As much as penny pinchers might want to live like cloistered monks, living off porridge and the fumes of self denial, everyone gives in to their desires eventually. Even Redditors on r/Frugal — a group that goes to extreme lengths to save money — recently shared a handful of non-negotiable treats that they could never go without. So, whether you want to feel less guilty about your spending habits or need shopping list inspiration, here are nine foods that frugal shoppers never pass up no matter how expensive they get.
1. Real Maple Syrup
Real, Grade-A syrup may be more expensive than some wines. But unlike Log Cabin, Butterworth, and similar brands that peddle caramel-colored corn-based goop, syrup from Canada and Vermont actually contains maple syrup. You know, the kind that comes from trees. If you must compromise, one Redditor suggests swapping out the real stuff with agave.
2. YASSO Frozen Greek Yogurt
The way one Redditor describes these frozen treats — “stupidly good,” a “dopamine hit” — you’d think they have a yogurt problem. But we get it. A vanilla froyo bar dipped in chocolate crunch? On a bad night, we’re eating the whole box.
3. Nuts
Out of all the expensive, irresistible goodies that companies dangle in front of our faces, you’d think that nuts would be at the bottom of the list. That’s not so. Nuts made it to the very top of this Reddit thread, with frugal Redditors praising the entire pantheon of nuts, legumes, and seeds. “I’m super frugal with my weekly grocery shopping except for that $8 bag of cashews,” one Redditor admits.
Related: Psst: You’ve Been Storing Nuts Wrong This Whole Time
4. Cheese
Thanks to a protein called casein, cheese contains opiate-like compounds that attach to the same brain receptors that heroin attaches to. That explains all the cheese fanaticism in the comments. In one ode, a Redditor simply starts listing cheeses: “Cheese. All cheese. Feta. Goat cheese. Gruyère. Blocks of cheddar,” they write, adding that they’ll “always love it and NEED it.”
Are you obsessed with cheese, too? Check out the funkiest cheeses in the world.
5. High-Quality Butter
Good butter has a similar effect on Redditors. “Never underestimate the power of a good high-cream butter,” one commenter writes. Popular high-quality butter brands include Kerrygold and Lurpak.
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6. Ethiopian and Thai Takeout
From a purely fiscal perspective, takeout is always a bad idea. Even so, that’s no way to live, especially if self-proclaimed saving nerds are ordering in once in a while. If it makes you feel less guilty, know that one Redditor can’t help themselves when it comes to Ethiopian and Thai takeout.
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7. Fresh Fruit
When it’s raspberry season, and those beautiful ruby-colored morsels are piled high in cute, green baskets, it’s easy to ignore the price tag. $6 for a handful of raspberries? No problem! Fresh in-season fruit is just too sublime.
Related: Bizarre New Fruits You’re Suddenly Seeing at the Grocery Store
8. Eggs
Bodybuilders and scramble enthusiasts can rest easy knowing that the worst of egg-flation is over. But even when the breakfast staple hit its peak in January 2023, some egg devotees continued to buy them because of the unbeatable cost-to-nutrition ratio.
Related: The 20 Cheapest Grocery Stores in the U.S., According to Consumers
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9. Top-Shelf Olive Oil
Some budget-conscious Redditors can’t stand cheap olive oil, the kind that comes in a sad, plastic bottle. Instead, they go for California Olive Ranch, Kirkland Signature Organic, or Trader Joe’s brand oil, enthusiasts say.
Related: Like Disgusting, Overpriced Coffee? Try Starbucks New Olive Oil-Infused Coffees
