What things wont you economise on?:)

SLAYFIELD1

.... The only thing that I am at all fussy about is teabags. Tetley, Yorkshire Tea or PG Tips, whichever is cheapest at the time. Other than that it is pretty much smart price, Value, M Savers, Aldi everything.

47p bread, 59p Soya Milk, Artificial sweetener tablets, beans and other tinned goods etc. Most of it tastes alright and I can't really afford to buy the "Better" brands .

Edwardia

Great thread !

Really had to think hard about this one.

President unsalted butter
Lindt Excellence 90% cocoa chocolate
William Saurin cassoulet
Kallo low salt organic stock cubes (though I make own fish stock)
Imperial Leather soap
Weleda salt toothpaste or Euthymol toothpaste
Perard soupe de poissons
Diet Pepsi
Diet cherry Coke
Diet A&W root beer
Benedicta rouille
Benedicta aioli
Hellmann's mayonnaise
Johnson's baby shampoo
Sanex shower gel
Badedas

OH
McVitie's Jaffa cakes
McVitie's Jamaican ginger cake
Soreen malt loaf
Maynards wine gums
Becks
Kronenbourg 1664 (bottles)
Hayward's piccalilli
Branston pickle
Heinz salad cream
Bisto low salt gravy
Tesco cheese rolls

I'm just listing brands literally otherwise this post will be too long if I describe my food preferences. Some of the brands listed are French as many family members are and I go over/they come over so I pick a lot of it up like that.

lmp0507

Nescafe gold blend coffee (tried every cheaper version on the planet but none ever match up),
Nutella (the cheap ones are just never as nice!)
Dove soap (oh is allergic to just about every soap going so this is the only one we can really use!)
Alberto Basalm shampoo condition (Know it's only a cheapy but it's the only one I'll use!)
Soreen malt loaf (yum!)
& Heinz ketchup (no other is as good!)

hkminca

This is an interesting thread and made me realise there is actually very little I'd not substitute. Only things I wouldn't substitute is Tampax- literally anything else could be swapped if it was on offer.

Lynsey

There's not much I wouldn't substitute either, apart from Nescafe - though I buy both ordinary and Gold Blend - which ever is on offer, I prefer Gold Blend though.
I prefer Heinz ketchup, but can and do compromise sometimes, especially when some good cheap alternatives are on offer.

Lynsey

recovering_spendaholic

I was going to say that I'm not that fussy but when I had a think about it I realised that I do have stuff where I will only buy a particular brand:
Branston Beans (only buy when on offer)
Andrex Toilet tissue
Tampax compak
Always nighttime
PG tips delicate
Carte Noir decaff coffee
Heinz ketchup
Cravendale milk
Allinsons or Carr's bread flour

Anything else I will try whatever is on offerand/or the cheapest, although when it comes to jams and spreads and peanut butter, I tend only to buy Aldi as I think they are so much nicer. Same with the Aldi Almat 2 in 1 washing liquid.

bylromarha

Nutella - no other choc spread will do.

And Branston pickle - it was my dirty secret when I didn't eat "any" Nestle products for 15 years due to the baby milk scandal. I tried other brands of pickle, but kept craving Branston. Damn Nestle for taking over so many companies.

eyelinerprincess

Fairy liquid. A lot of washing up liquids, especially cheap ones, make my dry hands even worse.
Tea. Bought cheaper ones to try them but it has to be branded stuff.

OH insists on Lynx (seems to be a pattern emerging here).

Derivative

Nothing I wouldn't substitute.

There is stuff I wouldn't buy, like some of the value brand sauces that have HFCS or artificial sweetners instead of sugar, but nothing I wouldn't downscale on.

If I bought some of the lists on here I'd spend more just on those items than I do on my whole food budget

roxydogbert

Great thread, OP! :T

I have to draw the line with:

Lurpak lower fat spreadable (I've tried own-brand, doesn't spread straight from the fridge and the OH moans about it, so I get him Flora Buttery and only stock up when on offer).
Kenco (blue) or Douwe Egberts (stronger one) or Kenco Millicano or Carte Noire instant coffee; I stock up on fave brands when on offer (I always go back to Kenco blue, tho!).
Branstons pickle (small chunk).
Radox Muscle Soak (OH likes this).
Free Range eggs.
Carefree P/Liners.
Carex hand soap (always bought on offer or from Savers).
Walkers Cheese and Onions crisps.
Lynx body spray for the OH, but he'll stock up when on offer and use up xmas/birthday gift packs.
Whole Earth Peanut Butter (because it has no added sugar). I don't buy it very often and it's my treat!
I try and buy branded toilet roll and stock up whilst on offer.

Can't think of anything else branded that we always buy. I try and buy own-brand (usually Mr S) unless there are good offers on brands.

RoxyDb x