I'm calling today's post Brand Splurges, because even when we are trying to cut back our budget there are a few things that no matter if they are the cheapest in the aisle it is what I am going to buy!
So a typically grocery list for us includes mostly vegetables, dairy, and bread. Then there are always those few small items that we run out of that need to be replenished: dish soap, flour, toothpaste, cornmeal, etc,. The small items are usually where my brand loyalty get's me :)
Here are three items that have got me hooked:
1. Palmolive Oxy Dish Soap
We started this love affair when it was on sale for buy one get one. It was the cheapest option when we first bought it, but once I used it on a greasy pan there was no going back. I have never found dish soap that seriously just eliminates all of the greasy residue left on a pan, until I met OXY. Now a days, when we need soap it is usually 50 cents to a dollar more then the cheapest brand, but we try to stock up when it is on sale :)
2. Arm & Hammer Advance White Toothpaste
Toothpaste is one of those things that you can test out for a while and buy whatever is on sale, but eventually you will find one that never makes your mouth feel as clean as this one does for me :) We went off the wagon for a few weeks and bought a few other cheaper options, but in the end we came right back to this one! There have been serious discussion of trying to buy a case online to ensure we are never without our favorite toothpaste.
3. Gourmet Garden Herb Paste
This one is interesting and the herb always changes, but I noticed that we would spend $2 on basil and then use it for one recipie before it would go bad. This also occurs with lemon grass, and a few other herbs that we just don't go through quickly. Not on this list is cilantro and parsley, which I think are weekly staples in our grocery cart. Spending $3-4 on this tube allows me to have lemon grass or basil on hand for any recipie, and it won't go bad. I call this a splurge because it is more expensive then buying a bunch, but it is also a frugal purchase because it will last me 4-5 meals.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
So a typically grocery list for us includes mostly vegetables, dairy, and bread. Then there are always those few small items that we run out of that need to be replenished: dish soap, flour, toothpaste, cornmeal, etc,. The small items are usually where my brand loyalty get's me :)
Here are three items that have got me hooked:
1. Palmolive Oxy Dish Soap
We started this love affair when it was on sale for buy one get one. It was the cheapest option when we first bought it, but once I used it on a greasy pan there was no going back. I have never found dish soap that seriously just eliminates all of the greasy residue left on a pan, until I met OXY. Now a days, when we need soap it is usually 50 cents to a dollar more then the cheapest brand, but we try to stock up when it is on sale :)
2. Arm & Hammer Advance White Toothpaste
Toothpaste is one of those things that you can test out for a while and buy whatever is on sale, but eventually you will find one that never makes your mouth feel as clean as this one does for me :) We went off the wagon for a few weeks and bought a few other cheaper options, but in the end we came right back to this one! There have been serious discussion of trying to buy a case online to ensure we are never without our favorite toothpaste.
3. Gourmet Garden Herb Paste
This one is interesting and the herb always changes, but I noticed that we would spend $2 on basil and then use it for one recipie before it would go bad. This also occurs with lemon grass, and a few other herbs that we just don't go through quickly. Not on this list is cilantro and parsley, which I think are weekly staples in our grocery cart. Spending $3-4 on this tube allows me to have lemon grass or basil on hand for any recipie, and it won't go bad. I call this a splurge because it is more expensive then buying a bunch, but it is also a frugal purchase because it will last me 4-5 meals.
What are your grocery cart splurges?
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
Two things: One is ketchup. I grew up with the store brand and hated it. Now, it's all about Heinz. We get our condiments (except for mustard, which we aren't big on) in bulk, which helps, but I refuse to go back to store brand. The other thing is the crispy jalapenos from Fresh Gourmet. They are amazing. On a recent grocery trip they were out and I got the red pepper, which is also good AND my pepper-hating daughter even liked it!
ReplyDeleteOoooh I will have to try the jalapeno! Thanks for the tip and thanks for reading :) Also, great name!!
DeleteYou cannot skimp on dish soap. The cheap stuff doesn't clean as well so you end up using more. That's not even a splurge in my books, that's a smart purchase.
ReplyDeleteI splurge on good maple syrup.
Geeze, I forgot about my Maple Syrup!!!
DeleteYes- Maple syrup is deffinetly a splurge on my list. We buy it in bulk, aka Gallon Jugs, when we are in upstate NY from my maple guy ;) We trully leave an envelope of money on the door and come home to a gallon of maple syrup! It's like Santa Clause of the maple trees!