Things that are worth paying a bit extra for

[SpecialSpaghetti]

Just spent the best part of 45 minutes with DC going through numerous (5 - DC is a stationery fiend!) and doing an audit of all the working pens/pencils/felt tips/colouring pencils etc.
Never ceases to amaze me how disheartening it is when the leads in the pencils/colouring pencils constantly snap when you are trying to sharpen them.
The branded ones were a dream in comparison.
Pic (hopefully attached) shows the difference in quality.
The staedtler ones were great.
The ones from unknown origin had chipped wood and snapped leads.
There was even one that could not be sharpened! The wood just wouldn't 'give'.

What things in your life do you consider it worthwhile to pay a bit extra for?
Colouring pencils and pencils are now firmly in my list.
Bin bags too.
Split bin bags are not a pleasant experience!

Skincare
Foundation
Butter
Before i'd say mayo - but now I make my own and use it one the spot
Prosecco - i seldom drink, so when I do, I want a nice drink
Shoes
Coats
Bedding

Wine
Coffee
Perfume (Jo Malone or Jo Loved)
Scented candles (White Company or Druid Edinburgh)

For me it's comfy shoes, underwear, tea and chocolate.

Gym clothes
Kitchen knives
Pots and pans
Tools
Laptop/PC/tablet/mobile
Wellies
A lot of foods
Luggage

This has probably been mentioned but kids school shoes. The cheap ones fall apart so fast.

Real gold jewellery- a splurge but I wear gold hoops and the plated stuff just isn't the same and looks naff too quickly to be worth it for me. (and a lot of plated jewellery is almost as expensive as the real thing- I'm looking at you, Merjuri!)

Winter boots- good leather boots are pricey but I take mine to a cobbler to get resoled and have had the same pair for a good 8 years now

buying the best dishwasher you can afford is worth it- we made do with a cheaper one for a while but it broke quickly and didn't do that great a job.

Cutlery

Hair care, skin care and organic meat.

IMO get those right and everything else looks expensive.

Real butter. Great well-fitting underwear. A winter coat that looks good with everything (ditto a handbag). Nice shoes. An excellent mattress.

I had the opposite experience. A few years ago I splashed out on a White Company duvet set and sheets. They were so creased after washing though that I eventually replaced them with a much cheaper, non-iron set from Dunelm!

Staedtler is my go to for stationery.
Mutti tomato sauce
La Molisana spaghetti.
Rieker shoes
Fantasie bras.
Butcher’s meat.
Farmshop veg and fruit.

Foodwise-sometimes chasing most economical food means losing the taste.

Cat food! When we first got our cats we were planning on giving them a supermarket brand until we found out that most have a meat content of 4%...

Mattress
Coffee
Toilet roll
Mutti tomatoes

To be honest, a lot of things. You do get what you pay for as a general rule.

But especially the 'treat' and self care things like:

Coffee
Chocolate
Cheese
Bread from bakery
Wine
Clothes and shoes
Make up
Skincare
Hair products
Art materials
Healthcare, gyms etc.

Yes I have a long list and not enough disposable income to cover it 😂

Food:
• French salted butter,
• Mutti tomatoes,
• organic eggs,
• mcvities digestive biscuits

Toiletries:
• kerestase shampoo
• Brazilian bum bum body wash & moisturiser
• Colgate total toothpaste

Meat
Hotel rooms

I stopped buying chopped tomatoes because I read they are all the discarded poor quality tomatoes so I buy the tinned whole ones and chop them in a whizzer at home.

Kitchen equipment, but only stuff you will really use. I think that the advice to buy a cheap item first and then if you run it into the ground, replace it with the best you you can afford is a good idea. My Aldi stand mixer will be replaced with a KitchenAid ( but hopefully not for a long time!).

Vacuum cleaner.. The Shark cost a lot, but vacuuming is one of the rare bits of housework I enjoy, cos the result is tangible. I vacuumed my mattress. The result was grimly fascinating.

Flea treatment for the cats. Cheap=itchy cats.

Yes I agree, love the Cherry Blossom range.

@Kittensat36 yep, definitely get the best quality appliance you can afford. Even second hand they work and last better.

coffee - proper stuff and made by in better appliances.

To those saying bedding, please can you suggest brands?

Coffee
wine
bin bags
ketchup
beans
meat, cold meat.

@DandledASandle
"And respect to you for scaling Stationery Mountain OP! Good work!"
Hahaha thank you, I fear this was just the tip of the iceberg... we found more in another drawer!
Bic, and also Scentos are on the good list - smell nice too 😂

Having read everyone's replies I can also add and agree with -

Mattresses
Household appliances
Shoes but especially school shoes
Trades people - finding good ones is like hitting the jackpot!
Toilet roll

Food wise -
Definitely sausages.
My sausage of choice is Musk's Newmarket.
Meat, but particularly chicken. I would rather eat less frequently to pay for better quality when I do.
Eggs