don't despair if you can't afford 'the best'

beautifulgorgeous_2

My ds used to call marks "marks and spensive" whn he was little

lynzpower

No- Ad sunblock a case in point. Absolutely brilliant, and SO cheap. Highly recommended product, but they call it no-ad as they have no advertising whatsoever aside from those cardboard display shelves & signs in shops. they say thats how they do it so cheap.

Wizwoo

Quality often does come at a price though - when I've been in a city that has a Primark I'll often go in see loads and buy a few things - but weeks later regret it because they just weren't the bargain I thought they were (holes / poor stitching are a regular problem) and with not living nearby it just not worthwhile returning them.

I try to buy less but better quality - although definately not the designer gear.

I've always thought own label baked beans were better than Heinz but OH loves Heinz and we bought some on offer the other week...even then I thought OL were better. OL did however contain more salt and more sugar than Heinz???:think:

chickpea

..but sometimes, you do get what you pay for. Shoes and wine are a good example..life is too long to wear cheap shoes, or drink cheap wine!

I'm spoiled on wine..but it's a real source of pleasure to me, discovering a new gem.

And shoes - cheap shoes make me sad!! I get good quality boots from Russell and Bromley, Ok they cost a bit but look fab...and I wear them to death!! Whereas every pair of bargain sales shoes I've ever bought has languished unworn before getting given away to friends or charity!

Essex-girl_2

calleyw wrote:

I saw that in my mums TV mag. And it said that the mother spends £500-£600 a month on designer clothes. And the dad lives around the corner as they don't have enough space and can't afford anywhere bigger. Because of all the money that is spent on clothes. And she only works part time as well.

It is all cash that spend. So no credit.

But looking at the picture they showed I thought it looked like all the clothes had come from wheelie bin around the back of the charity shop. As they where horrible. It might have a so called "designer name" on it but it looked just like tat to me.

But what a way to live sleeping on the floor in the living room with 3 children just so you can have so called designer names.

Think she needs a reality check. As she is spending a min of £6K a year just on clothes for the family :eek: I rather be paying £6K in mine and my husbands ISA a year. I wish we had that sort of money spare.


Yours


Calley

I thought the same - money cant buy taste

domestic_goddess

I hate to disagree with everyone but i sometimes get some food from M & S (not my main shopping just a few bits and bobs) and I think that you can taste the difference. You can taste the quality so even thouh I dont shop there much when I do I know it is going to be nice.

Now please dont all shout at me
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: lol

lynzpower

Someone on the own label hunt was saying the reason why M&S custard creams taste better than the tescos ones is cos they have a shorter use by date on so are fresher. So true M&S biscuits are bloody fantastic. But thier crumpets are exactly double the price of sainsburys taste the poshness ones and as an avid crumpet fan I can taste no difference. I think being DFW for me is noting the difference, and pocketing the difference. And knowing the profiteroles they charge 3.50 for are no better than my homemade ones that I can make for about a quid. And I know they havent been sat in a warehouse for a week before they get to shelf.

ti1980

Working at M&S, I often buy things there and I probably buy about 25% of my shopping there if not more depending on the offers.
Some things are really expensive, I totally agree, but my main other shop is Sainsburys and a lot of the things I buy are similar prices if not cheaper at M&S (after discount).
M&S do a lot more food offers than they used to though and I think some people would be surprised that with the offers they have, they easily match or beat Sainsburys, Asda, Tesco etc on price.
The crumpets are probably made by the same supplier. I think it is British Bakeries that make bread for most of the supermarkets but don't quote me on that.
I bought that profiterole dessert as I took it to a friends house for dessert as I was getting my dinner cooked and I must say it was fabulous. But I don't have the slightest inclination to make something like that which not the attitude of most DFWs.
The own label hunt is fantastic but the thread is so long now that it takes absolutely ages to find anything.

grex9101

lynzpower, i'm an avid crumpet fan too, but maybe not in the same way!!!!

i also read that the "cheaper" biscuits are made with powdered milk, eggs etc. So they may be made in the same factory, but they could still different..

ti1980

That is one of the problems of the Great Hunt, as there are a great deal of factories that make products for supermarkets, but each supermarket will have their own specifications for particular products. It worries me when I look at an ingredients panel and I have never heard of the complex compounds they use and pass off as food. This isn't to say I won't buy these products at all but I have cut down loads from previously.