I go through a lot of small (4 gallon usually) trash bags, because it seems I'm always scooping the litter boxes. I've tried various trash bags for this purpose, and sometimes will use the free disposable grocery bags, but I usually have to double bag those, because they've often got holes in them. I've found that it's worth it to pay a little more for quality bags, because spilling dirty kitty litter is no joke, and I don't want to take a chance on spreading germs around. What will you pay a little more for? Are there specific products where a little more money goes a long way?
I found a good alternative for my litter boxes. I have started buying highly absorbent, recycled paper that I put in my cat's toilet box. I don't throw the litter into garbage bags anymore, but take it directly to my neighbor who happens to have a compost heap in his backyard. I live in a semi-rural area where most people have composting bins, or an open compost. They don't mind at all if I deposit recyclable material into their bins. It saves me quite a bit of money every week.
@Dora M Where do you buy the highly absorbent, recycled paper? Does that end up costing less than litter? I guess pound for pound, the cat litter isn't that expensive, but when you have multiple cats using up lots of litter, it does tend to add up. I have tried different types of litter, but haven't tried alternative products such as the paper you've described. I'd still toss it in the trash, but it might be more environmentally friendly than the litter.
For the household needs, we never compromise quality for costs. The mention of trash bags reminds me of the cheap black trash bags that our housemaid used to buy. I didn't know that many times the bag had tore due to excessive contents. In another case, that housemaid settled for cheap cooking oil that has fatty sediments. Again, we don't save on money when it comes to quality.
Grrr, I hate when trash bags tear, they can make such a mess, not to mention the germs. I haven't had that experience with cooking oil, but I agree, there are just certain things you shouldn't settle on, and toilet paper is included in that for me. I have a friend who will only buy one particular brand of bottled water, because he says the others all taste funny. I haven't noticed a funny taste, but for me, it's more about the ease with which I can open the bottles, as well as how loudly they crunch when I try to hold and open one in the middle of the night.
I will pay more for quality chocolate because cheap chocolate does taste cheap. The same for coffee, it's quality that matters rather than quantity. With household items, I will buy stronger bleach or limescale remover because it's worth it. You don't want a weaker version and have to keep repeating it over and over. That's a false economy. I also buy good facial tissues as rough ones aren't pleasant to use and also tend to scratch your skin, so again it's not worth it.
I'll happily pay more for washing up liquid and laundry detergent. I find that the cheaper brands of these just don't offer enough cleaning power. I don't skimp on coffee either.
I remember last month when our favorite cooking oil brand Jolly was out of stock. Just so we can have some supply so I bought 2 bottles of another brand. When my husband used the new bottle, he was disgusted because the plastic was so soft that when he held it, it was like squeezing... the oil spilled.
I'll spend more on laundry soap and dish soap because the cheapest brands make no suds, so you waste a ton of cheap soap just trying to get your clothes or dishes clean. I find that a bottle of better ,more concentrated soap lasts a long time and is worth the money.
I will spend more money on washing things - like powder for clothes, and liquid for dishes - because I believe that the more expensive versions work better and last longer, so in fact they probably don't cost you all that much more money at all in the long term. I know of people who use cheap washing powder, and they have to use almost double the amount, which just defeats the object really. I will only buy things cheaply if I know that the quality is going to be just as good as that of a higher priced product - otherwise what is the point?
