The Grocery Store Items Our Readers Always Splurge On

Ayn-Monique Klahre
Ayn-Monique Klahre
Ayn-Monique is a lifestyle editor and writer who's worked for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, FamilyFun and more. She loves lattes, jogging and hanging out at the playground with her husband and daughters.
updated May 1, 2019
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I’m always thinking about how to save on groceries. And while I’m all for sticking to a budget and living within my means, there are a few groceries that are just too delicious to sacrifice in the name of money. I know I’d eat ramen for a week if that’s what I had to do in order to afford an amazing French triple-creme cheese to spread on my favorite crackers during date night at home!

Some things are just worth the money (and almonds are a relatively small splurge compared to, say, diamonds, right?). So we asked you, dear readers, what groceries you’re actually willing to spend money on — and we quickly got more than 1,000 responses in a very short period of time!

Here you’ll find the top 10, plus a smattering of random delicacies.

Top 10 Grocery Store Splurges from Kitchn Readers

  1. Fancy butter: French, Welsh, Danish, Amish, Irish, or from the local farm, this is the number-one splurge among our food-loving readers!
  2. Heirloom tomatoes: In season, from the farmers market; the weirder the color, the better.
  3. Artisan bread: Sourdough, baguettes, artisan-made — people will apparently drive 20 miles to their secret source.
  4. Fine olive oil: Ideally from California — or your local go-to.
  5. Good coffee: Local or from your favorite region.
  6. Vanilla beans: The real kind, ideally from Madagascar.
  7. Toilet paper: Triple-ply is a weakness (and we hear they can’t get it in Canada).
  8. Quality cheese: From Parmigiano Teggiano and feta to Havarti and Brie, everyone’s got a favorite.
  9. Fresh eggs: Local, organic, pasture-raised, and farm-fresh.
  10. Chocolate: At least 70 percent dark or orange-infused, please.

And 50 Other Splurges, in Alphabetical Order

  1. Aussie black licorice bites
  2. Avocados
  3. Balsamic vinegar
  4. Ben & Jerry’s dairy-free ice cream
  5. Black walnuts
  6. Blueberries
  7. Capers
  8. Cinnamon Jelly Belly candy
  9. Coke Zero
  10. Creamline milk
  11. Cut fruit
  12. Dates
  13. Doritoes
  14. Dried mangoes
  15. Fancy dog food
  16. Fiji water
  17. Flowers
  18. Fresh figs
  19. Fresh herbs
  20. Grass-fed filet mignon
  21. Hawaiian sweet rolls
  22. Hint of Lime tortillas
  23. Italian jarred tuna
  24. LaCroix
  25. Lamb ribs
  26. Lobster
  27. Local cornmeal
  28. Loose-leaf tea
  29. Marcona almonds
  30. Mayonnaise
  31. Mint Oreos
  32. Moondrop grapes
  33. Morels
  34. Neese’s breakfast sausage
  35. Palisade beaches
  36. Pistachios
  37. Pure maple syrup
  38. Quality canned tomatoes
  39. Ranch dressing
  40. Raw honey
  41. Real cinnamon
  42. Real cream
  43. Saffron threads
  44. San Pellegrino
  45. Sesame oil
  46. Stone-ground grits
  47. Stonewall Kitchen preserves
  48. Stuffed green olives
  49. Thick-cut bacon
  50. Truffle salt

And now I feel like splurging and buying all of these things!

Were your splurges on these lists?

Filed in:
budget
Grocery Shopping
Ingredient
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