General Discussion

xchrom

(108,903 posts) Tue Jun 10, 2014, 05:13 AM Jun 2014

5 Products Consumers Like to Scrimp On, But Shouldn’t

http://www.alternet.org/5-products-consumers-scrimp-shouldnt

1. Plumbing fixtures. When remodeling or doing home repairs, we often get caught up in details involving the tiles, cabinets, counters, and flooring. Plumbing fixtures are often an afterthought. Fixtures are often purchased without much research and at big box hardware stores. But this benign neglect has its consequences, and can leave homeowners all wet, literally.

***SNIP

2. Mattresses. Few things are as vital to your health as a good night’s rest, which makes buying a quality mattress very important. And if you often find yourself waking up tired and with body aches, it’s probably time to start looking for a new one. A good rule of thumb is to buy a new mattress every 12-15 years, regardless of how restful your sleep is.

***SNIP

3. Computer memory. If your computer starts to get sluggish or you start hearing a rhythmic whir from the hard drive, your computer would likely benefit from an increase in RAM (or random access memory). Upgrading RAM is the most inexpensive way to bolster performance, and it’s typically very easy even for novices to install, especially on desktops.

***SNIP

4. Tires. Next to your car’s brakes and restraint system, the tires are probably its most critical safety component. So there is no good reason to shod your car with cheap off-brand rubber.

5 replies

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Highlight:

5 Products Consumers Like to Scrimp On, But Shouldn’t (Original Post) xchrom Jun 2014 OP

I rarely find.. sendero Jun 2014 #1

I'm really surprised they left out food Populist_Prole Jun 2014 #2

Yup. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #4

3. computer memory-not necessarily. hobbit709 Jun 2014 #3

I think the suggestion is that the 'rhythmic whir' Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2014 #5

sendero

(28,552 posts)

1. I rarely find..

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 05:42 AM

Jun 2014

... articles on such subjects to be very useful, but I agree with this one. While I don't think you have to go high-end on each of these items, these are definitely things you do not want to go low-end on

Populist_Prole

(5,364 posts)

2. I'm really surprised they left out food

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 06:02 AM

Jun 2014

Seriously. It seems so many are willing to scrimp on food while splurging on stupid gadgetry shit. Time and time again I see people turning up their noses to quality food and being loyal to tasteless corporate/chain garbage; due to price alone...and it's all marginal. It's like they regard eating as just another bodily function or chore that has to be done and got over with.

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)

4. Yup.

Reply to Populist_Prole (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 08:13 AM

Jun 2014

Food is probably where I overspend. I scrimp elsewhere so I can buy better quality food.

But I also spend up on durable goods. When I buy furniture, I try to buy stuff that will survive longer than I will. Too much of the crap being offered to us these days simply falls apart with a year or two's use. Spend $50 or even $200 on an office chair from Staples, and within a year, the 'bonded leather' crap has cracked apart and is jagged and abrasive on the chair arms. Save up, spend up, and buy a chair that will still be comfortable and in good shape decades down the road.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

3. 3. computer memory-not necessarily.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 06:17 AM

Jun 2014

If it had sufficient memory to start with, adding more memory will not help.
cleaning out the junk files, streamlining the startup, and closing unused programs will do more to speed it up than anything else.

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)

5. I think the suggestion is that the 'rhythmic whir'

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 08:17 AM

Jun 2014

is page thrashing, with 'virtual memory' being swapped out on the hard disk. But certainly ditching as many TSR background programs as possible helps with that. Always good to check your Task Manager window every so often to keep an eye on things if you're running windows.

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