1. Fruit & Vegetables

One of the grocery items worth spending on has to be fruit and vegetables. You might think that they're too expensive these days, but leaving them out of your diet could cost your health dearly. Even if you're on a tight budget you can still afford fruit and veggies by cutting out processed treats. You'll be surprised how much you spend on junk food, so free up the money for healthy food instead.

2. Bread

Cheap bread is tasteless and lacking in nutrients. Compare a low-priced white sliced loaf to a healthy home-baked wholegrain loaf, and the white loaf tastes even worse than it already did. Yet we automatically buy horrid sliced bread. Try making your own if you have time - it's not that complicated, tastes much nicer and is far healthier. If you're busy, buy a good quality loaf from a bakery.

3. Household Cleaning Products & Detergent

Have you ever noticed how awful cheap cleaning products smell? They're not even that effective at doing the job they're intended for. What's more, they're bad for the environment and your skin. Besides, cheap detergent ruins your clothes. So pay that little bit more for a decent product.

4. Toilet Paper

It's never worth buying cheap toilet paper. Cheap toilet paper is HORRIBLE. If you buy it, you'll soon have to stock up again, as it just isn't as, well, absorbent. So never be tempted to cut the grocery budget by picking up "bargain" toilet paper. Your family will most definitely not thank you for inflicting the equivalent of sandpaper on their delicate skin …

5. Eggs

Can you tell the difference between cheap eggs and more expensive ones? I don't know. But I do know that cheap eggs are cheap for a reason - the birds suffer terribly so that you can buy cut-price eggs. Spend a bit more and buy free-range eggs. For just a few cents per egg, you can ensure that they come from hens kept in decent conditions. That's definitely worth spending more on.

6. Meat

Meat is another item you should spend more on, rather than buying cheap. There are two very good reasons for this. Firstly, it's better for your health, as cheap meat is poor quality and full of additives. Secondly, intensively farmed meat involves a great deal of cruelty towards the animals. Opt for humanely raised meat instead - it's better to buy less meat of better quality.

7. Orange Juice

Cheap orange juice is made from concentrate, so you're drinking juice that's had the water taken out of it, then added again. Where's the sense in that? Juice from concentrate tends to be more acidic and unpleasant. Buy pure juice instead, or squeeze your own. It may cost twice as much, but the price is justified. It's much tastier and healthier.

I'm all in favor of cutting down grocery bills, but with some items you do get what you pay for. Cheap groceries are often tasteless and lacking in nutrition. It's far better to focus your budget on buying healthy, nutritious basics and cooking from scratch. Some non-food items also show how buying cheap can be a waste of your money. Which groceries would you never skimp on, no matter how tight money was?