We always hear the phrase "you get what you pay for," but sometimes the incredibly cheap, seemingly low-quality stuff just absolutely refuses to die. For me, it was a completely random, no-name phone charger that I bought in a panic at a gas station for just a few dollars years ago. I fully expected it to break or stop charging within a week.
Instead, it has somehow miraculously outlived three original, wildly expensive name-brand cables that eventually frayed and stopped working. It really makes you question the crazy markups on branded electronics and accessories.
I'm incredibly curious about everyone else's experiences with this. What is your absolute best accidental cheap purchase that turned out to be practically indestructible? It could be tools, kitchen gadgets, electronics, clothing, or anything else!
What is a cheap, off-brand item you bought on a whim that has completely outlasted the expensive name-brand versions?
byu/PrizeScallion1540 inFrugal
Posted by PrizeScallion1540
11 Comments
Wonky usb 2.0 hub I got from my father over 15 years ago. Still wonky, still in regular use, still no problems. It was less than 2 dollars, cheap Chinese plastic, never fails.
I have a backpack that was used as a diaper bag then used as a school backpack. It has lasted +20 years. It’s unbranded except for a small red oak leaf. I don’t even remember where I bought it.
A knock-off Tyme hair curler. I wanted one so bad, but, as a woman who’s never had luck getting my hair to hold curl, I was not going to spend $200 on a new curling iron.
Saw an ad for a Chinese knock-off for $50-ish, including shipping. Best curler I’ve ever had, to this day. I can’t explain why but when I curl my hair with that, it holds for days.
ETA: mine seems dumb compared to others, but it sparks joy for me so I’m leaving it.
Rubber slides from the dollar store.
I agreed to swim laps with a classmate at university as we had 3h to kill between classes. So I bought cheap shower slides.
In 2011.
Our swimming commitment barely lasted the semester but I kept wearing them.
They lived in my gym bag for communal showers. I bring them to the spa and on trips. I wear them in our boat. Around the house. In the garden. To wash the car or as patio slippers in summer. For yardwork not involving machinery. To take the trash or at the beach.
For 3$ it’s by far the cheapest thing I use all the time.
I bought some knockoff bone conduction headphones from Amazon, they are easily as good as the premium ones (Shockz, always seem to die after about a year)
A $20 Lodge cast iron skillet does just as fine as expensive pans that cost 10x as much. If you really want to go off-brand even the Mainstays Walmart ones are completely fine.
But with Lodge, since they have sold sooo many, you can buy the skillet from thrift stores/garage sales for way less than $20 because they are just huge hunks of iron that will literally outlive everyone you know.
The last name brand thing I can remember buying is motor oil for my truck. 99% of what I buy is no name / store brand or thrifted.
A lot of the off brands and places like Aldi are really good.
REI long-sleeve technical tee shirts vs. Arc’teryx and others. I never liked the store-brand REI gear, but it’s actually much better, IMO.
Years ago when electronic scopes for rifles were a new thing I decided to buy the cheapest one and figure out what I liked or disliked about the scope before I dropped big money on one. A starter model. Well I could not get the dam thing to break or lose point of impact or brightness. It worked perfect. Stayed on that rifle for a couple of decades.
I have a $20 pair of snow pants I bought from Walmart over 15 years ago.