quality in the first place.

Expensive doesn’t mean quality these days though.
I still have a perfectly shaped BHS T-shirt, it’s been gone nearly a decade, but the T-shirt was several years old then already.
I don’t see the same quality as that T anywhere these days, even if they are expensive.

MargaretThursday · 10/09/2025 17:35

Tyres