Grocery Items That Are Worth The Splurge

Trying to save money at the grocery store is always smart, and there are some savvy ways to do it. You might opt to buy generic over brand name, for instance, or become an expert at couponing. Or you might simply stop wasting cash on items that just aren't worth buying at all. But while it's sometimes smart to cut corners at the supermarket, other times, it's a wise move to spend a little extra on higher-quality items. With all the ways you're probably wasting money at the supermarket, you'll be glad to know that these pricier grocery items are actually worth laying out a little extra cash.

Olive oil can vary wildly in price, largely due to the drastic difference in quality and taste each type delivers. If you're simply using olive oil for sauteing or cooking, you should opt for the cheaper variety, such as a generic brand or mass-market olive oil. But if you're using it to drizzle over fresh tomatoes, make your own salad dressing or dip bread in, it's worth splurging for. High-quality olive oil, such as the kind you might find at a specialty store or that's sold in small batches, can noticeably elevate the taste of your food.

Life is too short not to find more reasons to enjoy good quality, authentic cheese. While using generic-brand shredded cheddar is just fine for making enchiladas or adding to an omelette, prepackaged, overly processed cheese has nothing on a delicate orb of fresh mozzarella, a slab of real farmhouse cheddar or a wedge of creamy Camembert. Thankfully, most supermarkets these days offer a wide range of high-end cheeses that used to be difficult to track down just a couple decades ago. Even opting for real Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of shelf-stable grated Parmesan can turn an average-tasting bowl of spaghetti into a dish that tastes just like pasta recipes grandma used to make.

There's a time and a place for cheap, low-quality chocolate. America's favorite Halloween candies, for example, are almost all made with low-brow chocolate. But when you're looking for a rich-tasting dessert, you should go for the good stuff. Fancy chocolate is not only often healthier, since it usually is made with more cocoa and less added sugar, but it can also be a much more satisfying treat. The ingredient list will likely contain fewer items such as "milk solids" and "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," which are often used to fluff up less-expensive treats, and you'll be able to taste the difference.

Fresh seafood,especially shellfish, is more expensive than other protein sources you might choose to cook. But every now and then, it's worth spending a little extra. Shellfish like scallops or oysters contain significant amounts of zinc, iron and vitamin B12, in addition to omega-3 fatty acids. And eating fish for dinner once per week is one of the eating habits that can lower your blood pressure. Look for sales and try to fit some seafood into your grocery budget when you can.

There is a huge difference in taste and quality amongst beer brands and varieties — and oftentimes, you get what you pay for. The best-tasting beers in America are going to cost quite a bit more than a six-pack of Bud Light. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking cheap beer, and you shouldn't apologize for loving it, but there's a time and a place for both. Tailgating a football game and drinking for four hours? You might want to go for a Miller High Life or PBR. But if you're looking to enjoy one or two quality beverages, it's worth paying extra for a great-tasting craft beer or a unique seasonal brew.

Making the perfect Belgian waffles at home is an art worth perfecting; and once you do, you don't want to ruin your brunch by topping it with subpar syrup. It's well worth splurging for real maple syrup over the other types (like "pancake syrup" or "breakfast syrup") you see at the store. While real maple syrup is made exclusively from the sap that comes from trees, other types of syrup are concocted entirely from ingredients such as corn syrup, artificial colorings and other additives. You'll be able to taste the difference.

You might have noticed that some balsamic vinegar is dirt cheap while other fancier bottles are much more expensive. Turns out, it may be worth dropping some extra cash on a pricier bottle. The bottle will last a long time, and a quality vinegar can make your food taste phenomenal. The quality of balsamic vinegar is highly dependent on how it was made. Balsamic vinegars of the highest quality will be labeled "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale," which means that the vinegar is verified and was produced in Italy using a complex multi-barrel process. You should also look at the ingredients label. Higher-quality vinegars are made with grape must, while imitation balsamic vinegars and lower-quality varieties will have ingredients such as vinegar, caramel and artificial flavors. The kind you should buy depends largely on the use. If you are simply using the balsamic to make a reduction or glaze, opting for the cheaper variety is probably OK. But if you're drizzling vinegar over fresh fruit or using it in a salad dressing, it's worth investing in a higher-quality bottle.

Eating salmon, no matter which kind you buy, is a great way to get omega-3 fatty acids and help maintain a diet that supports your brain health. However, the method used to catch salmon makes a big difference in its nutritional value — and its price. Wild-caught salmon (typically more expensive than farm-raised) is caught in natural environments and allowed to eat organisms found naturally in these environments. Farm-raised salmon, on the other hand, live in pens or tanks that operate with varying levels of sustainability and are fed processed, high-fat, high-protein pellets. As a result, farmed salmon typically contains more fat, including both unsaturated and saturated fat, in the same number of grams of fish and contains fewer nutrients such as calcium and zinc, according to data from the USDA. While the larger amount of unsaturated fat may actually be a good thing, some consumers avoid farm-raised salmon due to the increased risk of contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), antibiotics and mercury.

Nuts such as almonds, walnuts and cashews can be on the pricier side, but they're worth adding to your shopping list. These foods are filled with healthy fats, protein and fiber and can be used as a satisfying midday snack, thrown in delicious salads or used for baking. Serving sizes are relatively small, so you won't have to restock often. And one way to cut down on cost is to buy nuts in the bulk foods section of your grocery store rather than opt for prepackaged varieties.

If you're going to treat yourself to a baked good (or three), commit to the bit and treat yourself. The quality of cupcake you get freshly baked from the bakery far exceeds that of the hydrogenated oil-laden one in the snack food aisle. And a mass-produced chocolate chip cookie has nothing on a freshly baked, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside chocolate chip cookie that costs a little more.

Though frozen produce is just as healthy as fresh, fresh produce always tastes better. And it tastes even better if you buy local. Local produce, unlike most grocery store produce, hasn't been sprayed with preservatives, shoved in a truck and schlepped across the country. That means that less time has passed since the tomatoes were on the vine, the carrots were in the ground and the fruit was on the tree. You'll be able to taste the difference. If you can't find local produce at your favorite supermarket, try hitting up a farmer's market nearby.

All butter tastes good, but some butter is so much better than others. If you want to know what butter is really supposed to taste like, try European butter, usually found at the supermarket in foil-wrapped bricks. European butter, typically from Normandy or Ireland, has a higher fat content than American butter — 82 percent is the minimum as compared to America's 80. Many European cattle are grass-fed, which greatly improves the taste of the milk (and the resulting butter). Spend a couple extra bucks on some high-quality European butter and spread it onto a fresh baguette — it just might change your life.