What won't you scrimp on?

kitschkitty

Christmas_ wrote: »

Ariel gel for washing - I'd like to come down and use a cheaper but I'm lucky that I just buy it and someone else does the washing so I suppose it's worth it Stock up when cheap also - refuse to pay the usual £8 for it! (It's £4 for the big litre ones in Sainsburys atm)
Warburtons or Hovis bread, always. Others don't taste quite right. I do make my own too, but like the other for toast and stuff as the little slices don't quite seem enough.
Toiletries - I'm not partial to any particular brand, except for Herbal Essences for the mother as she appears allergic to other sorts - but they must be a name of some sort. I tend to buy what's cheapest or on offer at the time for all.
Pasta sauces - dolmio. That's usually because when we get them they're 2 for £3. Must look at making my own/trying others.

Pretty much anything else can be what's on offer or sainsburys basics.

My mum always used to use Dolmio, but I actually think it tastes really artificial. I've been trying the Lloyd Grossman ones as they taste more natural and there are lots of varieties but they aren't very cheap. That said I've been using them for gnocchi and not adding any meat. I've always found Asdas own brand pasta sauces are fine - I used to like the one with veg in it.

I tend to use passata and tom. puree these days (don't like tinned toms so much) to make the base for my own pasta sauce.

The best and most seriously cheesy carbonara sauce is the one from Aldi - it's really gorgeous and less than 70p!!!

Christmas_

Thanks very much, I think i've seen the LG ones in Lidl - will have a better look

kitschkitty

Problem I find with pasta sauces is that they are all so different, so even from brand to brand you have to try loads of different ones to find the ones you like.

I didn't rate the LG one with Mushrooms but the smokey bacon one is lovely.

Also the Spicy Italian Salami, Pepper & Smoked Chilli Potato Bake Sauce tasted fab with pasta (yup I didn't read the label properly when I bought it)!

valk_scot

HP sauce. Branston Pickle. Fairy Original washing up liquid. (The smell reminds me of my mum and I doing the washing up when I was little.) Fructis shampoo and conditioners. Heinz baked beans.

Kirri

kitschkitty wrote: »

My mum always used to use Dolmio, but I actually think it tastes really artificial. I've been trying the Lloyd Grossman ones as they taste more natural and there are lots of varieties but they aren't very cheap. That said I've been using them for gnocchi and not adding any meat. I've always found Asdas own brand pasta sauces are fine - I used to like the one with veg in it.

I tend to use passata and tom. puree these days (don't like tinned toms so much) to make the base for my own pasta sauce.

The best and most seriously cheesy carbonara sauce is the one from Aldi - it's really gorgeous and less than 70p!!!

I'd second the Lloyd Grossman pasta sauces, I really like the chilli one - most bought pasta sauces to me taste salty, unnatural or just not that nice. I make a lot of my own pasta sauces however but I have bought the LG ones when on offer.

However some of the LG Indian sauces have, if I remember correctly, something like (GM) modified maize starch in, so I won't buy those.

cdodd

cakeordeath wrote: »

Yeah do! ....the Nicky toilet rolls are really great, their kitchen towels aren't up to much, but the toilet rolls are lovely and soft and 3ply too!!

Another vote for the Nicky toilet rolls 99p/4 in home bargains, thick and quilted

sjd069

TBeckett100 wrote: »

never scrimp on diet coke. I have at least 10 cans in the fridge at all times and i carry them wherever i go to stay at peoples houses for fear of 1) no coke or b) supermarket own. i get panicky if i run out and have to buy more, even if i dont want it. as long as it is there if i want it, i feel better,

is diet coke addictive?

Totally agree with this......I drink 4 a day at work then more when I get home......tried to stop but I get headaches and feel awful......I crave the stuff.......find it harder to give uo than I did smoking

PolishBigSpender

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

Things I won't compromise on:

2. Eggs/milk - always buy only British

Are you sure that you're only buying British?

I believe quite a lot of milk is imported from France and Poland into the UK, which is then labelled as British through some weird quirk in the law.

sassyblue

hollydays wrote: »

I know this is slightly offtopic-but i was bemused to read an article in red magazine today headed "gadgets you can't do without in your kitchen"-the author said one of the articles was a cherry stoner/olive stoner...eh..? I must be on a different planet!just had to share:rolleyes:
anyhoo...cheap bread-can't stand the gooey stuff and dislike cheap tomato sauce,oh and cornflakes like someone else said.

haha! l love olives and cherries but wouldn't know what a stoner looks like.

and bb69, yes l always buy green giant sweetcorn too, l've tried own brands and even frozen but found green giant is the best.