Cheap things that last

[Purplepuddle]

I enjoyed reading through the recent thread about expensive things that were worth it. It was pointed out often that more expensive items usually last much longer .I've always valued quality over quantity but due to finances usually go for the cheaper end. I'm lucky to have a few high end items which I cherish and am more likely to be found in Aldi that Waitrose.

Today it occurred to my that the dress I'm wearing was bought from Primark 3 years ago and has had lots of wear yet it still in pristine condition and always gets nice compliments. My coat was £16 from Asda 6 years ago and still does its job and looks decent.

Anyone else find cheaper ended stuff actually isn't as throw away as some people may think?

Lots of primark stuff: disney sweatshirts 8-10years old, nightshirts bras and knickers easily 10years old, Lots of stuff 3-5 years old. Cheap plain coloured mens hoodie and joggers 3-5 years heavy use and lots of frequent washing still looking pretty perfect. Velvet lined leggings

M*s acrylic jumpers l bought for less than £10 easily more than 10 years old probably closer to 20 years

Amazon wool socks 3-4years. Asda socks with cashmere 10 years+

I have a summer dress from Shein that has had tons of wear over the last 4 years as will no doubt come out again next year. I always get compliments for it and someone asked me if it was from Anthropologie last time k wore it. I don't shop there now due to concerns over labour conditions, but it's certainly not 'disposable' fashion!

Bought a potato peeler from Wilkinson’s for roughly 50p 19 years ago. It broke last month (devastating I know). Dh replaced it with a fancy one but it’s crap and I hate it with a passion. Fortunately I don’t cook so rarely even need to look at it 😂

Asda slow cooker. Has lasted years and years. Unlike the two previous expensive Lakeland ones that had a habit of cracking.

Oh, also we did a big kitchen extension about 8 years ago and ended up running massively over budget so made cut backs on certain things that we thought we’d replace over the following year or two, including the bar stools. Bought some cheap ones from Tesco, think they were about £50 each.
most comfortable island chairs I’ve ever sat on, we’ve been round to friends houses where they’ve spent far more on theirs but they’re nowhere near as comfortable. We can (and do) sit on ours for whole evenings and they are just lovely. Sadly they’re looking a bit battered and well loved now - they really do need upgrading but I can’t bring myself to replace them because I doubt we’ll ever again find such comfortable bar stools!

Yes! The sale bin in B&Q always has some really sorry looking plants. I've brought loads back to life. They had monstera for £10 during the summer. I have propagated it too.

Wilko houseplants and seeds.
The plants are much bigger and cheaper than in the garden centre and they often have seeds for £1 per packet which always germinate. (Unlike the the £5 packets from Thompson and Morgan where 50% didn’t germinate)

Aveeno cream - ideal for moisturising face and hands, lasts for ages, very reasonably priced. Will never go back to a posh face cream again.

Matalan £2.50 for four champagne flutes bought over 20 years ago are still going strong and have outlived subsequent ‘posh’ flutes that cost a lot more by shatter easily.

Ooh this is somewhere I’d not thought to but fruit trees from. I wonder if they have blueberry bushes?…

My orange handle scissors still have a school name tape attached to them and I'm in my 60s!