Are there any items in the grocery that you just refuse to skimp on? I myself tend to splurge when it comes to items like bacon, sausages, or hotdogs, because I find that the cheaper brands are just not worth it and I'd much rather just not eat bacon or hotdogs if it means I have to settle for the cheap brands because they taste kind of awful to me. If I were running low on money at any particular time, I'd be much more likely to just not eat these items because I'm not really addicted to them anyway that I'd feel the need to have it even if it means settling for the cheap ones. How about you guys, which grocery items do you usually splurge on and refuse to get cheap alternatives for?
The most money I spend on meat (just like you), since I refuse to buy the cheapest products available. The cheap ones have less meat since they're a mix of proper meat and minced organs - so even if you end up paying less, you eat and taste less. If I really wish to save I wait for daily deals and hope that what I want is on the list, if not, that's ok.
I second the hot dog notion. Yes, you can get a pack of hot dogs for a dollar or less, but what's in them? I don't think you want to know. I do buy them to give our dogs when they have to take medication. They think cheap hot dogs are amazing. I always buy generic brands when I can't get a better deal on a name brand through sales and coupons, and generally they're just as good. Every so often though, one doesn't pan out. I bought knock-off face wipes at Dollar Tree one time that were a waste of money -- rough on my skin, fell apart in my hands, and really drying. I won't be buying those again. But there's some Dollar General for $2 that are just as good as the Olay brand, which is quite a bit cheaper. Sometimes you just have to buy things and find out for yourself what works and what doesn't. Cheap knock-offs of Pop Tarts are awful too, although my daughter ended up just kicking her Pop Tart habit altogether, since they're nothing but fat and sugar anyhow. When I splurge on items, it tends to be the kind of thing that is going to save money in the long run because I can wash and reuse it longer. For example, instead of buying cheap shower curtain liners and replacing them now and then, I splurge on cloth liners that are washable. I've had mine for years and years and it still looks great. Also, I splurge on nice bar towels for the kitchen. I use far fewer paper towels when I have plenty of good bar towels readily available. Ditto on cloth napkins. In our family, cloth napkins aren't just for fancy occasions. I have a basket of them for daily use. They're from an online restaurant supply store and cost about a buck apiece. Totally worth it!
I buy organic produce for the FDA's dirty dozen list. I don't really splurge on any other grocery items. I have eliminated a lot of packaged food items from diet my diet which has saved me a lot of money. I do splurge on personal care items. I don't buy generic body wash, body soap or lotions. I have a favorite brand and I don't like to settle for anything else.
Hot dogs - for the past few years, I've been partial to Nathan's. Turkey dogs that cost less or other bargain brands don't appeal to me. Cheese - I hate Velveeta and artificial cheeses. Sargento and Land o Lakes is okay but I like handcrafted cheeses because they pack the most flavor Drinks - I'm getting away from corn syrup as sugar has a cleaner taste IMO. I also like fresh juices better though they have a shorter shelf life.
I don't really have any item that I skimp on when I'm in the grocery because I always tend to buy the cheapest food item in a specific category. I find myself buying the cheap variation of ice cream lately, maybe because I'm on a budget when food is concerned. When I can afford to spend more on food then I think I can afford to be choosy.
I can't think of any specific item at the moment that I splurge on at the grocery store. I buy the products that I know I like and that taste good. The majority of products are healthy, unprepared items that have to be cooked to make a homemade meal. Of course, we also throw in a few frozen products (though not nearly as much as I did when I was single) and icecream. My husband's gotta have his icecream. I don't mind.
Strawberries. I mean, we buy a ton because of what I do for a job, but I will never buy the cheapo strawberries. I just can't bring myself to do it.
I am not really a meat-lover, I am more into snacks. Potato chips - I love potato chips, specially the cheese-flavored ones. Cup noodles - My go-to food whenever I'm too lazy to cook a decent meal is cup noodles! I'm Asian anyway, we're quite famous for eating too much cup noodles.
A certain other topic reminded me that I splurge on ice cream. I try not to eat it very often, so when I do, it’s gotta be the good stuff. Dairy in general, come to think of it. I don’t exactly splurge on cat food, I go more mid-market, but it is one of the few items where I avoid cheaper brands. I’ve read that they aren’t all that great for maintaining health, and it seems to be true when we feed our sanctuary cats the cheap stuff. Plus I always think back to that massive recall a while back, in which both premium and super-cheap brands were involved.
Like a lot of people here I tend to spend the most on meat, since I want to make sure that I am eating meat that isn't full of hormones and antibiotics. However I think the items where I really splurge are on little things like real vanilla beans for baking or maybe a fancy finishing salt. They're expensive yes, but not outrageous especially since I don't use large quantities of them all the time.
Until recently, I can't say that there was any sort of food item that I splurged on. Well, unless you count the fact that I refuse to buy anything other than "REAL" Coca-Cola. However, the frozen chicken that I had been buying was constantly coming out tough after any kind of cooking, even if it was marinated for hours beforehand. I finally broke down and bought a "certified" brand of chicken that was not already frozen. Every meal that I have made so far with this chicken has been excellent. I definitely won't be going back to the off-brand of chicken! I also like to buy organic fruits and vegetables when possible but I wouldn't say that's a "must-have" buy.
I splurge on unrefined oils because I value their nutrients. I also know how much havoc refined oils week on the body. When I was having health challenges and I switched over to unrefined oils, I could feel the difference in my body, almost immedietly. They taste better too. So, even though they cost more than double the price, I pay it gladly to maintain good health.
One word: Cheese. I buy delicious & high quality cheese. Always. My guy gets mad at me about how much cheese I buy. However, my argument is it never goes bad & everyone ends up eating it so there shouldn't be much of an argument. Maybe the cost is the issue...hmm...
I am pretty good at saving money on food, but I will usually splurge in candy/sweets. I am a sugar and chocolate addict and for me it is really hard to not buy those, and I tend to really like stuff that are a bit more expensive. So I will save up in home stuff, cleaning supplies, and regular grocery, but splurge on those occasionally.
