A Quick Question.....

sweetstudent

After reading many many posts concerning the price of food and people expressing their love for basics's food i was just wondering if you felt that quality was more important or was getting food for the cheapest price more important!!!

I only ask, as i will always go for quality over price, i.e - premium own brands, free range, M&S food!!!

And, no i am not on shed loads, and its just me and my partner!!!!

thanks

Rikki

Difficult question to answer.
Some things I buy I would never compromise on taste and quality. ie: lean mince, toilet paper , free range eggs and sausages
Others price is often the deciding factor on whether I buy it or not. ie: bacon, biscuits etc

earthmother

Quality definitely is the deciding factor for me - but in our house that means any combination of lowest and highest priced ranges - value biscuits for example are loved here, but no-one likes anything but Heinz beans. It's also false economy buying something that will get thrown away because no-one likes it, or buying the top brand when a lower one is deemed nicer.

In matters of taste (be it food, clothes, music, anything), everyone has a different view on what is nicest, and therefore best quality.

newmumincov

Quality matters a lot even on my tight budget. The thing is, what contitutes quality for me usually boils down to the least processed, most natural product. I follow a way of eating where I have to avoid vegetable oils, all grains and dairy, soya, all sugars, and so on.

Often the value versions of products are the least processed.

Peartree

Quality every time BUT M&S and premium own brands don't automatically equate to quality - they often just equate to 'more expensive' - and basics don't automatically equate to poor quality. Look at the label, taste it and then decide if it is good quality.

sooty&sweep

Hi

Quality for me although as said before price doesn't equal quality.
I try to buy from local suppliers and support my local high street rather than Mr Tesco's etc.
I also tend to cook mostly from scratch rather than using lotso convenience food.

shirlgirl2004

I'm definitely with the quality crowd. I mainly buy organic food and non processed which means that it is generally higher quality and better taste but more expensive. If I'm buying a junk food like biscuits then I buy any cheap rubbish because I wouldn't give them to my children anyway. I quite like a bit of junk every now and then!

itsmeagain

I guess from your unfair/loaded question that you are not a research student. I also assume that english is not your 1st language, else you may have added a few commas to your 1st sentence (whole pargraph), and ended your question with a question mark, instead of '!!!'!
For me you've over simplified things by only offering 2 voting buttons. Some people need the cheapest because thats all they can afford. Some have the best quality, and don't even look at the price.
There is a wide band of people in the middle. Eg; many people have an acceptable standard of quality, and they want that quality at the best price. Ie; they want more for less (value for money), which is not the same as so called 'value' products which are generally low quality AND low cost products.
I personally want 'real' value products, i.e, good quality at a low price.

jenniewb

I think it really depens on what it is- I love eating melon- just an odd addiction/luxary I have and will pay over the odds to buy any. (pre sliced, in a box).
I am lucky, its affordable in Tescos at the moment. (£2 for 2 boxes) But if Tescos sell out, I go to Marks and Spencers where its over double the price rather then to the Sainsburys closer to me as the ones they sell are not as sweet and so poorer quality.

I do cut back on quality when it comes to other things, but on the whole, I would rather go without then lose out on the quality. Guess I am just a perfectionist! I just seem to get irrationally irritated when I find I have paid money for something that is not worth what I have paid for it. Even if it has been reduced, if I don't like what I am eating, or it pales in comparison to something else, I would sooner have not paid for it at all. maybe its partly because I live on a tight tight tight budget (lost job earlier this year) and any costs I have to make are at my own risk.

Foods I do buy from value ranges are:
Chopped bagged vegetables, tinned tomatoes, tinned veg, tinned lentils, surface cleaner, milk (I used to only have cravendale!), salt/low sodium salt, tescos own lemonade insted of schwepps, I will also try some fruit (apples, oranges, pears etc) from value ranges, if they don't match my standards, then out they go!

Foods I will not buy reduced in quality are:
Fish, fresh fruit, prawns, tea bags, low calorie hot chocolate, makeup, deoderant (I use the gym 5 days a week- what I use HAS to work!), toothpaste (I have very sensitive teeth), shampoo/conditioner, washing up liquid, toilet roll and washing detergent. Just because I have tried the alternatives, and found them to be false economy.

mikeashbee

For regular items, buy the cheapest and progress upwards until you reach the quality you like.
Keep an eye out for higher quality items on offer which may reduce the price to below your regulars.
Anything other than this policy is brand snobbery.......discuss?

Skint_Catt

If value stuff tastes good enough for what I want then I would say that to me IS quality. If it doesn't taste good enough, then I would pay a bit extra for better 'quality' but i wouldn't pay over the odds because it 'claims' to be quality, but at an over inflated price.

M&S new baby potato'e aren't any different to Sainsbury's new baby potatoes - but there's an 71p per bag difference!