what should or shouldn't i buy value?

TravellingAbuela

I always buy Sainsbury's (frozen) basic prawns - nothing wrong with them when mixed with a seafood sauce and used as a filling for jacket potatoes. Also Sainsbury's basic (fresh) salmon trimmings - all sorts of uses including in pasta dishes and as a topping for posh scrambled egg on toast.

Plus I always keep a bag of basics grated cheese in the freezer and just take a handful out as needed for cheese on toast, sprinkling over pasta or adding to an omelette.

nearlyrich

We prefer value beans to Heinz etc so we usually buy Asda or Tesco version, value squash at 29p is just as nice as any other squash at £1 for half the size. We have tried own brand tea bags but you need two to get the same taste so we buy Tetley's when they are on offer ( which is most of the time somewhere) I try to buy meat and fish from the butcher and fishmonger but I wouldn't buy cheap mince or sausages from anywhere. I buy free range eggs from the market 99% of the time as they around the price of Value eggs in the supermarket if I don't make it to the market I grit my teeeth and pay silly prices for free range from Asda or Tesco. Things like cleaning products I stock up when on offer, I haven't bought washing powder/tablets for about 3 years but I am getting to the point where I need a deal LOL. The other thing we really loike is tesco value sage and onion stuffing, I make my own stuffing for Christmas but this is 16p a packet and really tastes better than Paxo. Tinned sweetcorn, kidney beans we use value too.

MillicentBystander

nearlyrich wrote: »

We prefer value beans to Heinz etc so we usually buy Asda or Tesco version, value squash at 29p is just as nice as any other squash at £1 for half the size. We have tried own brand tea bags but you need two to get the same taste so we buy Tetley's when they are on offer ( which is most of the time somewhere) I try to buy meat and fish from the butcher and fishmonger but I wouldn't buy cheap mince or sausages from anywhere. I buy free range eggs from the market 99% of the time as they around the price of Value eggs in the supermarket if I don't make it to the market I grit my teeeth and pay silly prices for free range from Asda or Tesco. Things like cleaning products I stock up when on offer, I haven't bought washing powder/tablets for about 3 years but I am getting to the point where I need a deal LOL. The other thing we really loike is tesco value sage and onion stuffing, I make my own stuffing for Christmas but this is 16p a packet and really tastes better than Paxo. Tinned sweetcorn, kidney beans we use value too.

Sainsburys Basics tea bags are IME just as 'strong' as most of the brand names - and at 28p for 80 (and fairtrade to boot) they are unbelievable value.

jcr16

imo sainsburys basics is far better than any other value range.

i would steer clear of meat product's. but having said that sainsbury value casserole beef isn't too bad. i've used it a few times in the slow cooker and you do get alot for your money it has always been really tender and nice when we've had it.

we use sainsbury basic tea bags, everyone always says what a nice cuppa i make. some of them would be horridifed if they new it was value tho.

Pitlanepiglet

The majority of what I buy is value these days. Mainly I buy ingredients rather than processed food and as far as I'm concerned flour is flour, butter is butter and basmati rice is basmati rice. I always check the price of the value stuff against the "discounter" range and you have to be a bit careful as value is not always cheapest (in Tesco).

I don't buy value meat, mainly because I don't think it's good value. Kilo for kilo most of the time it's cheaper to get it at Costco and the quality is much better at Costco, the same with cheese. I do buy value processed food if it's something we use but I always check the ingredients. We bought sainsbury's and morrison's biscuits over Christmas (rather than buying a box) and they were absolutely fine.

I'll always try the value and discounter product and if I like it we stick with it and if I don't we go up a brand.

blueberrypie

kerri_gt wrote: »

I also try to steer clear of cheap meat products, both beacause of the animal welfare issue, but also meat content in things like sasuages.

Unless you're buying meat products which are approved by certain animal welfare schemes*, the animals the meat comes from will probably have been treated in just the same way as those whose meat is sold in value ranges.

*Not all schemes which appear to be about animal welfare actually are. It's worth investigating what that "cruelty-free" - or whatever - stamp actually means. For example, the RSPCA "Freedom Food" scheme doesn't mean that the chickens were free-range - and free-range doesn't mean the animal ever saw the outside of a barn. There are legal requirements covering basic animal welfare, and some of the schemes around don't actually mean that conditions did any more than meet those legal minimums - sometimes these schemes are just marketing ploys. Unless the meat is certified as being part of a scheme whose criteria you have read *and understood* there is no guarantee that the animal will have had a better life than one whose meat is being sold at a quarter of the price.

Snugglebunny8

Really interested to read comments and info in this thread, thanks.

I buy Value stuff such a loo rolls (the Sainsburys basic huge rolls 6 pack are 1.42 and are much better quality than other value ones, do a family of 4 for ages and dont shred etc) certain stuff for the kids like conditioner, kichen rool, Sainsburys 10p value showergel for hubby/son, though daughter and I use Dove etc but buy when on half price offer which it always is somewhere! Value shampoo again for hubby/son for the gym etc, and buy shops own or Herbal Essences when on half price offer.

I agree about not buying value meat products, I never do - the butchers is great, and there is usually an offer on meat in the supermarkets, 3 packs for £10, half price offers, 25% off etc, I buy and freeze. I get round it by doing pasta dishes without meat usually 3 times a week, with different tomato/chilli/garlic homemade sauces with Value part-baked/ready to bake bread which everyone loves, then other 4 days I cook with meat but always bought on offer.

Buy Sainsburys value parmesan, which is grana padano I think, cheaper than the parmesan blocks and doesnt taste any different on pasta.

Cheated recently with Jamie Olivers jars of pasta sauce which are reduced right down at Sainsburys and long use by date for cupboard, hubby loves it, he's italian and was bought up with a chef father so it must be good! good for me as its quick if Im working in evenings and good for Friday night not having to cook it!

I use stuff like chicken thighs which are much cheaper than breast, and put them in slow cooker with value tinned tomatoes and herbs, garlic, chilli etc. they are usually £1.50 a pack in Sainsburys so I stock up the freezer.

I buy shops own or value rice, no difference in taste as others have noted too.

Used to always buy organic eggs but have downgraded to free range - taste just as good.

Snugglebunny8

jcr16 wrote: »

imo sainsburys basics is far better than any other value range.

i would steer clear of meat product's. but having said that sainsbury value casserole beef isn't too bad. i've used it a few times in the slow cooker and you do get alot for your money it has always been really tender and nice when we've had it.

we use sainsbury basic tea bags, everyone always says what a nice cuppa i make. some of them would be horridifed if they new it was value tho.

That made me laugh, I use them too and nobody can tell the difference! :T Ive used the casserole beef before in the slow cooker as well, was really nice - I do agree Sainsburys value ranges are really good x

Pitlanepiglet

I used to swear by Sainsbury's basics and when I had a choice shopped at sainsbury's online. When we were moving and were only going to have a Tesco online option I switched to using Tesco and trialled loads of the value/discounter stuff. TBH I didn't find any difference at all although I had expected that I would

We now have a Sainsbury's delivery option as well, I've used it once but gone back to Tesco as I found it a bit cheaper all in all.

GreyQueen

Many moons ago, I was wedded to Heinz Cream of Tomato soup and would entertain no other suitor. Then prices went silly and I started shopping around. Got into Bulwark Cream of Tomato (Lidl) at 17p and was happy until they doubled the price (I think it's come back down again a bit since then but too late, I've gone elsewhere). Sainsbury's Value Cream of Tomato at 17p is the one for me. This is a store-cupboard staple as it's my favourite comfort food. Tesco's Basic's cream cleanser is excellent at 31p, got my Mum to try it as she was once burned by a watery el cheapo version and wary and she is one happy bunny. And saving 50p per bottle over the next level up. I'd say always give a cheapy product a try, unless there's something offensive listed in the ingredients. Only buy the one, and if it's not good enough, it's no biggie.