Question:
I'm new frag nut who gets the feeling from everyone that Creed's MI is something pretty special. However since I'm trying to spread my fragrance dollar as far as possible I'm not read to jump into any authentic Creed's just yet.
Is there any thing from another house that shares much of what MI has to offer? Even in a Cool Water/ GIT kind of way. I know I can't "get it all" for 50$ , but something with lots of common notes thats generally reminiscent would be nice enough.
Any opinions appreciated!

Answer:
Unforgivable is a blatant rip off of Creed's MI's characteristics. I think this is the closest you can get to MI. I've also heard Kenneth Cole Reaction referred to as a "poor man's MI" although Reaction isn't too popular among basenoters. It's one of my favorites, though.
Welcome to basenotes!

Answer:
Unforgivable; often referred to here as a clone of MI.
http://www.basenotes.net/ID26122688.html

Answer:
Try out Kenneth Cole's Reaction. I actually prefer it to MI. It's quite similar.
I think of MI as the Rich Man's Reaction, actually.
Other cheap alternatives: LB's Roma, CK Escape, PP Minotaure

Answer:
Originally Posted by Echo777 Try out Kenneth Cole's Reaction. I actually prefer it to MI. It's quite similar.
I think of MI as the Rich Man's Reaction, actually.

Other cheap alternatives: LB's Roma, CK Escape, PP Minotaure Roma an orange creamsicle icecream bar.

Answer:
I agree with those above. Unforgivable IMO is more similar in overall scent but it's more expensive. Reaction is also one of my favorite scents and I find it a great office scent in that it doesn't project as much on me as Unforgivable does. For what it's worth, I get more compliments from family and friends on Reaction than on the other two. Good luck...

Answer:
Just have in mind that Reaction is similar to Acqua di Gio too. It has a strong melon note mixed with citrus and a slightly powdery smell.
I like it, but It doesn't project and isn't long lasting at all.

Answer:
I'll have to smell Unforgivable again. MI is a great frag, for sure.

Answer:
Unforgivable for sure. I don't think it's quite as good as MI, but it does last longer.
Reaction is only superficially smilar (IMHO). It's not bad, but not as good as Unforgivable, which isn't as good as MI.

Answer:
I think you should sample MI alongside the other fragrances recommended so far (Unforgiveable, Reaction, and so on). No one can predict which one you'll prefer after sampling, but suppose MI comes out way ahead. The last thing you want is to spend $50 on a distant-second choice when you could be saving up for a fragrance you'll love. Settle for second place twice and the money you spend could have bought you a Creed from a trustworthy discounter like fragrancenet.com.
(I'm not saying the Creed is better, I'm just suggesting a way to think about the decision.)