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Prices keep climbing, so I’m trying to pick my battles in the supermarket. Which items do you refuse to cheap out on, and why? Taste, health, longevity, peace of mind… I’d love to hear what’s worth the few extra dollars for you.

For me, it’s honey from local beekeepers—supermarket brands locally are known to sell fake or adulterated sugar syrup as honey.

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[-] felixwhynot@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago

Canned tomatoes. Get the good ones if you can!

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[-] Witchfire@lemmy.world 9 points 16 hours ago
[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 7 points 16 hours ago

I will add that I’ve yet to find a decent tasting store brand soda or sparkling water. I have no idea why it’s so difficult for them to get the flavoring right.

[-] count_dongulus@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

Kroger diet cola. It's better than diet coke. Always fucking out of stock though around me.

[-] rauls5@lemmy.zip 12 points 17 hours ago

Nice try, Kroger.

[-] Libra@lemmy.ml 13 points 18 hours ago

Lunch meat. I eat sandwiches every day for lunch and I have tried all the discount store brands for various types of ham, turkey, and chicken, and it's all pretty shit, so I'm quite happy to pay the buck for the Hillshire Farms stuff cause it's the best.

[-] DoubleDongle@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago

If you really want to step up your game, try buying raw meat, cooking it, and slicing it for sandwiches. I do this with chicken and it's served me really well at very low cost.

[-] Libra@lemmy.ml 8 points 16 hours ago

That sounds like a big increase in pain-in-the-ass for not that big an increase in savings. I'm happy to trade money for convenience on this one. ;)

[-] DoubleDongle@lemmy.world 10 points 17 hours ago

Believe it or not, top-shelf bacon. It's got more bacon in it. Less water. You're not paying nearly as much more per ounce of actual meat as it looks at first.

Lots of "organic" produce has a significantly longer shelf life than the basic stuff too. Never mind whether it's any healthier or tastier, I'm not saving any money if I pay a dollar less and it starts molding before I can eat half of it.

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[-] cygnosis@lemmy.world 11 points 18 hours ago

Huy Fong Sriracha. Just don't even bother buying any other bottle of "sriracha" sauce. It's not worth it. Your disappointment will be immeasurable and your day will be ruined.

[-] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 19 points 18 hours ago

That used to be the case because the peppers were specifically grown just for Huy Fong. However, Huy Fong screwed over their exclusive pepper grower to increase profits. The peppers they get now don't taste the same.

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[-] tal@lemmy.today 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

While I also like Huy Fong Sriracha and was delighted when I first ran into it, I believe I remember reading about them changing the recipe at some point.

EDIT: Oh, sounds like they didn't change the recipe intentionally, but at least the first batch they had after they had a fight with their pepper supplier tasted somewhat differently. I assume that they're aiming to keep the flavor the same.

[-] Codilingus@sh.itjust.works 3 points 17 hours ago

I've had a Sriracha from Yellow Bird that was absolutely amazing, they added in a little bit of agave, probably my top pick now.

[-] Oka@sopuli.xyz 8 points 17 hours ago

Silverware

The cheap metals taste like a magnet, have rough edges, and lose their appearance after a few washes

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago

There’s plenty of good used stainless flatware out there. Older stuff found at estate sales is frequently better quality and cheaper than buying new at department stores.

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago

Just had some of the worst “store brand” honey mustard. How do you mess that up? Tasted like they watered it down by adding extra vinegar. Watery. Gross tasting. Lesson Learned.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 4 points 17 hours ago

La Tourangelle Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s my favorite.

Pasta made in Italy. (A recent ex-girlfriend converted me)

If you absolutely positively have to have a bottle of soda, then probably go with the Mexican Coke over anything made in America.

[-] cfi@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago

Theres a lot of craft soda or smaller soda worth your time. Also Fever Tree is fantastic for mixers/fizzy drinks

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago

Forgot about this. Empire soda from Bristol, RI is the bomb.

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this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2025
96 points (100.0% liked)

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