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(This post was last modified: 03-09-2016, 10:27 PM by NeoXerxes. Edit Reason: grammar )
BadDad I don't think anyone is trying to "desperately" give MdC the appearance of a budget item. As mentioned earlier in the thread, these calculations are subjective and based entirely off of what might work or not work for each individual. It just so happens that for me, MdC might be considered a "budget" item due to a cost per shave reasoning (by the way, based on my usage habits, I'm sure I will get more than 180 shaves). Yes soap is a consumable, and I recognize that stuff like MdC/ABC/C&S is more expensive cost per shave than other options, but some of those cheaper options I haven't tried (like grim, I had never before heard of Amici), and others simply have not worked for me due to my skin allergy issues. In terms of what I am familiar with and what works for me, the products mentioned above are budget soaps in my own very subjective estimation. But holding this opinion doesn't mean that I begrudge anyone a dissenting view, nor does it mean that I am desperate for others to hold the same perspective (I'm not trying to convince anyone).
The analytical discussion is fantastic and I'm sure helpful for many, and there are some strong opinions being aired, but let's please try not to attribute motivations to people that they don't have (and incidentally, I am sure that this is not your intent, or perhaps I am giving the wrong impression - if so I apologize). So far, I'd say this discussion has been very productive, gentlemanly, and interesting. I have seen this kind of discussion descend into shouting matches on every forum I've been on, simply because the topic of value/budget items can be an extraordinarily subjective and touchy subject. We have managed to avoid that, fortunately. If a member disagrees with someone else's opinion, that's perfectly ok and worth discussing. But I think that even minority opinions (which mine is, admittedly) are worth hearing.
grim reminded me of another story that might have some relevance. My father used to purchase wallets every year (sometimes a wallet would wear out within only a few months). The construction on his cheaper ~$10 wallets were always quite poor and would wear out extraordinarily quickly. In this regard, they were made to be used like consumables. Anyway, after hearing him complain about this, and after he showed me a box full of wallets that were worn beyond recognition, I finally purchased him a Saddleback Leather wallet as a gift. At the time, it cost me somewhere in the vicinity of $30 shipped. Some might balk at the high price of the product, the luxury pricing of the brand, and the overall extravagance of the purchase. However, my father still uses the wallet today more than three years later, and it is in perfect condition and shows no sign of wearing out. Sure, there are probably some cheaper products that might have held up just as well, but neither of us were aware of them, and therefore they had no relevance in our price calculation. For us, the Saddleback Leather wallet was a "budget" item because it accomplished the same goal much more effectively and (in the long run) at a lower cost.
In my view the cost per use calculation is an extremely valuable tool for determining the overall cost of an item (whether it is disposable or will eventually wear out due to normal use) - it is widely used in a variety of fields, including this one, and in discussions of clothing/accessories ("cost per wear" in that world). That said, it is only one budgeting tool, and the downside is that it is vulnerable to miscalculation, since some may overestimate/underestimate that figure, and since that calculation will vary from person to person. And if you don't find that calculation at all useful, or if you disagree with an individual member's picks for what is "budget" to them, that's perfectly ok
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The analytical discussion is fantastic and I'm sure helpful for many, and there are some strong opinions being aired, but let's please try not to attribute motivations to people that they don't have (and incidentally, I am sure that this is not your intent, or perhaps I am giving the wrong impression - if so I apologize). So far, I'd say this discussion has been very productive, gentlemanly, and interesting. I have seen this kind of discussion descend into shouting matches on every forum I've been on, simply because the topic of value/budget items can be an extraordinarily subjective and touchy subject. We have managed to avoid that, fortunately. If a member disagrees with someone else's opinion, that's perfectly ok and worth discussing. But I think that even minority opinions (which mine is, admittedly) are worth hearing.
grim reminded me of another story that might have some relevance. My father used to purchase wallets every year (sometimes a wallet would wear out within only a few months). The construction on his cheaper ~$10 wallets were always quite poor and would wear out extraordinarily quickly. In this regard, they were made to be used like consumables. Anyway, after hearing him complain about this, and after he showed me a box full of wallets that were worn beyond recognition, I finally purchased him a Saddleback Leather wallet as a gift. At the time, it cost me somewhere in the vicinity of $30 shipped. Some might balk at the high price of the product, the luxury pricing of the brand, and the overall extravagance of the purchase. However, my father still uses the wallet today more than three years later, and it is in perfect condition and shows no sign of wearing out. Sure, there are probably some cheaper products that might have held up just as well, but neither of us were aware of them, and therefore they had no relevance in our price calculation. For us, the Saddleback Leather wallet was a "budget" item because it accomplished the same goal much more effectively and (in the long run) at a lower cost.
In my view the cost per use calculation is an extremely valuable tool for determining the overall cost of an item (whether it is disposable or will eventually wear out due to normal use) - it is widely used in a variety of fields, including this one, and in discussions of clothing/accessories ("cost per wear" in that world). That said, it is only one budgeting tool, and the downside is that it is vulnerable to miscalculation, since some may overestimate/underestimate that figure, and since that calculation will vary from person to person. And if you don't find that calculation at all useful, or if you disagree with an individual member's picks for what is "budget" to them, that's perfectly ok
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I'm enjoying the discussion.
