Dupe Culture: The Power of Alternatives (and How to Win a VISA Gift Card!)

If you’ve scrolled through any social media platform, be it Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or even YouTube Shorts in the past year, you would’ve heard the term “dupe” at some point in time. If, like me, your screen time is looking a little too unhealthy, you’ve probably heard it a lot. Dupe culture has really taken off on social platforms for various reasons: people are tired of paying for luxury inflation when they can get the same quality for less; the predominance of real user reviews and transparent information about ingredients or formulation is leading more people to do their research before shopping and, again, finding the same thing for less; and lastly, it’s rebelling against gatekeeping or financial status – you don’t need to be rich to look expensive anymore, empowering regular people to feel good about themselves without going into debt for it.  

Does any of this sound familiar? It should, because it’s what TextNow has been preaching all along.  

One of the lessons we’ve been hard at teaching is that an alternative (or a dupe) doesn’t always mean getting less. Just like cheap doesn’t always mean worse quality (have you discovered the Chinese factory TikToks yet??). There are enough examples where those statements are in fact true, we’ll admit to that, but what dupe culture has taught us is that’s not the case anymore.  

Enter for a chance to win $$!

Follow our Instagram page to join the Easter Egg Hunt this Thursday, April 17 for a chance to win a $20 VISA gift card!

Follow Now

Alternative ≠ Bad 

Take cable TV for example: for decades, it was the only way anyone could envision home entertainment, until a new kid came to town: YouTube. While it didn’t replace cable TV entirely, it inspired other companies like Netflix (originally an online order Blockbuster alternative) to switch to a streaming model, and the rest was history. Now, there aren’t many shows or even movies you can watch without having a streaming subscription. If you subscribe to one streaming service, heck, even if you subscribe to three, that’s still on average cheaper than paying for cable monthly – a prime example of when the alternative is better than the original.  

Alternative = Cheaper  

This statement is easy to agree with – the point of the alternative is that it’s a cheaper option. That matters more now than ever with the cost of living continuing to go up. There are several indicators to this, such as the Consumer Price Index, the rising inflation rate, even the price of eggs. It’s so bad, in fact, that my own feed is flooded with videos on how to make egg alternatives for Easter painting/hunting.  

P.S. If making an egg alternative looks like too much work and you could use some help paying for the real thing, join TextNow’s Easter Egg Hunt on Thursday, April 17 on Instagram for your chance to win a $20 VISA gift card to pay for a carton – or two – this Easter weekend!

Finding a cheaper, more accessible alternative is no longer an indication of lower financial status, in fact, it’s an indication of great financial intelligence. Why pay more when you can get the same (or even better) for less? And it doesn’t just stop at physical items; it also applies to services, like, say, your phone plan.  

Why pay for the traditional service that can cost up to $100/month when you can get the same service with nationwide coverage, unlimited talk & text, and high-speed data for as low as $0/month? The math just isn’t mathing, if you ask us. If you’re ready to find the better, cheaper alternative for your phone service, download the TextNow app to start. If you’re already using an alternative, pat yourself on the back: you’ve made the smart choice.