More things not to skimp on

T

tuixiu

Full time employment: Posting here.
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Feb 21, 2008
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I know there are plenty of these threads, but I lean on "not on first page" rules.

1. Bleu/blue cheese dressing. The toothpaste that comes out of cheapo bottles of this belongs as a prop in porn films, not consumed on food. Skimp on Italian by using Kroger brand? Fine maybe worth it, but sheesh not for things white.

2. See #1

Additional entries appreciated.
 
Mayonnaise. Hellman's or not at all. :cool:
I tried the Clover Valley brand found at the local dollar type stores. :yuk: Other Clover Valley food items were fine, but not their mayo. :nonono:
 
Try making your own. It's easy, and even better than Hellmans.
 
Hey, I'm going to switch to Dukes...soon as I buy it.:cool: Some things--like the best salad dressings, mayo, cheese, breads--are just not worth scrimping on IMHO.

You can "cheap" yourself out of the joy of living. Had parents like that. No, thanks.:nonono:
Know a guy who was friends with the stepfather that worked for the IRS high up. Saved every penny, lived in an apartment building on the third floor walkup for years which was a trade-out for his tax services, ate the crappiest food, bought the cheap clothing, never took a vacation. They will be leaving alllllllll that money for a niece and nephew who don't give a tinker's d@mn for them. Thanks, Uncle and Aunt we don't even know...how stupid they were.
If these two were kind, benevolent folks who wanted to help two relatives out I'd understand it better. But these were just to cheap, penny-pinching people who loved bragging about how much money they had...and would rather live like they were in poverty instead of enjoying the fruits of their labor. I don't get it myself.....but to each their own.
 
I agree, Orchid, some of the little, every day splurges are well worth the money and make life a little sweeter provided you are not on a strict budget for some reason. I can't drink really cheap wine. I've tried. Just can't do it. Maybe I just don't know the right wines. I have to hit a middle ground in this area. I think nice hotels and restaurants are another area I would rather not skimp on. I'd rather travel less but better. Sometimes the cost is not really appreciable either, for what you get. I mostly fly coach, but I think business class and first class are worth it for longer trips if you can afford it. Same goes for good seats at the theater. I don't want to sit in peanut heaven if I made the effort to drive in to town and it's not like I attend every week.
 
I can be pretty frugal about about alot of things and price shop almost everything anymore, but, when I got seats to the Opera, I got them in the loge section, which is the lowest seating in the balcony and off to the side. Nobody in front of me EVER and you can see everything from there. In fact, the loge area is usually overhanging the first floor area, so the folks on the first floor have to hope you don't drop anything on their heads. Some things I just do not want to scrimp on.

Conversely, by accident, I found out for me that the best seating at the symphony--where I don't care what the players are doing personally--is in the last few rows of the first floor. Why? The sound bounces off the wall and you hear everything they play...hee, hee, hee!;) And those seats are cheap.

When I went to rock concerts in Houston I got the upper balcony cheap seats. Shoot...you don't have to worry about hearing from any seat there..ha! Anyway, the music is only part of the fun there--the other part being the nutty people there. Lots of fun!
 
Tools. I have learned to buy really good tools. They work so much better. Buy it good and buy it once.
 
Orchid, I have tickets for the opera in Pittsburgh tomorrow "Carmen"....I am in the center about 10 rows up from the orchestra. My cousin persuaded me to subscribe with her for the first time this year but we don't sit together as we bought our tickets at different times and asked for "best available". My tickets for the symphony(I have had a pair of tickets for 15 years) are in the Grand Tier(left)...very close and excellent seats right behind the box seats. The seats make a big difference in my enjoyment. I also get the reserved parking in the nearest garage when I purchase my tickets as it is no fun to have to scavenge for a parking spot when there are lots of competing cultural and sports activities jammed into a relatively small area of the city. I have driven to 3 or 4 garages looking for one that wasn't at capacity before I wised up.
 
haha said:
Tell us how?

Ha
Click to expand...
What you will need:

Equipment:

A food processor (we have a Kitchenaid brand)
A silcone or rubber spatula
2 cup glass measuring cup
lemon juicer
strainer
measuring spoons
A glass container with a screw on top (Mason jar, Ball jar, clean old mayo jar)

Ingredients:

2 large egg yolks
1/2 TBSP Dijon mustard (use a fine grain type, not the kind with big seeds)
2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice (strained to remove seeds and pulp)
or 2 TBSP white wine vinegar (the lemon juice is better)
1/8 tsp ground Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch of white pepper
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cup canola oil (use only canola oil. Do not substitute olive oil, corn oil or vegetable oil)

Process:

Let everything come to room temperature

Put the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, salt and white pepper in the bowl of a food processor with a steel blade.

With the blade running, slowly add a thin stream of canola oil. Do not go too fast. A slow, thin drizzle is best.

When the mixture is properly emulsified (you will have used almost all the oil), stop. The mixture should have the same consistency as a freshly opened, room temperature jar of Hellmans mayonnaise.

Remove the blade and use the silicone spatula to scrape out the mayonnaise into the glass container. Screw on the top and keep in the refrigerator.
 
WhoDaresWins said:
Orchid, I have tickets for the opera in Pittsburgh tomorrow "Carmen"....I am in the center about 10 rows up from the orchestra. My cousin persuaded me to subscribe with her for the first time this year but we don't sit together as we bought our tickets at different times and asked for "best available". My tickets for the symphony(I have had a pair of tickets for 15 years) are in the Grand Tier(left)...very close and excellent seats right behind the box seats. The seats make a big difference in my enjoyment. I also get the reserved parking in the nearest garage when I purchase my tickets as it is no fun to have to scavenge for a parking spot when there are lots of competing cultural and sports activities jammed into a relatively small area of the city. I have driven to 3 or 4 garages looking for one that wasn't at capacity before I wised up.
Click to expand...

You're going pretty classy! If it gives you enjoyment then do it! Heck with this save, save, save ALL the time. Some things are just not worth scrimping on, so good for you!

Houston was really easy to find space to park, but Chicago...forgetaboutit!
 
I always buy the best quality I can possibly afford with everything. I have no kids and life insurance will cover final bills so I am going to enjoy retirement.
 
Heat in the winter. We keep the house at 77 F, sometimes higher. The heck with that wearing scarves and wool hats and being chilled all the time.

But what we spend in the winter we save in the summer. The A/C is set at 79-80 then.
 
Walt34 said:
Heat in the winter. We keep the house at 77 F, sometimes higher. The heck with that wearing scarves and wool hats and being chilled all the time.

But what we spend in the winter we save in the summer. The A/C is set at 79-80 then.
Click to expand...
A/C...an ongoing but peaceful "bone of contention" between dh2b and I.
My house is not set up with built in air flow vents. It has a late 1970s vintage baseboard copper pipe heating system with water flowing through a closed system. Very efficient system design. :D
He had a few contractors come over and propose quite a few things, such as an attic based A/C unit with vents cut into every room, OR cut an opening in the dining room wall for an exterior vertical mounted unit, etc etc.
I just stood there in amusement as they attempted every type of approach to make this sale. I did not disclose my techie background to the contractors. >:D
When the numbers were sent, I just looked at the quotes and laughed my head off.
Anybody who has ever lived in upstate NY (or nearby states) realizes that our summer temps may hit the mid 90s for a short while here and there, and humidity is very low compared to lower latitudes. Who needs A/C ? :confused:
The requirements survey and cost/benefit tradeoff analyses failed miserably. So I am [-]skimping on[/-] ix-naying any costs necessary for retrofitting to cool the house. :)
 
Mid 90s without AC? :banghead: :dead:

However, a small room AC would suffice. Surely, you have one.
 
The toothpaste that comes out of cheapo bottles of this belongs as a prop in porn films, not consumed on food.
Click to expand...
Never skimp on porn film props.

I only noticed yesterday that Saffola mayonaise contains high-fructose corn syrup.

[These two comments are not related.]
 
NW-Bound said:
Mid 90s without AC? :banghead: :dead:

However, a small room AC would suffice. Surely, you have one.
Click to expand...
Yes, we have a small window AC unit in the bedroom. We use a huge round floor fan to draw the cool air out in the daytime. We close the door to sleep nice and cool at night. Every room has ceiling fans.
When I save up enough to replace the front bow window, I will select a traditional style with a middle flat glass window with two large side sash windows so we can put an AC unit in the living room. There is a plan...:D

Mid 90s is a very rare ocurrence and humidity is very low when it hits those temps.
NOAA's National Weather Service - Binghamton, NY - Past News

Note the number of cloudy/partly cloudy (PC) days and annual precipitation in all forms. See why I'm always dreaming of traipsing off to FL? :cool:
 
Coffee and chocolate. I'd rather have less often than have it (cheaper) more often.

I agree on tools too. I try to buy the best value on most everything, often not the cheapest - and best value is unique to each person.
 
The best quality thing can be tricky. El cheapo socks cost about a dollar a pair and last less than a year. SmartWool socks feel twice as nice, cost $14 a pair and last about two years.
 
Exercise gear for sports I do a lot. I buy the running shoes that work best for me, and I have a variety for road running, racing, easy trails, rocky trails, and trail racing. My running clothes all have to be moisture-wicking to avoid chafing, and I have a wide variety for all types of weather. Running packs that fit well and don't bounce. This doesn't mean I buy the most expensive stuff, just stuff I think work well for me, and then I search for the best price. It didn't matter so much when I was a 4 mile fair weather runner, but for the amount I run now, it pays off. I also justify it because running is what keeps my weight down and makes me feel better overall, so that's worth the price.

I also ski about 75 times a year, so I have clothes for all kinds of weather, including long underwear, jackets, socks, gloves, etc. I may take more breaks when it is cold, but I won't miss a day just because it is frigid and windy. I also have 2 sets of skis--one for powder/slush/crud, and another for when the snow is firm and well-groomed.

In contrast, I golf a lot too, but I'm not good enough that the best stuff will improve my game and enjoyment, so I skimp some here. I play with average quality clubs, and I usually play with balls I've found, especially since I can usually find really good balls on my course.
 
+ 1 RunningBum. I have tried some of the cheaper apparel from Target and find that it does not work as well, so for me the extra money spent on a quality technical shirt or running tights is worth it.
 
Thanks for the mayo recipe, Gumby. I just made it and it turned out perfectly. I left out the cayenne pepper, I used lemon juice from a bottle, I used 1/8 tsp of salt, and no pepper. It's fun to watch it transform from oil egg yolks into mayonnaise.
 
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