To ask for a guide as to what's genuinely worth spending a bit more on?

[TattyOldbit]

My default setting is cheapest, but I also get that cheapest often costs more in the long run.

Meat - free range only
Eggs - ditto
Bedding - high count Egyptian cotton and pure wool blankets
Loo Roll - Andrex quilted
Sofa - I prefer feather filled seat cushions and back

Bread
Wine
Cheese

Time with those you love.

but some people would consider £30 to be cheap and would spend £100 on a pair of shoes.

Last pair of shoes I bought were £120 in the sale. I spend a lot on shoes but I have a pair of £6 espadrilles from Primark that are perfectly comfortable and are 2 years old. But straw and canvas are cheap materials that do their job, are comfortable and will decompose, wouldn't buy plastic shoes for the same price. I think it depends on the shoes. Clarks are very good quality for their price range, there are lots of more expensive shoes that e.g. have synthetic linings (my pet hate, shoes aren't really 'leather' if your foot is not in contact with any actual leather).

It depends how much money you have and how far you have to spread it. For some an extra couple of hours heating that is a luxury.
Different people have different priorities.
My indulgences are
Mattresses and bedding
Decent logs
Scent
Makeup. I don’t have much, don’t use much but like it to stay where I put it when I do bother.
Waterproofs and boots.
Tights for work. Can’t stand ones that feel like nylon or that creep down.
Wine. Not much, not often but has to be worth drinking.
Meat and eggs but ours are cheap or free and come from within a ten mile radius. Usually a two mile radius.
Flights. Anything over three/ four hours has to be business class and a decent carrier too.
Hotels. Happy wit his a premier inn to break a journey, for work but I want nice hotels otherwise.
Jewellery. Can’t abide plastic or cheap tat. I’d much rather a few good pieces and a couple of strings of pearls than lots of bling.

Towels. Decent thick ones that absorb and don't fall apart with being washed and dried all the time.

We spent a fair amount on a wool duvet and I love it - regulates temp way better so I don't wake up all sweaty, and keeps me warm when it's freezing.

I actually really love cheap, nasty, off-brand ketchup. It's always a bit sugary and spicy and feels like a bit of filth on the plate (in a good way). Sainsbury's is particularly grim/great.

I think the key is going for quality on things where comfort is paramount: non-itchy jumpers, well-fitted bras, beds you sleep on every night, etc. Couldn't give a hoot about toothpaste, washing-up liquid, etc. (Other than eco-friendliness.)

Still remember getting my first pay rise in London and having a few extra quid a month; went from blowing my nose on loo roll and Pret napkins to balsam tissues. That felt like a proper life upgrade to luxury.

Frosties.
The own brand just don't taste the same.

My DD doesn't grow out of clothes very quickly so I insist her clothes are slightly more expensive so they don't wear out after a couple of wears.

Also shoes. For children good quality fitted shoes make a massive difference to their feet. For adults I find shoes last longer if they're good quality and also they're more comfortable.

With a number of these it depends how you view it and it pays to have some knowledge.

Skincare - yes generally if you pay a bit more you will get a better formulated product. But the basic ingredients that actually do something for your skin are now all well known and the companies know this - so it is in their interests to complicate matters as much as possible, sell you a 'luxury' experience, inflate prices with lovely packaging, nice smells and branding all of which do nothing for your skin. So a £200 serum can easily be doing less for your skin than a £10 one.

A good SPF costs little.

Same goes for many, many items.

Experiences, no one ever lay on their deathbed reminiscing about the time they bought the most expensive sofa in the shop.

For me is:

Education. No need to explain

Hair and skin. Which is salon services and expensive skin care. You'll be wearing your hair and skin forever.

Mattress + pillow. I also like good quality bedding.

Healthcare. I have a private membership (not in the UK), paid for by work but I decided to pay a bit extra for extra services. Just in case.

Coats + shoes.

Skincare, good makeup (if you wear it), jeans, haircuts.

Also high end make-up and great jeans that you can wear for years

My hair - so hair products, and getting it highlighted.

Dog food - both have allergies & so grain free & novel proteins.

Perfume - I fell in love with something £££, so it's my treat (don't drink or smoke or go out).

Trainers - I live in them due to arthritic ankles & heels.

For me I always try to buy quality based on that as a measure, not necessarily judged on expense alone. Tends to depend if it’s something I like/want though. Tools, and stuff for hobbies I want to last and perform well.
Having said that I have my priorities a bit mixed up. I think nothing of spending 1k + on amateur radio transceivers but balked at paying £3.49 for a lightbulb yesterday. Same goes for the transceiver- can barely bring myself to spend an extra quid a metre for decent quality coaxial cable

Books and sports equipment
I’ll pretty much always buy these if the dc ask for them - see my username - but they have to buy their own sweets and PS4 games.

The thing is expensive is subjective...

Shoes, £30 ones are about 10 times better than £3 ones... but £300 ones aren’t 10 times better again...

You do need to spend a bit so they’re comfortable and supportive, but after that price you’re paying for the designer really.

Long haul air travel.

I did my years of travelling down the back and now I just won't any more.

It costs more, and I have to be on the ball to get good deals when they come up (as I still baulk at full price fares).

But it is so worth it.

I disagree with two mentioned.

Glasses: I have a preferred style, semi-rimless metal frame with 0.35cm height lens. I can get these in multiple colours from any of the cheap online providers, cost £15 plus postage last time.

Worktops: Expensive sold ones made of stone or artificial materials were attractive when I first looked into this, but none seem to be impervious to chemical damage. What will actually last the longest with the least worry and maintenance is the very cheapest laminate ones. They're also cheaper and easier to fit.

I meant to say cheap laminate worktops are a better option than other types, not that cheap laminate ones are better than expensive laminate!

vacuum cleaners.
spent 10 years skimping, and buying ones that were

Agreed with shoes, my Dad always taught me to buy decent shoes and that is was false economy to do otherwise.

If a laptop is important for your work then definitely invest in a MacBook. I had an expensive HP before this and I got two years out of it before it was irreparable.

Most electricals with heavy use should be the more expensive kind however cheap kettles are absolutely fine.

oh, with bedding we got some lovely stuff when house of fraser was closing down, and it's very comfortable.

however we keep digging out our oldest dunelm set, which is fraying all over - it's just the most comfortable set we've ever found anywhere (and was very cheap).

Shoes and mattresses. If you're not in one there's a good chance you're in the other!

I've heard this and thought yes - but lately we're not finding that in shoes - with exception of Dr Martin boots but even they are lasting about 6 months less than previous years. We do a lot of walking - we don't drive so are hard on the shoes but nothing is really lasting for the children.

Hoovers and washing machines.

Though gone mid range with hoover - current one is great - and washing machine may have been the bigger size 9 Kg that helped as well.