What food items do you splurge on $$$ wise?

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Replies

  • wyattjenniferl97
    wyattjenniferl97 Posts: 12 Member
    Duck, berries and grapes, chocolate and cheese
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    edited November 2019
    Organic celery (regular makes my mouth tingle and has a metallic yucky taste), organic flavoured coffee beans from a little finca in Mexico (via a friend near the Guatemalan border), locally grown apples, pears, berries, grapes , local humanely raised beef, pork, and free range eggs from the neighbours. It's nice to live in a rural area full of small hobby farms. Oh yeah, how could I forget raw cheeses, from more neighbours. And a winery 2 km. away where we trade grape picking for bottles of the previous years vintages.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,780 Member
    I am fortunate to have a generous food budget and don’t really worry to much about the price of most things. However, the one thing I do buy that has an exorbitant price tag is my muesli. It’s over $18 for a small bag when similar sized muesli would be around $6. Mind you, it’s super tasty and portion sizes are tiny as it’s quite calorific, so it last quite a while (unless my daughter gets her hands on it and dishes herself a cornflakes portion size serve - which she can’t finish cause it’s super filling).
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    I buy generics of most things. The only foods I always buy name brand of are French's Mustard, Vlassic Pickles, Cholula Hot Sauce, and JIF peanut butter.

    I would say that I splurge on fancy cheeses, but they're usually still pretty cheap at Aldi or Trader Joe's. I also spend a bit on specialty Asian recipe components, like dark soy sauce, bonito flakes, fish sauce and curries.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    I buy Starkist tuna, which is a little more expensive than store brand, and I am picky about mayonnaise too.

    Other wise, on a weekly basis I go with what's on sale or most affordable.

    I really only consider "splurges" when I buys something that is outside of my normal menu. Like, sometimes I will splurge and buy a container of yogurt covered pretzels from the bulk bins and a nice bottle of wine which I normally won't do week to week. Or in the summer i'll splurge on a nice cut of steak to grill, but it's not a weekly thing. For cooking big meals, like Thanksgiving, I will buy very high quality butter that I wish I could justify using all year round.
  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    rhaiin wrote: »
    I buy generics of most things. The only foods I always buy name brand of are French's Mustard, Vlassic Pickles, Cholula Hot Sauce, and JIF peanut butter.

    I would say that I splurge on fancy cheeses, but they're usually still pretty cheap at Aldi or Trader Joe's. I also spend a bit on specialty Asian recipe components, like dark soy sauce, bonito flakes, fish sauce and curries.

    red boat fish sauce is a staple of mine
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    edited July 2020
    sarko15 wrote: »
    Vegetarian meat substitutes. I think sometimes they get a bad rap, but they save my life (and my protein goal) most days.

    Particularly Morningstar or Field Roast sausages. I've been veggie more than half of my life and I don't miss meat one bit -- but I love the smoky spiciness of sausage. I could care less about the meat itself.

    Im vegan,.plant based too and love it. Have you tried Just Egg? Tastes real! You may want to try the newer Beyond Meats, they have more protein. I eat tempeh, tofu and found a plant based fish free tuna I loveuic15x121w32.jpg
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    kam26001 wrote: »
    Exotic mushrooms. Not those button ones. I'm talking King Oysters and Lion's Mane. 👌

    yes, I'm on a shitaki kick
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    I generally buy the more inexpensive store brands, although a lot of times I prefer the store brand (Meijer). I think the only things I'll generally pay more for brand are butter and yogurt (I'll buy skyr instead of greek yogurt). I tend to be pretty cheap, though. I prefer to spend my money on kpop albums.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Fish.
  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 600 Member
    edited July 2020
    Steak and dog-human food.

    Steak, because we rarely eat out these days, except for the occasional visit to CookOut. So we splurge on steaks and still come out ahead. The Ninja Foodi we got the week shutdown began makes even the cheapest cut tasty.

    Dog food, because we got an elderly rescue six weeks ago today. He’s malnourished, lame from untreated broken bones, only has four teeth, still has shotgun pellets in his ribs, probably some dementia (he keeps getting lost in the house) and looks like he’ll kick off any moment.

    We figure, in the time he has left, we’re gonna let him live as large and be as loved as possible. So he gets the good stuff, all the hotdogs he wants, scrambled eggs, chicken, and yeah, some of that there steak once in a while.

    wf269s3rbssc.jpeg
    You’re good people. I have a nearly 6y.o. puppy mill surviver rescue who’s slightly lame from a crooked paw and had to be fed up too, because you could count his ribs. His tummy is delicate so there’s not many kinds of human food he does well on, but he gets a slice of organic chicken or turkey mixed in with his premium kibble. I don’t mind the expense. After 15 months with me he’s a different dog. All my dog-owner neighbors remark on it. Don’t write your sweet pup off yet, he may make a remarkable recovery with good nutrition and a harmonious, secure home. He may not be lost, but hiding when he feels overwhelmed. Bless you for your good hearts and patience.

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I pay premium prices for extra virgin olive oil snd balsamic vinegar that I use sparingly as a favoring in certain dishes.

    For all other purposes, I use cheaper bulk olive oil that I buy at Costco.
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    Plant based dips, certain Vegan cream cheese and now the Plant Based tuna I found. Most of my diet is pretty reasonable, except my daily habit for a bag of greens on lunch from Trader Joes. only because it adds up compared to the big organic containers. Once in a while if I see something new that really looks good or if on the rare occasion I get a vegan dessert.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,944 Member
    Artisan gin. I sometimes buy special things at my local market, like a French smoked sausage, German pickled herring or similar things. I'm currently waiting for gooseberries to be ripe. I'm sure they'll be super expensive, but I've not had any since childhood and have been trying to find some over the years.
  • Geneveremfp
    Geneveremfp Posts: 504 Member
    I eat 90% plant based so if I have fish or meat (less than once a week) I'll make sure its sustainable and free range. I also don't buy eggs that aren't free range and properly free range not just have looked outside occasionally "free range".
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    It depends what country I'm in but always the best. Life isn't long enough for anything else.
  • FibroHiker
    FibroHiker Posts: 398 Member
    Avocado mayonnaise and Fody Foods Ketchup. I never gave much thought to what was in my condiments before this year and now I only buy top stuff. $10 for a small jar of Mayonnaise is a lot!
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Coconut Aminos, though now that Trader Joe's carries them at half the price of anywhere else it's not as much of a splurge. I am allergic to soy but I LOVE Asian food so I have to have it on hand. Think I have 6 bottles atm (just restocked).

    A number of other things because of my soy allergy. Often the less expensive option uses soy because it is a cheap filler. So breads, bake goods, frozen meals, and more.

    Steak. I don't eat it often and I am picky on my cuts. If I am going to have a steak dinner (and not just steak as a part of a meal like a stir fry), I need to have ribeye. I prefer bone in too. Dang... now I want steak haha.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Nutzzo cashew - $12.99 where I am. Never sorry. Store nut milks because I scratch make many things but not that. Bing cherries when they're around.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Plant based substitutes like puddings, yogurts, meats, hazelnut spread, etc. I also splurge on certain seasonal fruits like rainier cherries that I can only get 2 months out of the year.
  • debbielee54
    debbielee54 Posts: 2 Member
    I've been buying more produce from the local farm stand or farmer's market. We grow a lot in our own garden but what we don't grow is worth spending a little more on for better freshness and quality than what the supermarkets have.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,261 Member
    My favorite dark-roasted crunchy peanut butter, which - unfortunately - is pricey.
  • Terrania24
    Terrania24 Posts: 11 Member
    Natural grass-fed beef jerky, with no added preservatives or nitrites. One ounce of these makes a yummy high-protein snack.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,261 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    My favorite dark-roasted crunchy peanut butter, which - unfortunately - is pricey.

    Just a thought but why not make it yourself? Its very very easy.
    Roast half the nuts, leave the other half as is.
    Throw all into a food processor and watch it dance.
    Stop couple of times to scrape the sides.
    Once done to your liking, add sweetener to taste.

    Not dark roasted enough for sure at half/half. Also, too much fuss and clean-up, for me. Willing to pay the big $$ for what tastes perfect. We all have our own personal weirdnesses.

    I didn't like or eat peanut butter until just the last few years. It was the texture, not the flavor (have always like peanut-containing things, like peanut butter fudge/cookies/etc.) I changed that.

    IIRC, you and I differ on peanut butter storage, too. I'm "stir well, then refrigerate". If memory serves, you store out of fridge, upside down. My dad did that. I disliked it.

    :)
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    High quality meat, usually grass fed and also free range eggs.
  • Annie42019
    Annie42019 Posts: 85 Member
    Grass fed steaks. Fresh shrimp. Topo Chico mineral water. Lox. High quality balsamic vinegar
  • silverpl2525
    silverpl2525 Posts: 138 Member
    I buy quality food and never eat out to balance out the cost of things. I buy organic (of all of the following) spices, berries, cereals, teas, bread, butter, eggs, and peanut butter. I buy steak or stew meats that are no hormones and no antibiotics. Some things are too expensive to buy organic, but I buy them as regular products, like olive oil, avocado oil, some nuts and popcorn or other snacks. I've managed to wean myself off of all carbonated beverages, chocolate, and milk, which has helped keep me stay on budget and be healthier.
  • swimmchick87
    swimmchick87 Posts: 458 Member
    Every once in awhile I will splurge and get an order of Dough Bar doughnuts. They're so tasty and filling (and healthier than a regular doughnut, of course), but they're stupid expensive. With shipping it comes to $5-6 per doughnut. That's crazy when you consider that Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme are something like a dollar each, and in some cases the calories aren't that much more. But "real" doughnuts aren't as filling and I have a really hard time stopping at one...