“We don’t have time to do it right but we have time to do it again”
That expression is applicable to the workplace but it’s also applicable to everyday life including purchases. I bought cheaper products believing they were “good enough” but it didn’t take long before I had to go out and buy the same product again because it already fell apart.
I’m finding this is line of thinking applies to everyday household products most. Spending the right amount of money on a quality household utensil or appliance makes my life easier for a long time. Going down the cheap route will only keep me content for that initial use.
So how does one spend the “right amount of money”? Spending more money does not necessarily mean quality. You need to also find the right product for the right price. I use The Wirecutter and its household centric sister site, The Sweethome, to help me make these purchasing decisions. If they don’t have a recommendation, I search for some semblance of a product review online but I am cautious in that area.
The AnandTech of household products doesn’t really exist. We have Consumer Reports and the like but those aren’t accessible to the public without some kind of fee. Then we have numerous questionable blogs which dedicate themselves to shilling household products. Thankfully, there’s another source for product reviews: the Amazon consumer reviews.
Eventually it’s fair to say: the numbers don’t lie. The masses aren’t always right but they can point you towards the right direction. If hundreds of people praise something that’s in the top selling list, perhaps they’re on to something. Conversely, if there’s barely any reviews and the only ones there are poo pooing the product, maybe something isn’t quite right with it.
With the right tools, life can be made easier which is why I always try to find that sweet spot. No matter if it’s a solid state drive, router or an ironing board.
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I started Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze. So far, I’m finding it to be a livelier version of the Wii predecessor. But it’s only livelier thanks to music. It’s still not jiving with my nostalgia laced standards. It’s the minor things like how they handled the controls and the inability to use Diddy, Dixie or Cranky Kong by themselves in single player.
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