I doubt there is a cultural difference in my understanding of the expression "you get what you pay for", since I am also a native English speaker and uh, an economist [something I try to deny in polite company, but that's my life].
What I am contesting is the "thought-stopping cliche" which is what "you get what you pay for" actually is. It stops us from actually thinking because everyone thinks it is a true statement. It is not. It's an old wives' tale.
"You get what you purchase" is far more meaningful, realistic and useful because it makes us actually think.
Your story about your purchase is really an illustration of what I mean. You have defined a number of criteria for your purchases, and you evaluate an item and buy it according to your criteria. So you ARE getting what you've PURCHASED.
The actual price you are paying is incidental, irrelevant, essentially meaningless. It depends on so many factors that have nothing to do with the item's function or manufacture. You've got all sorts of stuff mixed up with price: monetary factors like taxes, MSP, overhead and profit margins, supply criteria such as rarity or market flooding, psychological factors like economic patriotism and elitism...
The actual price you are forking out could be a lot less than other products of the same category, or a lot more, or the same. The actual price in dollars, bucks, greenbacks, bottles of whiskey, kittens, or whatever you're trading, is just a number. It's just what you are willing to give over for the thing.
Something with a higher price is NOT necessarily better quality/value/worth, something with a lower price is NOT necessarily lesser. "You get what you pay for" always implies that inexpensive = not as good. And is a way of dissing lower-priced stuff automatically.
You were not being personally attacked when I wrote about the psychological criteria that we sometimes put into our purchase choices. It is a factor in some people's reasoning.
As long as you have decided what criteria are important to you, whatever they are, and what number of dollars you are willing to exchange for your item, you're good.
Just your criteria may not be the same as mine...
Good explanation Maggiemw and since you are an economist you would understand the numbers I put forth are what I found as value for a product that I found to be of lesser quality. I'm not saying that paying the big bucks for a product means it is better. I can get more miles for a better quality product even if it costs less then the big name brands. You can buy whatever you desire as you feel is value to you.
The originator or the post is looking for support for a products inventor and not the knock off king that stole an idea for fun and profit. It appears you are looking for an argument and I fed into it. vape in Peace and Quiet and let me make my statement as you are allowed to make yours.
What a great post!
