When was the last time a substitute turned out to be better than the real thing in your life?

Sometimes, for whatever reasons, we may have to turn to substitutes of foods, substances, products, clothing, etc. After becoming a vegan, I found soy and tofu products that taste better than their meat-counterparts – same with vegan brownies and now I discovered vegan caviar (very excited about this!) and so many of these products ( I realize we’re privileged to have access to them) are better than what we originally consumed. Same with artificial, human-made diamonds, for another example. I love rings with rocks in ‘em (not gaudy, but nice rings), basically, and am against not being completely sure where ‘real’ diamonds come from (I realize we many never know, for sure, where any of ‘em come from)...but since I discovered alternatives like human-made diamonds and other stones, they’re so much better (and cheaper! and you don’t feel bad if you lose one!)...other examples, for me, would include the Kindle as a useful, better substitute for books (sometimes) and using a sleeping bag as an actual blanket/bed cover (very warm at night, just right)...

So what has it been for you – faux fur better than fur, funky hair color instead of your real color (oh, that goes for me too!)? What substitute has changed your life for the better?