What Value things have you tried and liked?

flipperOSN

What a lot of useful tips! I've been exploring value brands a lot more recently. Basics/Value garlic is great just slightly smaller or uneven in size. Sainburies do a value multi-biscuit pack which the kids love and I've been trying out Sainsburies own-brand shampoo and conditioner. I'll stick with the shampoo but have gone back to more expensive conditioner I'm afraid. I have very long hair and really need good stuff to sort out the knots! The price difference is shocking though.

Value noodles - I've honestly never had a bad experience with any cheap noodles.

Must try out some value soft cheese. I do like Philly but I'm the only one who eats it and it's so expensive I only get it on offer.

LondonDreamer

I'll try anything value at least once, here's what I regularly buy:
Dried mixed herbs - I actually prefer this blend to the more expensive ones
Biscuits - any of them really, but esp. the dark choc digestives
Tinned tomatoes - I actually buy the Trattoria ones, one of their "branded value" lines
Foil and cling film - Good enough for how I use it
Kitchen towel and tissues - Ditto
Fruit and veg - Usually as good, just a different shape
Bacon - Rind on streaky, fab in cooking
Smoked salmon trimmings - Fine in sandwiches for DH
Soft/cream cheese - Ditto (good for baking too)
Tuna chunks - Use this in pasta dishes, just as good
Tinned beans - kidney, etc. All great for cooking.
Lasagne sheets - Just used these last night, no complaints
Stock cubes - Prefer Marigold, but fine for the price
Cereal bars - A bit small, but good for a quick snack
Tortilla chips - Makes great nachos
Flour - No different to brand names
Golden syrup - Ditto
Dried mixed fruit - Good for baking
Lemon curd - Ditto
Strawberry jelly - Was fine, but prefer other flavours
Custard - Nearly as good as brand name, great for the price
Squash - No different from any others, esp. the lemon
Sparkling water / lemonade - Good for cheap fizz with squash
Orange juice - Same as any from concentrate juice
Scourers - Does the job and I like to replace these regularly anyway
1L storage tubs - Brilliant. Stack well and right size for our portions.

And just a few things I didn't like...
Pineapple pieces in syrup - A bit tasteless, prefer in juice
Rubber gloves - Bit too thin, would be fine for light work

dazedandconfused_123

Two really cheap as chips value things we like are

1) value milk chocalate (30p!)
2) value tortilla chips (25P)

Much cheaper than Lidl and perfectly good

Also I like the value vegetable cup soups, maybe they don't mix with water quite as well as some but at 15p a pack I can live with that

LilacLouisa

This is an excellent thread, especially as food prices seem to be still rising.

It was a very good idea by Black Saturn to start it. Does anyone know how she is faring? I hope things have worked out well for her, and she seemed to have some very interesting and thrifty ideas.

Menolly_2

sonnythecat wrote: »

just for the record, what DOESN'T seem to work as well is low fat cream cheese. I think you'd need to tinker with the recipe as maybe its more watery.

I think one of the reasons for this is that a lot of the low-fat/extra-low-fat cream cheeses have carragheen (or similar) as a thickener, so when you beat them up, they go kind-of watery. Discovered this trying to make a "diet" cream cheese icing (yes, really ) for a carrot cake - ended up with a very runny glace-style icing (not exactly the intention).

If you have a look on the Philadelphia cream cheese website, they have hints and tips for using the low-fat versions - in a chilled cheesecake they recommend using extra gelatine and for a baked cheesecake, extra flour, cornflour or custard powder.

nbox9728

Asda smartprice Chicken Soup smells and presumably tastes like dead bodies. It is not good. However, Asda completely make up for this with the smartprice frozen chicken joint with sage and onion stuffing. It is DELICIOUS and only £2.49, will easily feed 4-5 people. The quality is well up there. :j

Kitchenbunny

Isis_Black wrote: »

hehehe has he watch Lost with all the Darma project food looking all the same like value produsts lol

That's why I like the Mr M Value Stuff I like their Value Pasta Shapes, chocolate and tinned tomatoes. The 10p Noodles are also really good for a quick snack.

KB xx

janeawej

I brought 3 bottle of Mr T's economy tomato ketchup as dd2 wanted bottles to put her home made xmas presents in, i was going to empty them and feed the ketchup to the pigs but tried it and its absolutely fine not at all vinegary like some!

rosalie-lavender

Unfortunately I have the unenviable task of combing my daughters waist length hair with a nit comb to remove the head lice she has managed to pick up. I thought once she went to secondary school the problem would be behind us but sadly not.:eek:

I have bought a big bottle of Tesco's value conditioner and found it is quite thin so coats the hair very easily and is much better than the thicker Herbal essences we used the night before.

I am not sure how it performs as a conditioner but it has been very good for removing head lice. At only 35p for a big bottle I recommend it to anyone else who finds themselves with the same problem.

GetRealBabe

Hi

I like Asda/Tesco value longlife unsweetned soya milk. It's 59p, compared to the Tesco fresh I used to buy which has gone up to 99p.