There’s a reason I don’t have one of those highly sought after Stanley limited edition water tumblers…They were waaaay too expensive! Apparently…they are being resold online now for as much as $400…nearly ten times the original price! Even then…you may not get one.

Whenever these types of fads surface…I pause, take a breath and study why it’s trending. Then I consider whether what the item offers fits into my budget. I have never really cared about name brands and labels as long as the quality is good. Despite spending a good chunk of my professional career in Silicon Valley…I’ve resisted the urge to be an early adopter.

But I am vowing to do better with my water intake in this new year. (That means flavored waters…) And a 40 ounce tumbler would be a great way to help achieve that goal!

Over the weekend…I did my monthly shopping at the 99 Cent store. I stock up on paper products and cleaning supplies. But I also browse each aisle looking for other bargains. Imagine my surprise at finding a water tumbler that looked similar to the coveted Stanley one.

You can see it in the picture on the left. It is made of stainless steel, has double wall insulation, it claims to keep hot drinks hot for 12 hours, cold drinks cold for 24 hours, and fits in my car’s cup holder. The cost? $7.99 !!!

Moral of the story: When the next trend comes along…take a beat and watch…Somebody will have a worthy knockoff sooner than you think!

P.S. If you must have a Stanley cup…apparently Walmart and Costco have one for about $20.