7 Expensive Essential Household Items and the Cheaper Version of Each One
Written by
Addie Johnson Talbott
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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Even if you’re taking home a big salary, there’s no reason to throw money away on high-end household items when swapping cheaper ones will make you just as happy. Lifestyle creep is real, and household budgets can balloon quickly, making a dent in your savings and investment goals.
Check out these seven items — both big ticket purchases and everyday needs — that prove that choosing a less expensive, well-reviewed product might give you more bang for your buck. Let this list inspire you to find more ways to free up funds you can put towards your future.
High-End Vacuum Cleaner
Cheaper Alternatives
- Shark Navigator Lift-Away: Typically $147-$249 — offers strong suction and multi-surface cleaning similar to Dyson, though it lacks some advanced features, like smart sensors.
- Bissell Cleanview Swivel: $118.50 on Amazon — Offers decent performance on carpets and hard floors. It’s not as powerful, but it’s lightweight and user-friendly.
Shark and Bissell models receive consistent positive reviews for being effective and durable. The trade-off is fewer high-tech features and slightly less suction power.
Luxury Mattress
- Tempur-Pedic or Sterns & Foster
- Price: $3,000 or more
Cheaper Alternatives
- Tuft & Needle Original: $645; on sale for $516 for Labor Day — made from adaptive foam that’s responsive and breathable, making it a comfortable budget-friendly option.
- Priage by Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam: $328.49 — provides pressure relief and has a cooling effect due to its infused green tea and charcoal.
Both alternatives are highly rated for comfort and durability. The trade-off is that they might not last as long or have as luxurious a feel.
Smart Refrigerator
- Samsung Family Hub 4-Door
- Price: $3,000 and up
Cheaper Alternatives
- LG Top-Freezer Refrigerator: around $800 — a solid choice with high energy efficiency and a nice interior.
- Whirlpool Side-by-Side: around $1,200 — provides a spacious layout, energy efficiency and reliability without smart features.
No smart screens or advanced connectivity — just reliable cooling, good storage space and durability. After all, do luxury fridge features add that much value to your everyday life? Try putting all the money you save in a high-yield savings account or investing it, which will likely make you happier in the long run.
Designer Sofa
- West Elm or Restoration Hardware
- Price: around $1,500 and up
Cheaper Alternatives
- Ikea Uppland: $799 and up — comfortable, classic and known for its durability and removable, washable covers.
- Wayfair Verified Sofas: $300 and up — wide variety of high-quality products that often go on sale.
While Ikea lacks the premium feel and high-end fabrics of luxury brands, this option is comfortable and comes with a 10-year limited warranty. Wayfair’s sofas strike a balance between customizability and price, though they may be less durable over time.
Advanced Water Filtration System
- AquaOx Whole House System
- Price: $3,499 and up
Cheaper Alternatives
- Brita Pitcher: $22 and up — portable, user-friendly and sufficient for most households needing basic tap water filtration.
- iSpring 6-Stage Reverse Osmosis System: $376 at Home Depot — offers a cost-effective under-sink solution that delivers highly purified water.
The Brita is ideal for small households or apartments, while the iSpring system offers thorough filtration at a fraction of the cost of whole-house systems.
Premium Laundry Detergent
- Tide Pods
- Price: $27.24 for 112 pods
Cheaper Alternatives
- Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean: $22.99 for 152 pods — offers similar cleaning power as Tide with good stain removal and long-lasting scent for more than 40% less.
- Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder: $36.09 for 240 loads — eco-friendly, non-toxic powder detergent made with plant-based ingredients that’s great for sensitive skin.
Costco’s Kirkland brand often wraps around a product that is the same or very similar as name brands. Molly’s Suds is eco-friendlier and more ideal for those looking for a non-toxic, sustainable option. Pods can be more convenient, but powdered options often reduce waste.
Luxe Hand Soap
- Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash
- Price: $43 for 16.9 ounces
Cheaper Alternatives
- Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap: $4.99 for 12.5 ounces — made with plant-derived ingredients and essential oils, offering a pleasant scent and eco-friendliness.
- Trader Joe’s Pomelo Pink Grapefruit Hand Soap: $3.99 for 17 ounces — affordable and widely available.
Mrs. Meyer’s offers an eco-friendly alternative with a natural, enjoyable fragrance, and Trader Joe’s is a budget-friendly, no-frills option. The trade-off is a more basic scent and less luxury feel, but both get the job done.
Household budgets can get bloated fast, and it’s easy to overestimate how much value you will get out of extra bells and whistles. Finding cheaper alternatives balances quality, durability and value without compromising functionality. By trading fancy features or slightly better performance for something that will work well for almost everyone, you can funnel the savings into better financial well-being in the long run.
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