As a personal finance blogger, you would think I would be a huge advocate for the concept of cheapest is best. This holds true for many things, like at the grocery store, for example. However, while I tend to utilize this concept while grocery shopping, there are specific groceries that cheapest is NOT best. Here are 3 groceries that are worth the splurge.
Meat and Fish
I used to always buy meat that was on sale for the lowest price. Why spend more when you can spend less, right? Well, I realized that with my chicken, for example, the cheaper brands were often of significantly lower quality. I would find myself cutting out a bunch of the chicken due to the presence of tendons, veins, fat or red blood spots. While most of this is safe to eat, I personally do not find it enjoyable, so I cut it out before cooking the chicken.
Rather than suffering through the time and effort of inspecting my chicken before I cook it and spending money on meat that is inedible for me, I’ve realized I‘d rather spend more for better quality and cleaner cuts of chicken. Although the chicken I buy now is maybe $9/lb versus the $7/lb of the cheaper brands, I feel like I am actually getting more for my money because I can use the entire pound of the more expensive chicken.
Chicken is just one example, though. I find this applies to most meat and fish, as well. I prefer to splurge on these items for peace of mind and taste preference. I don’t mind paying more for something that is truly better quality.
Organic Fruits and Vegetables
I’ll be honest with everyone, I am not a solely organic purchaser. However, there are some things that are worth buying organic such as certain fruits and vegetables. Specifically, it is worth buying organic when it comes to thinner skinned fruits or vegetables because there is a higher chance of pesticides seeping into the part of the fruit or vegetable that you actually consume. Some examples of fruits and vegetables that are worth purchasing organic:
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Spinach
- Peaches
- Grapes
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Peppers
On the other hand, some things that aren’t with the higher price tag for the organic label:
- Bananas
- Avocado
- Corn
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Cantaloupe
Your Favorite Snacks
You know that feeling when you’re on a diet, but you’re craving sweets, so you try to substitute a piece of fruit for a cookie and it just doesn’t cut it? That same thing applies when you buy off-brand of your favorite snack. My husband went to the store to buy Oreos for a party we were having and bought the store brand called “Tuxedos” because they were about $1 cheaper. Needless to say, everyone was significantly disappointed when they bit into this cookie that looked exactly like an Oreo, but had a mushy texture and just tasted off.
You deserve a treat every once in a while and when it comes to your favorite snacks, there’s a good chance you will taste the difference between the brand you prefer and the off-brand version. To avoid disappointment, splurge on the correct brand of your favorite snack because the $1-2 difference will not make up for the underwhelming feeling you will get when you take a bite and it just doesn’t hit the spot.
