Ask Lemmy
A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions
Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try [email protected]
Rules: (interactive)
1) Be nice and; have fun
Doxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them
2) All posts must end with a '?'
This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?
3) No spam
Please do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.
4) NSFW is okay, within reason
Just remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either [email protected] or [email protected].
NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].
5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions.
If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email [email protected]. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.
Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.
Partnered Communities:
Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu
Water
Air filters. For car, HVAC, etc. Branded or OEM stuff is usually overpriced.
One exception: I wouldn't buy a noname filter claiming to e.g. be a hepa filter or having high MERV rating - I wouldn't trust a brand that might not be around long enough to be penalized for false advertising
Hot dog buns. In my opinion, the generic, white, store brand buns make the best hot dogs.
Things like gift bags, disposible table cloths, tableware.... Get all that at the dollar store.
I don't cheap out on things. Rather, when I'm shopping I'm already looking for something that fills the need and is inexpensive. That's the goal. The default stance is to spend as little money as reasonable.
Liquor in general. Don't buy the cheapest shit on the shelf, go for the 25-50 range and you'll be set. Unless it's something you're passionate about and enjoy exploring there's no need to spring for the expensive booze. Liqueres and assorted (non liquor) cocktail ingredients on the otherhand... go for the genuine article. 99% of the time you'll still be in that 25-50 range so I hardly see a point in being cheap with them
People are gonna pillory me for this, but flashlights.
First off, you want something that runs off two AAAs, regardless of price. If you can't walk into any gas station, or any grocery store, or what have you, and buy batteries for your flashlight when it dies, it's not gonna matter how bright it was before it died. You also don't want anything brighter than ~200 lumens at the very most, unless you actually need one brighter, for some reason; they drain batteries way faster. You want something thin enough that you're able to clip it inside your pocket and forget it's there. You also want one that has an end switch that toggles between two modes: "full power" and "turned off." If you have one that toggles between low and high settings, you will only use the high setting. If you have one that toggles between low and high settings, and strobe and SoS, you will only use the high setting. Every additional step in between "all the way off" and "all the way on" is just friction you don't need, that will do nothing but piss you off every time you use the damned thing.
The features that make big, fancy flashlights expensive, are anti-features.
T-shirts. Get a 5 pack each of white, black, and another color you like. There, you're set for like a year for $30.
Headphones. Once you get to the $300 range, the more expensive ones sound different, not necessarily better. I have some electrostatics that have great extension, but the “real” sound is so harsh after a few hours.
I'm not sure you should "cheap out" on headphones per se. The really cheap ones are usually horrible, both in terms of sound quality, usability and comfort (well, except for wired Apple ones, allegedly, though they never fit me right). It's just that it makes no sense to go for really expensive ones, unless you're really into audio and love hearing the tiny sound reproduction differences between them, or enjoying the different tech etc. The middle ground of $50-$100 for in-ears and $100-300 for over-ears will often offer you good/great/excellent sound quality and the same usability&comfort as more expensive ones.
For most people, tools. Most tools will be able to complete the essential tasks. Most people will get by with cheap or used tools.
I have a motto "cheap gets the job done, expensive does it faster". If you are a hobbyist working on your own time there, feel no pressure to get a "real" tool. Additionally if you are a hobbyist short on personal time, you might want something better.
Saline nasal spray. Just get the generic. It's just freaking salt water.