Where do you draw the line? (items, best, old)

[Gerania]

You can buy supplements containing predigested protein. Maybe that's used food.

[London Girl]

Originally Posted by montanamom

I'm very frugal because I have to be. But some cheap versions of things are not even worth buying.

I won't buy cheap chocolate - the waxy "chocolate flavoured" candy they put out at Easter, etc. Ick.

If I'm going to buy ice cream, I want the GOOD stuff. Ben & Jerrys, Bryers, etc. No cheap store brands of ice cream unless their premium.

I splurge on organic meat. I don't want my meat pumped up with water and who knows what else. I'd rather have a smaller portion of good meat.

We've stopped buying most processed foods also. The real stuff tastes so much better and is so much cheaper.

I also have learned not to buy cheap dishwashing liquid. It's nothing but water and doesn't cut the grease.

You sound like me!!!!!!!!! I don't bother with anything "chocolate flavor" - yuk, yuk, yuk.

I am from the UK so tend to prefer the European chocolate I can get in the store - Lindt for example.

I don't know what they do to some of the chocolate here in the US but it always has a faint whiff of puke to it - can't stand the smell and taste of it. Maybe they use soured milk or something

I also avoid processed foods - all those chemicals bother me.

And I also buy organic meat - wish it was a little cheaper though.

And I agree, cheap dishwashing liquid is a false "economy".

[London Girl]

Originally Posted by Fat Freddy

I don't buy toilet paper.
I wipe myself with the junk mail I get.
Then I send it back.

I don't really do that.
I have thought about it though.

But when I figured out what it would me cost me, I decided to use the money to hire someone to wipe my butt

With Charmin.

I don't do that either
But I'm still thinking about it.

[bigcats]

Dog food. She'll only eat this $2.20 a can stuff so that's what she gets.

Soup concentrate stuff - Better Than Bouillion. Quite expensive (almost $6.00) but I make a lot of soup and I don't like the junk in most of the stuff or the work involved in making my own broth.

I went a long time without ever buying paper towels, just used washable cloths and considered paper towels unnecessary and wasteful. Cat puke and foster kittens with hideous diarrheal diseases caused me to convert, and I haven't gone back even though I haven't had kittens in a while, even though I still believe they are unncessary and wasteful I like the Target brand. The nearest Target is 3 hours away though so I have to stock up when I go out that way!

[oldhousegirl]

I like the nice thick paper towels and napkins. They last so much longer.

[debtmonger]

Tires and brakes. Safety is more important than frugality.

[Lincolnian]

Beer. I only will drink good beer.

[London Girl]

Originally Posted by Lincolnian

Beer. I only will drink good beer.

Me too.

Bud Lite???? WTF????? I really don't see the point of that stuff. Tastes like "beer flavoured soda" and flushes through worse than coffee

Originally posted by Bigcats Soup concentrate stuff - Better Than Bouillion. Quite expensive (almost $6.00) but I make a lot of soup and I don't like the junk in most of the stuff or the work involved in making my own broth.

I use Better Than Bouillion too - I really like it for soups. It's a little cheaper here (about $4.79).

[Easybreezy]

Originally Posted by movingtohouston

Mayonaise. Gotta have Hellman's. Have tried several cheap alternatives and just can't do it.

I'm with you on Hellman's, the others just aren't worth the money.

Also, while there are some Charmin fans on the forum, I personally like Cottonelle with aloe. I always buy it in a 12 pack, on sale, and with a coupon, and stockpile it. On the rare situations when I have to buy toilet paper, I've bought store brand (Wegmans). It was ok, but not quite as good as the Cottonelle.

I think sometimes people confuse being frugal with buying the least costliest item (the cheapest). Being cheap is not frugal. It's value. VALUE the balance between cost and quality is what I look for.

[luzianne]

I have to have Bounty paper towels. The other brands seem chintzy in comparison. And I used to insist on Northern toilet paper; used it for years. But when I started buy TP and Costco they didn't have Northern, so I've switched to Charmin. I still prefer Northern, but I'm used to Charmin now.