12 Grocery Splurges That Are Worth Every Penny
Many grocery shoppers default to tried-and-true shopping hacks to save money, like buying generic brands over name brands. But just because there’s a generic option available doesn’t mean it’s worth the money spent. Sometimes it’s worth it to pay more for good taste.
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In 2024, a thread on Reddit’s r/Cooking subreddit revealed the types of groceries ordinary Americans are willing to spend more money on because the quality is ROI-positive. Here are their top grocery splurges.
Lea & Perrins The Original Worcestershire Sauce
Multiple Reddit users agreed that it’s better to spend more money on Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce than settle for another name brand or generic version. At Sam’s Club, shoppers can bulk buy two 20-ounce bottles for $9.38.
Delicious taste aside, user Plane_Practice8184 said it’s worth it to buy the Lea & Perrins brand because the company has made the sauce for more than a century and ferments it in barrels.
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Cheese
All kinds of cheeses were mentioned throughout the thread as a grocery splurge worth spending more money on.
In particular, Reddit users recommended paying more for parmesan (shop for wedges over shaken cans) and ricotta for the best taste.
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Mayonnaise
The type of mayonnaise you use can make all the difference for flavoring in mayo-heavy dishes.
While Reddit users debated whether Best Foods, Hellmann’s or Duke’s was the superior brand, all were in agreement that these brands taste better than generic mayonnaise.
Bronze Die-Cut Pasta
According to Reddit user MikeOKurias, imperfections in the bronze die allow more surface areas on the noodle in the form of little jagged ridges. This creates more starch, allowing for more sauces to stick to the pasta.
Bronze die-cut, or extruded, pasta is also not as expensive as you might imagine. At Target, a 16-ounce bag of Good & Gather bronze-cut stelline retails for $3.89. This is just a few dollars more than what you might pay for cheaper pasta.
Deli Meat
Consider spending a little more money for a fresh cut of deli meat at the deli counter, even if the prepackaged name brands are on sale.
“In my experience, prepackaged [deli meat] is outrageously worse and more expensive,” wrote Reddit user front_torch.
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San Marzano Tomatoes
The next time you need tomatoes from the store, add San Marzano tomatoes to your shopping list. A 28-ounce can from the Cento brand retails for $5.99 at Target.
This is a little more expensive than what you might pay for another brand, but the taste of these plum tomatoes come highly recommended from the Reddit community. If you’re not able to find San Marzano tomatoes for sale at your supermarket, keep your eyes peeled for vine-ripened tomatoes instead.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Shell out more money for high-quality extra virgin olive oil whenever you can — and beware any olive oil that comes in clear bottles. This ties in with overall health and wellness as much as it does taste, according to the Reddit community.
Balsamic Vinegar
If you’re able to financially swing it, explore DOP traditional balsamic or other types of aged balsamic to pair with meats, cheeses, fish and salads.
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Real Butter
While margarine might be cheaper, real butter makes a huge difference for baking and cooking meals.
Real Maple Syrup
“You use so little at a time that it’s way worth the upgrade. It’s significantly cheaper than the average grocery store if you get the big jug at Costco or Sam’s Club,” wrote Kairos_Wolf.
Bread
Unable to bake your own bread? Several members of the Reddit community recommended splurging on crusty bread from the bakery instead of buying prepackaged loaves.
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Ice Cream
If quality ice cream brands, like Jeni’s or McConnell’s, are not on sale, most Reddit users would rather go without than substitute in a cheaper carton.
“I splurged and bought a half-gallon of the good chocolate ice cream for the first time in my life,” wrote Most-Ad-9465. “My mindset was always ‘chocolate is chocolate, get what’s cheap.’ I was so wrong. I’d rather eat ice cream less often than get the cheap stuff now.”
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are accurate as of Jan. 30, 2025, and are subject to change.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 12 Grocery Splurges That Are Worth Every Penny
