Author Topic: Expensive things you've tried that just aren't worth it (add to the list!)  (Read 46289 times)

Uturn

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Chick-Fil-A are glorious little pieces of chicken deep fried in crack. 

Inaya

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chick-fil-a
Chick-Fil-A is literally the only place I ever get "fast food" and I rarely go more than once a month (usually a lot less than that).
I love it so much.

Same? I have no idea what Kaikou is smoking.

Chipotle. I could make 8 burritos at home for the same price as 1 Chipotle burrito, and they'd taste way better. I give my coworker any free coupons I get in the mail, and he gets so excited you'd think I'd given him a raise or something. I don't get it.

Say whaaa? I mean I know Chipotle is a bit overrated sometimes, but it's one of the better places to eat if you're going to spend < $10. I would love to see the details behind getting 8 (!?) burritos that big for the price of ~$7.50.


The primary components of burritos are dirt cheap. Maybe 8 was a bit of hyperbole, but you can make a lot of burritos at home for $8. I don't know, maybe it's just the Chipotles I've been to. I feel like it's 75% tortilla and rice/beans, with a little bit of meat and cheese to make it interesting. You get veggies or salsa, you end up with a gloopy starchy mess. Oh and if you love guac, you pay $2 (!!!) extra. (There's a place here that actually doesn't charge extra for the guac, so we go there when my husband wants crappy expensive burritos--I go under protest and get a taco.)

I guess I'm lucky that around here there are lots of good under-$10 options.

Kaikou

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Women.



Just kidding just kidding (its Friday before a holiday weekend so I'm feelin' my oats), but I couldn't resist (happily married for many years BTW).

Don't worry. Someone already said Husbands...and they weren't joking. Equality

Kaikou

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Sorry Chick-fil-a does not taste right. Is it fresh and the workers are nice Yes! The food is disgusting sorry.

afuera

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Chick-Fil-A are glorious little pieces of chicken deep fried in crack.
Agreed. Don't even get me started on their chocolate milkshakes...

Kaydedid

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1) Baby toys.  They love random stuff like empty water bottles, and relatives always buy too many for birthdays.

2) Hypoallergenic face wash.  Still caused breakouts, rinsing with water or washing with coconut oil doesn't.

3) Too many fireworks.  It's fun for the first 30 min, but after that the enjoyment dips. 

4) Fancy hair masks.  Allergic to most, don't work as well as egg-white-and-oil mixture.

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Rollin

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Women.



Just kidding just kidding (its Friday before a holiday weekend so I'm feelin' my oats), but I couldn't resist (happily married for many years BTW).

Don't worry. Someone already said Husbands...and they weren't joking. Equality

Yeah, we are like moths to the flame...

Cyaphas

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Breville Juicer: The prep and cost of vegetables is almost as ridiculous as the price of the unit. I used it a couple of weeks and then gave it to a friend. I think this Fad is over.

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Breville Juicer: The prep and cost of vegetables is almost as ridiculous as the price of the unit. I used it a couple of weeks and then gave it to a friend. I think this Fad is over.

Yep, that's why I sold mine. Plus juice without the fiber isn't all that healthy.

I'm the kind of person that usually regrets meals out at sitdown restaurants as not being worth the $. cheap eats like kabobs are a different story.

Metric Mouse

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Trips to Australia. There are so many more beautiful beaches closer to home that don't require hours on an airplane burning through more fuel than might otherwise be used by a normal person in a year.  I'm not sure I'd ever make the trip again.

NV Teacher

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I'm ashamed to admit that I bought $12 a pound hamburger and hot dogs.  The hot dogs were crap and the hamburger was no better than the stuff we got from our last beef that was less than $3 a pound.  I won't make that mistake twice.

sun and sand

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Husbands.   :\

I like your sense of humour!!!

I'd say they're probably not joking. Never had one of my own, but I totally don't understand the appeal


I'd also say that they are not joking.....they are just not worth it. 

englyn

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Trips to Australia. There are so many more beautiful beaches closer to home that don't require hours on an airplane burning through more fuel than might otherwise be used by a normal person in a year.  I'm not sure I'd ever make the trip again.
Trips to beaches anywhere. I'm somewhere fascinating like Barcelona or Greece and nearby travellers are raving about the beaches to me and look all deflated when I say "I'm not that fussed, I'm from Australia..."

SoccerLounge

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Trips to beaches anywhere. I'm somewhere fascinating like Barcelona or Greece and nearby travellers are raving about the beaches to me and look all deflated when I say "I'm not that fussed, I'm from Australia..."

Right? I mean, beaches are nice in small doses but there's only so much you can do on a bunch of sterile rock granules bordering some undrinkable water. Give me a mountain lake anytime. :)

hollis

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High End / Carbon Fiber bicycles. 

I am a bike mechanic and work on all sorts of bikes.  Bikes in the $1000-$1500 range are perfectly fine for even demanding riders.   Beyond that is just fractional gains...and it really isn't worth it unless you are an elite racer.   

DINKs

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Bought a projector for my man cave. It's loud and blows hot air. Used it maybe 10 times.

zolotiyeruki

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Bought a projector for my man cave. It's loud and blows hot air. Used it maybe 10 times.
Interesting that you haven't used it much.  DW and I use ours a few times per week.  Haven't been to a movie theater in several years.

DagobertDuck

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High End / Carbon Fiber bicycles. 

I am a bike mechanic and work on all sorts of bikes.  Bikes in the $1000-$1500 range are perfectly fine for even demanding riders.   Beyond that is just fractional gains...and it really isn't worth it unless you are an elite racer.   

True. I was asked some bike buying advice and was quite surprised what a great bike you can get for $1200. (okay, the wheels probably suck but the wheels on $ 2.5K biks suck just as hard)
But aren't mechanics supposed to ride singlespeeds or parts bin builds? ;-)

dcheesi

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Bought a projector for my man cave. It's loud and blows hot air. Used it maybe 10 times.
Maybe you just got a lemon?

I loved my projector back when I had a place for it. Sure it had some fan noise, but nothing that was noticeable once the movie started. (Protip: calibrate your sound system with the projector turned on, that way it's already factored in to the sound-field.)

And how else are you going to get a 100" display for <$1000?

Sailor Sam

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Trips to beaches anywhere. I'm somewhere fascinating like Barcelona or Greece and nearby travellers are raving about the beaches to me and look all deflated when I say "I'm not that fussed, I'm from Australia..."

Right? I mean, beaches are nice in small doses but there's only so much you can do on a bunch of sterile rock granules bordering some undrinkable water. Give me a mountain lake anytime. :)

Yes! Thank you for the validation, everyone. I work on the ocean, and I can definitively say that the land-sea interface is the least pleasant part. It's where all the ick washes up. I'd rather be 300 miles out.

DagobertDuck

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Mountains over beaches for me. But indeed, I don't get all the fuss about beaches.

Jack

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The primary components of burritos are dirt cheap. Maybe 8 was a bit of hyperbole, but you can make a lot of burritos at home for $8. I don't know, maybe it's just the Chipotles I've been to. I feel like it's 75% tortilla and rice/beans, with a little bit of meat and cheese to make it interesting. You get veggies or salsa, you end up with a gloopy starchy mess. Oh and if you love guac, you pay $2 (!!!) extra. (There's a place here that actually doesn't charge extra for the guac, so we go there when my husband wants crappy expensive burritos--I go under protest and get a taco.)

I make Americanized-Mexican at home a lot, but also enjoy Chipotle a lot. For me, the thing that makes Chipotle worth it is the barbacoa and carnitas, which are time-consuming to replicate at home and kind of hard to get right. (So far, at least -- if anybody's got a good Chipotle copycat barbacoa recipe, let me know!)

jengod

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* When I was younger and dumber I waltzed into Neiman Marcus and picked up a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. ~$400? I think I told myself they were a BIFL purchase that I would be able to use for work stuff. Well, they are just really painful stiletto high heels, same as it ever was. Also, did you know that pregnancy can cause your shoe size to change? After I had my first kid I went from a 6 to a 6.5/7 and the fancies were unwearable. Also, I became a SAHM. So I sold them on eBay. I'm really more of a Keds/Vans person anyway.

* I have a couple of All-Clad pans that I like just fine (one was steeply discounted when Linens 'N' Things when out of business, one I paid full retail), but I've found that I don't really need it when I have (a) the inherited Revereware I got from my grandma and supplemented with $5 thrift finds and (b) vintage cast-iron skillets and a Dutch oven from estate sales. I have lost any ambition to have a suite of All-Clad cookware. Ditto Le Creuset, at least until pots can become like the characters in Beauty and the Beast and actually do all the work for me.

* Expensive private universities for undergrad. I have been to the mountaintop and trust me, your local state school is a better value. If you have infinity fuck-you money or a specialty field of study, maybe worth it, but for general liberal or technical education, just go to State U and then if you want to specialize, go to Fancy U with grants and government subsidies for grad school. From 18-21, you can network just as damn well locally as you can at Yale, etc.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2016, 01:19:28 PM by jengod »

dcheesi

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The primary components of burritos are dirt cheap. Maybe 8 was a bit of hyperbole, but you can make a lot of burritos at home for $8. I don't know, maybe it's just the Chipotles I've been to. I feel like it's 75% tortilla and rice/beans, with a little bit of meat and cheese to make it interesting. You get veggies or salsa, you end up with a gloopy starchy mess. Oh and if you love guac, you pay $2 (!!!) extra. (There's a place here that actually doesn't charge extra for the guac, so we go there when my husband wants crappy expensive burritos--I go under protest and get a taco.)

I make Americanized-Mexican at home a lot, but also enjoy Chipotle a lot. For me, the thing that makes Chipotle worth it is the barbacoa and carnitas, which are time-consuming to replicate at home and kind of hard to get right. (So far, at least -- if anybody's got a good Chipotle copycat barbacoa recipe, let me know!)
Agreed; it's all about the barbacoa! Otherwise there's nothing exciting about the burritos from Chipotle or any of its competitors.

chesebert

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* When I was younger and dumber I waltzed into Neiman Marcus and picked up a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. ~$400? I think I told myself they were a BIFL purchase that I would be able to use for work stuff. Well, they are just really painful stiletto high heels, same as it ever was. Also, did you know that pregnancy can cause your shoe size to change? After I had my first kid I went from a 6 to a 6.5/7 and the fancies were unwearable. Also, I became a SAHM. So I sold them on eBay. I'm really more of a Keds/Vans person anyway.

* I have a couple of All-Clad pans that I like just fine (one was steeply discounted when Linens 'N' Things when out of business, one I paid full retail), but I've found that I don't really need it when I have (a) the inherited Revereware I got from my grandma and supplemented with $5 thrift finds and (b) vintage cast-iron skillets and a Dutch oven from estate sales. I have lost any ambition to have a suite of All-Clad cookware. Ditto Le Creuset, at least until pots can become like the characters in Beauty and the Beast and actually do all the work for me.

* Expensive private universities for undergrad. I have been to the mountaintop and trust me, your local state school is a better value. If you have infinity fuck-you money or a specialty field of study, maybe worth it, but for general liberal or technical education, just go to State U and then if you want to specialize, go to Fancy U with grants and government subsidies for grad school. From 18-21, you can network just as damn well locally as you can at Yale, etc.

I got 1 All-Clad pan, which I paid retail for, and I agree a full suite of All-Clad is stupid. The only reason to get the pan is for the way All-Clad retains heat for pan searing and stir fry. I don't think this thermo property translates well into items that you cook in a pot - I can use pretty much any pot and cook the same thing. 

Jack

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I got 1 All-Clad pan, which I paid retail for, and I agree a full suite of All-Clad is stupid. The only reason to get the pan is for the way All-Clad retains heat for pan searing and stir fry. I don't think this thermo property translates well into items that you cook in a pot - I can use pretty much any pot and cook the same thing.

I have an All-Clad 10" frying pan and a 4 qt. saute pan, both bought on sale, but would also like to eventually get a small 2 or 3 qt. sauce pan to use for making fancy French sauces. Tasks calling for every other kind of pan (roasting pan, stock pot, dutch oven, etc.) can be handled just fine with cheaper alternatives.

pdxbator

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When I was graduating from college my parents wanted to get me something nice. I suggested a Tag Heuer watch. Now I have an expensive watch which I hate to wear because it is weight and I don't like things on my wrists.

DagobertDuck

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Good one.

I've been considering getting a 'nice' watch for ages, but decided I don't need it. F*ck costly signals.

My phone knows what time it is anyway.

Dollar Slice

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I got 1 All-Clad pan, which I paid retail for, and I agree a full suite of All-Clad is stupid. The only reason to get the pan is for the way All-Clad retains heat for pan searing and stir fry. I don't think this thermo property translates well into items that you cook in a pot - I can use pretty much any pot and cook the same thing.

I have an All-Clad 10" frying pan and a 4 qt. saute pan, both bought on sale, but would also like to eventually get a small 2 or 3 qt. sauce pan to use for making fancy French sauces. Tasks calling for every other kind of pan (roasting pan, stock pot, dutch oven, etc.) can be handled just fine with cheaper alternatives.

I received an All-Clad set as a gift a few years back. I find the handles really uncomfortable and awkward, so I don't really like using most of them. If I lost them I'd buy something more practical/ergonomic. But the little saucier is indeed a really nice pan for making whisked sauces like bechamel, and it's small/light enough so the handle isn't a problem. It might be the only one in the set I would get again if I had to start over.

SoccerLounge

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True. I was asked some bike buying advice and was quite surprised what a great bike you can get for $1200. (okay, the wheels probably suck but the wheels on $ 2.5K biks suck just as hard)

Heaven knows what you think of the wheels on my $150-used, mid-'90s hybrid commuter then. And yet magically it gets me everywhere I need to go! ;) (Yes, I know it would suck for road racing, but that's a money pit so I don't do that ;) )

Yes! Thank you for the validation, everyone. I work on the ocean, and I can definitively say that the land-sea interface is the least pleasant part. It's where all the ick washes up. I'd rather be 300 miles out.

Yep, sometimes it's nice when others think like you do. Then when you want to reaffirm our message, you can - get ready for this one, because it's a howler - always parrot us. Thank you! I'll be here all week.

DagobertDuck

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Heaven knows what you think of the wheels on my $150-used, mid-'90s hybrid commuter then. And yet magically it gets me everywhere I need to go! ;)
(Yes, I know it would suck for road racing, but that's a money pit so I don't do that ;) )
Those are probably sturdy 32 or 36 spoke wheels. Nothing wrong with that, easy to true, replace a broken spoke etc.

Cheap road racing bikes often feature crappy complete wheelsets (like Shimano WH-RS11, Mavic Aksium etc) with too low spoke count, proprietary parts, etc.

Tamster

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Way back in my youth, newly married and not paying attention to anything, then husband and I traded in my paid for Chevy cavalier  for a BMW 325i. With payments. It was fun to drive --- in my corporate world and my suits and ridiculous life that was before kids. It was sweet to smoke the tires and crank it up to 120. The payments were 512.55 per month (still remember the exact amount).

We got rid of it after the second kiddo, there was no way two car seats could fit in the back seat. Plus the repairs were horrible. Sigh. But man, no hesitation when you hit the gas.


mustachepungoeshere

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When I was graduating from college my parents wanted to get me something nice. I suggested a Tag Heuer watch. Now I have an expensive watch which I hate to wear because it is weight and I don't like things on my wrists.

I had thought about one day getting my husband a Tag - it's a big thing in his industry.

But he takes his watch off at every opportunity. Work, hotels, restaurants, etc. This is the person who once left his wedding ring on a plane. He doesn't get to own expensive watches, and he knows this.

The second reason is that one of the giants of his industry commented on my husband's ($350, got it for $80) watch and said something about "that plastic piece of shit you wear".

That totally cemented my decision. That wanker might wear a $25,000 watch, but he's still a fucking wanker.

SoccerLounge

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The second reason is that one of the giants of his industry commented on my husband's ($350, got it for $80) watch and said something about "that plastic piece of shit you wear".

I'm reminded of the wonderfully backwards logic of the person who once showed obvious disdain that I'd been a STEM major because, obviously, what you do is major in something useless because Father will get you a job on Wall Street anyway!

These people are cancer, and we must avoid them. :)

lifejoy

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I tried the expensive watch thing. Sold it. I was too worried about it to wear it. And it was heavy.


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Helvegen

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Expensive restaurants!! Even travelling to exotic places I'd much rather have meals in a traditional pub/bodega/canteen/cantina/diner than a swanky place with cloth tableclothes, a maitre 'd, hors d'oeuvres, where you get a few leaves of lettuce and a chocolate drizzle on a coin-sized piece of meat with some person who's job it is to stand in the washroom all day and hand you a towel.  The rich people environments make me uncomfortable and the food leaves me hungry.


We were in Italy recently and learned quickly not to waste money in restaurants. The best food we ate there came from local markets/supermarkets. We would go and buy local/regional breads, pizzas, cheeses, meats, different varieties of basil and heirloom tomatoes, desserts. Buffalo butter is incredible, guys. At our hotel, they had a bunch of orange trees in the common area and every morning, they would set out breakfast with fresh squeezed OJ from the oranges. I am not really a fan of juice, but I had to admit that was goooood.

In Iceland, we loved everything we did there except the Blue Lagoon. Avoid that expensive and pointless tourist trap. None of us really enjoyed it and it took weeks for my hair to recover from that water.



W

Northern gal

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Pretty much anything that my mother and mother in law blow money on

Expensive holidays. Coming home to an empty account and a job you hate just zaps all new found energy.
New baby stuff
Weddings
Expensive home extensions and improvements. Like that pool no one uses and the entertainers area in a suburb no one wants to go to
New cars
Bad cleaners / hair dressers / manicures
Getting drunk in expensive bars / having too many beers at the pub / too many lattes/ a smoothie each day
And friends / colleagues you feel you need to impress.

Essentially anything that involves spending money to fill an emotional void or buy love. It never works.


« Last Edit: July 09, 2016, 05:46:55 AM by Norgirl »

Loretta

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Root canals.  Pull my teeth any day over a root canal. 

Thrifty Snail

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Expensive fishing tackle-I sold mine. There are guys from central america who can out fish anyone with some old line wrapped around a board.

Bicycles- i traded in my fancy one for a good chunk of the cost of a hybrid/commuter type and a trailer. Am getting way more use now.

Cars-We stumbled into a mercedes (long story) but the repairs are too expensive. Its on the way out soon. Mass market vehicles with cheap parts are more reliable and demand less maintance.

Whole Foods-enough said!



Kitsune

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More house than can be easily managed.

Any shoes with skinny heels, no matter how expensive. Chunky heels are walkable.

PMG

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Continuing off topic: I've only had chipotle once, while I was on a week long visit with family. It was such a relief after all the heavy holiday and restaurant food I have to eat with them!   Of course the portion size was too big and I could have made it myself for much less expense, but it was finally "home" food and rice and beans tasted so good after holiday food.



chick-fil-a
Chick-Fil-A is literally the only place I ever get "fast food" and I rarely go more than once a month (usually a lot less than that).
I love it so much.

Same? I have no idea what Kaikou is smoking.

Chipotle. I could make 8 burritos at home for the same price as 1 Chipotle burrito, and they'd taste way better. I give my coworker any free coupons I get in the mail, and he gets so excited you'd think I'd given him a raise or something. I don't get it.

Say whaaa? I mean I know Chipotle is a bit overrated sometimes, but it's one of the better places to eat if you're going to spend < $10. I would love to see the details behind getting 8 (!?) burritos that big for the price of ~$7.50.


The primary components of burritos are dirt cheap. Maybe 8 was a bit of hyperbole, but you can make a lot of burritos at home for $8. I don't know, maybe it's just the Chipotles I've been to. I feel like it's 75% tortilla and rice/beans, with a little bit of meat and cheese to make it interesting. You get veggies or salsa, you end up with a gloopy starchy mess. Oh and if you love guac, you pay $2 (!!!) extra. (There's a place here that actually doesn't charge extra for the guac, so we go there when my husband wants crappy expensive burritos--I go under protest and get a taco.)

I guess I'm lucky that around here there are lots of good under-$10 options.

Prairie Gal

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Designer handbags. (Although I have never had one.)

lifejoy

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Designer handbags. (Although I have never had one.)

Wrong thread, then! ;)

Not to say I disagree with you though...

lifejoy

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Root canals.  Pull my teeth any day over a root canal.

+1

Fml root canals.

laka

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I got 1 All-Clad pan, which I paid retail for, and I agree a full suite of All-Clad is stupid. The only reason to get the pan is for the way All-Clad retains heat for pan searing and stir fry. I don't think this thermo property translates well into items that you cook in a pot - I can use pretty much any pot and cook the same thing.

I have an All-Clad 10" frying pan and a 4 qt. saute pan, both bought on sale, but would also like to eventually get a small 2 or 3 qt. sauce pan to use for making fancy French sauces. Tasks calling for every other kind of pan (roasting pan, stock pot, dutch oven, etc.) can be handled just fine with cheaper alternatives.

I received an All-Clad set as a gift a few years back. I find the handles really uncomfortable and awkward, so I don't really like using most of them. If I lost them I'd buy something more practical/ergonomic. But the little saucier is indeed a really nice pan for making whisked sauces like bechamel, and it's small/light enough so the handle isn't a problem. It might be the only one in the set I would get again if I had to start over.

My husband used to work at a fancy-pants kitchen store (long, LONG ago) and learned more than I thought was possible about cookware. When we decided to replace the pans we had, he found us a set from JC Penny that he deemed as good as All-Clad.  It seems that All-Clad used to have a patent on the three-ply system they use, but it expired, and so other started making knockoffs. Some are crap - shoddy workmanship, etc.- but if you know what you're looking for you can find really good cookware for very little money. 

We do have a couple of All-Clad brand pans that were gifts (and in uncommon sizes/shapes).  I don't see any difference between those and our knock-off set. 

Lagom

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Root canals.  Pull my teeth any day over a root canal.

+1

Fml root canals.

Interesting. I've had two and honestly found them more annoying that anything else. No real pain other than some heat/pressure and a twinge or two when the first batch of anesthetic started to wear off. Keeping my mouth open that long was quite tiring, though, and I was going mildly batty over it by the end. I will say spending whatever $ it takes on proper dental hygiene >>> getting a bunch of fillings/crowns. Learned that the hard way after going a 6 year stretch without visiting the dentist.

lifejoy

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  • Location: Canada, eh
  • Lovin' the Mustachian life!
    • Not Buying This
Root canals.  Pull my teeth any day over a root canal.

+1

Fml root canals.

Interesting. I've had two and honestly found them more annoying that anything else. No real pain other than some heat/pressure and a twinge or two when the first batch of anesthetic started to wear off. Keeping my mouth open that long was quite tiring, though, and I was going mildly batty over it by the end. I will say spending whatever $ it takes on proper dental hygiene >>> getting a bunch of fillings/crowns. Learned that the hard way after going a 6 year stretch without visiting the dentist.

Haha yeah - expensive things that ARE worth it - visits to the dentist! At least for me. But I don't want to hijack my own thread so nvm... ;)

StartingEarly

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 493
  • Age: 33
  • Location: Arizona but travelling
Expensive pants, I can get jeans with just as nice of styling from Sam's and then I don't feel like I have to change just work on my truck so I look nice more often. Generally expensive liquor, I can't tell much difference. Really expensive t shirts, they actually seem to not hold up as well as my cheaper stuff.


Luckyvik

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 237
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Sydney, Australia
I second expensive haircuts and hair colour, often they're no better than cheaper ones or worse they are bad.


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mustachepungoeshere

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2404
  • Location: Sydney, Oz
Expensive liquid hand soap*.

I used a particular brand at an expensive restaurant (work function) one night.

It smelt amazing, so when I saw it for sale a couple of weeks later I bought a bottle.

(It was five times the price of my usual hand soap. I think I was justifying it to myself as an affordable luxury. Stupid. So stupid.)

Got it home and it still had the amazing citrus scent, but the beautifully-designed pump pack was awful. It just wouldn't work. I ended up decanting it into another pump pack but it sort of tarnished the experienced.


*I would include foam soap dispensers just based on the price, rationale and marketing behind them, but can't say I've used one.