I buy my kids used Gymboree clothes and then resell them after they wear them for as much or more than I paid for them. Can’t beat free clothes! Gymboree holds up and looks new through kid after kid.

I buy brand name running shoes/socks (New Balance or PearlIzumi) and high-end pet food – both well worth it. I tend to buy expensive brand clothing, but I always get it in thrift stores and almost never pay more than $5 for anything. I like getting a good brand that I know will hold up, but I never buy clothing new. I like going on scavenger hunts in my favorite thrift stores

And I’m partial to Seventh Generation dishwasher soap and Burts Bees shampoo.

Kansas Mom, totally agree on the Ziplocs, the generics just don’t do it. I hate freezer burn on my food and Ziploc does a pretty good job keeping it out!

DJ Fuzzy, agree on the pet food, we buy Iams for our dog and it keeps them healthy and there is less poop!

Kristen, agree on the shoes, especially for work! Thanks for coming by and commenting.

I’m also a big fan of Cascade action packs for the dishwasher, but not so much that I won’t buy other stuff. I just think they do the absolute best job.

Dansko shoes for work. Last a full year while others only last about 2 months. Works out to be less money that way.

Athletic shoes for family- more comfortable and last much longer.

Faberwaare Perk coffeemaker – we drink about 3 pots a day and these last like no other!

1) Motor vehicles: Toyota

2) Computer operating systems: Apple (not necessarily hardware) or Ubuntu

3) Shorts: Surf Line

4) Soda: Diet Pepsi

I’ll agree w/ Aaron on the computers. As an I.T. professional, I just can’t go generic on PC’s and associated parts. It’s Dell and Apple for our house.

Also, I agree with you on wine and beer. 2 buck chuck and cheap beer just don’t cut it. I wait
for favorites to go on sale and stock up!

Finally, we won’t cheap out on pet food, makeup, home electronics and tea! As with everything else, we wait for specials or deals on our favorite things so we enjoy the brands AND the savings.

I started with Midwest Supplies Brewing Basics Equipment Kit. That’s almost everything you’ll need. You still need ingredients, a big pot for brewing, and special bottles. Most beers are carbonated at the time of bottling, so you need special thicker bottles that can withstand extra carbonation which tends to happen when beer is carbonated naturally.

The most important part of brewing is to sanitize everything. As long as you keep wild yeasts out of your beer, it should turn out okay if not great.

Did you have one of those Mr. Beer brew kits? I was thinking of getting something like that for my Dad.

Can’t vouch for the Apple as my Dell workhorse has been running strong for 2+ years without a problem. (knock on wood of course!!)

Here’s two situations where I’m a brand shopper:

Computers. Out of the thousands of alternatives out there, Apple has me hooked with their reliable and powerful operating system OS X. Even if it was possible to install OS X on generic PC hardware, I would stick with Apple’s hardware because it just works.

Vehicles. Honda and Toyota only. People who’ve owned a Honda or Toyota before don’t need an explanation. For the people that haven’t, buy one. You won’t regret it.