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StitcherIt’s not an illusion. Companies are definitely up to something behind the scenes of why those pants shrink after a few washes or why that appliance barely lasts a year. In this episode, Jen and Jill break down what’s really going on and debunk the tactics brands use to cut quality while keeping prices the same or higher.
The sole responsibility isn’t on us. It may be a problem that we’ve got to fix in ourselves, but we also have to recognize how we got here.
Is Quality Declining?
Jen and Jill read around 20 articles from the Fed, The Economist, and Le Monde to figure out what’s really going on behind the reality of the quality of the things we consume. It turns out that based on these articles, there is a consistent affirmation that quality is really declining.
And it’s not just products. Today, even restaurants take longer, hotels cut perks like free breakfast and daily cleaning, and grocery stores push more self-checkout. It’s all part of companies doing less while charging the same.
Why is Quality Declining
Jen believes that this actually goes all the way back to the Industrial Revolution. As mass production made goods cheaper and faster to make. The only difference is that people back then didn’t want more than they needed. They are content. So now, fast forward about 100 years of planned obsolescence and nonstop marketing, and here we are. We want to buy more stuff, we want it often, and we want it fast. Jill says that in order to keep up, companies cut corners to meet that demand—compromising quality.
What Does This Mean For Us?
This method may work for businesses now, but it won’t last. Gartner found that 62% of consumers say they’ll stop buying from brands that shrink products or lower quality just to cut costs.
The upside is that this pushes us toward better options—buying vintage, shopping small, and fixing things instead of replacing them. Most importantly, Jen and Jill stress learning before you buy. They recommend trusted, no-fluff resources like Consumer Reports, the Good Housekeeping Institute, iFixit for repair guides, and Wirecutter.
What’s a holy-grail, high-quality item you can confidently vouch for?
Jill uses VitaMix every single day. While Jen always goes back to her Ninja Coffee Bar.
Bill of The Week
Thanks Julie for sharing your bill about lowering minimum payment and APR
Thanks so Much for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening. We love love love reading your kind reviews of our book Buy What You Love Without Going Broke and we especially loved this one from:
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Jen and Jill’s book is excellent !
Excellent book and love Jen and Jill - they’re so relatable and cool as well as calm - love that ! They also have a really good podcast called ‘Frugal Friends ‘
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