Buy cheap buy twice?

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I have heard this many times and sometimes I absolutely agree, other times I have been caught out and the more expensive item has fallen to bits in a few days while the cheap item is still going strong.

What is your experience?❓

For me it's all about quality not price. Good quality items are not the cheapest but the most expensive are not necessarily the best. This is especially true with clothes, many brands are just over-priced acrylic and polyester. I have no idea why people buy them...

Generally yes but second hand is cheap and often great quality and in fantastic condition.

I totally agree with clothes. Some designer items are like dish cloths.

Yes to quality- some expensive clothes are made of crappy, cheap fibres and are badly cut.
the long sleeve t shirts and t shirts that have lasted me for years are infact from Primark and cheap as chips.

I’ve reluctantly moved to this position.
I sustain it by buying second hand so expensive quality, cheap price.

I seem to have the opposite experience with clothes, I mainly buy cheap clothes but when I’ve bought more expensive the jumpers seem to bobble, the T shirts get misshapen around the neck. I’ve given up with expensive clothes now apart from shoes and bags. My Primark sweatshirts last for ages.
Furniture wise I find mid price works for me as I like changing it every seven years or so and then either selling it or giving it away.

I sew. I don't make my own clothes as I really don't have the time. But what this enables me to do is to look at garment construction and assess the fabric, method, cut, care taken and value.

I'm rarely caught out. I generally don't shop for specific brands but I would buy them if they measured up to my critique.

I've found recently that the Weird Fish cotton dresses are well made, decent fabric and at £25 in the sales I couldn't buy the fabric to make them for this. They out perform White stuff which is 2-3 x the price.

The quality of a particular brand's jersey T shirts is a good reflection on their cutting and sewing attention to detail. Well made T shirts sit flat after washing, don't bobble, and seams don't twist.

I always look in charity shops.

Not true of some expensive clothes. True of the Chinese made tat on amazon. Its so hard nowadays to get anything good quality. Shonky materials and manufacturing come as standard and paying more doesn't get you quality.

Electrical goods - buy cheap defo buy twice - I go for reputable brands mid range

Adult clothes - higher end high street. IE next. Primark is fast fashion and falls apart much more quickly.

I would not buy.
Cheap perfume.
Cheap ready meals.
Cheap bedding.
Cheap toiletries.
Cheap socks.
Cheap ornaments.
and probably loads more as I can tell just by looking at them they are rubbish.

This is my experience too. Plenty of expensive brands that produce that, and cheaper brands that make good value, good quality products.

I think in most cases you are better off buying cheap.

The possible exception for me is shoes which I tend to wear out. I have found that the cheapest do wear out faster.

For most other things (clothes, electronics, etc) I don't use them until they no longer function so durability isn't the most important consideration.

I find most bottom of the range things to the job they are designed for. Even if they do become unusable sooner, it's often cheaper to buy twice than buy once.

In defence of luxury goods, I'd say quality =/= durability. There are well made things made out of delicate materials that aren't designed to be hardwearing. They have other attractive properties.

I live fairly minimalist and go by the mantra of less, but better. So, yes I do agree with the statement.

A great point regarding how a garment is made ... I wish I had your knowledge!

For the untrained eyes like mine, for clothing, it's worth checking out Justine Leconte on YouTube who is also a dress maker. Some very helpful tips.

It's just not always true. I'm sick of people saying Primark clothes are disposable. I have leggings, tees, PJs, chinos that have lasted for a good five years, still good as new - kept their shape and colour. Some clothes ten times the price have disintegrated after a season.

The last cotton fitted sheet I bought from Tesco for £13 for a superking size is better than my John Lewis ones!

I think it’s always quality rather than price. The reason so many “brands” are able to sell their products which are often shoddy, using basic fabrics at hugely inflated prices are because gullible people believe the hype.

If you don’t want to, or can’t buy second hand, sales are one answer. It’s probably end of season/ out of season, but will be OK for the next year.

We don’t have many ready meals, but Aldi’s lasagne is better than Charlie Bigham ‘s at less than half the price.

I’m wearing a Matalan t shirt today, that’s at least seven years old.

I've bought some cheap clothes and not had a problem. Won't buy cheap shoes again though.

Won't buy cheap electronics.

Some cheap food is horrible; but generally, I've not had a problem with it.

I think it's true depending on the item type.

I've had my dualit toaster for 17 years, it's still in perfect condition. Same with my artisan kitchen aid mixer.

I bought a 500.00 fridge freezer it was on offer at the time. It broke within two years and everyone with the same model of Samsung had the same problem. I’m now buying again after two years. Honestly tempted to buy cheap as my cheaper fridge freezers lasted longer

Totally agree. My Dualit toaster is coming up to 28 years old. I felt like I was paying a small fortune when I bought it as a new grad but I'd been brought up to buy the best I could afford and look after things. I suspect it will outlive me at this rate.

Sadly I get the impression though that modern versions of some of the old classic quality brands aren't quite up to same standards as manufacturers have cut quality to try to keep costs lower. Could also be that some companies have brought out much cheaper lines and are trading off their brand name but no surprise that these lines aren't the same quality. For example, Kitchen Aid who now seem to sell cheaper pans - I paid £125 (in the Selfridges sale!) for a Kitchen Aid pan almost 20 years ago. No way is that the same quality as the ones I see them selling now for £55 full price (first world problems I know!)

I always wanted a Smeg kettle and finally got one and it was rubbish quality.

Agree, but the saying for me is “buy cheap quality, buy twice” as it’s really nothing to do with the £££ you spend.

I do buy a lot second hand for environmental reasons and I do not buy from any retailer associated with/exposed for child labour or sweatshop conditions for social responsibility reasons. This excludes many of the cheaper priced shops, so I recognise when buying new I do pay a bit extra for same level of quality.

Not always true. I bought 2 dresses last summer. Both the same style. The one that's very popular at the moment. Rushed/elastic/gathered top. Midi length. Square neckline at front and back. Dress one mint velvet denim coloured approximately £85. Dress two Tesco. Black £15. Both look the same on. Both wash well. I have to iron the Mint Velvet one but not the Tesco one so probably better fabric mix in Mint Velvet one. But for hanging out in the Summer? Both equally fine. Tesco one no more throw away fashion than the other one. Will be wearing both for summers to come. People are on tight budgets and cheap and cheerful doesn't always mean less wear or durability. Sometimes the reverse is true. I'll wear the Tesco one for sitting in the garden but I tend to feel I should be going out somewhere to wear the Mint Velvet one so the cheap one is getting worn more