What premium stuff is worth the extra

Stephen_Leak

lil_me wrote: »

That reminds me of something someone said, American spent a fortune developing a space pen, Russians just use a pencil :rotfl: but I like those, my Dad always had them. <snip>

Off topic, but this is an Urban Myth. The Fisher pen company developed the pressurised nitrogen filled refill at their expense, and presented them to NASA. Obviously, the publicity didn't hurt sales. They did not use pencils in space - you do not want fibrous wood shavings or conductive graphite particles floating around in zero gravity.

poodlehorse

What a great thread, although I didn't realise Maltesers had hydrogenated fat in them. That has put me right off them. I really need to look a bit more carefully at ingredients from now on.

Heinz ketchup - did own brand as a student but the good stuff crept back into the house.
Meat - I prefer to get organic but DH is yet to be convinced but I still get as much organic as I can and try and claim the shop didn't have anything else
Branston beans reduced salt and sugar version
USed to buy Asda reduced fat mayo until I found Hellman's extra light - worth paying more for something that low fat and delish.
Kitchen Roll - cheap stuff is always regretted
Juice - has to be "not from concentrate" and if I buy squash it has to be Rock's Organic
New York cinnamon and raisin bagels - Asda's are my only other option and they are cack in comparison and real Philadelphia to go on them as the own brands are all a bit crumbly and horrid according to DH (he is worse than me I think)
Coffee - have had to stop drinking it as it was giving me stomach pains again but it has to be Douwe Egberts
Tea - I am with Stephen Fry on this, it has to be Twinings (Assam preferably) although Yorkshire Gold will do at a push (you have to have backup plans round here as the supermarkets are rubbish)

I am shocked at how fussy we are when I see it written down but I remember years ago DH saying to me (when we were up to our eyes in debt and trying to find extra cash everywhere) that he didn't mind where I cut back so long as he didn't end up feeling like we were economising on food. So I had to find out quickly which value things and own brand things were as good as branded and where I couldn't cut back. Some of these things have only crept in since we had our son (eg the juices and more organic stuff)

Poppy9

lil_me wrote: »

That reminds me of something someone said, American spent a fortune developing a space pen, Russians just use a pencil :rotfl: but I like those, my Dad always had them.

In about 1990 OH set up his own business and a rep flogged him some Fisher space pens. Think he paid between £10-£15 each for them. He sold them for 3 times what he paid for them and had to keep re-ordering. Supply then dried up for months and when they re-appeared the had doubled the price to buy wholesale.

When we were in the Kennedy Space Centre OH was going to buy himself one as he had never kept one when he was selling them. Sadly the gift shop only had the cheap crappy ones.

newlywed

Bread- can't stand cheap wholemeal bread
Steak mince - don't like gristley fatty bits in my mince
Tea bags - PG everytime
Sausages - Gillian McKeith showed what bits went in cheap sausages (put me right off).
Cheese - Keeps OH happy
Heinz beans - own brand beans just seem to stay hard
Washing powder and conditioner - allergic to so much (including some big names)
Washing up liquid - fairy all the time
Loo roll
Organic stock cubes - Kallo - no hydrogenated whatsits (although OH insists on Bisto gravy granuals so I try and cut down on hydrogenated everywhere else to even it out :rolleyes:)

milkydrink

I didn't realise how many brand names I buy till I started reading the replies
Tea - buy PG, Tetley, Twinings, Sainsburys Red Label, whatever of these is on offer.
Kitchen spray, CIF the greenie coloired one, LOVE THE SMELL.
Orange squash M&S count on us (diet orange). If ROCKS made a diet one I weould buy that, but they don't :-(
Cola - Coke or Pepsi, whatevers on offer.
Bread NEVER VALUE, usually the baked in store bread, rarely buy sliced plastic bread.
Cheese mature cheddar, never value,
Washing up liquid, fairy or persil, whatevers on offer, don't use much because of dishwasher.
Gravy Bisto Best
Juice, hate the long life boxes from the shelves, any from the chiller.
Brabantia bin linners:eek: Wish they were cheaper
Mr Muscle for the oven.
I only buy "brand" cereals, but I get Sainsburys porridge with added bran for DH as its the only one with added bran.

Linda32

I buy either Hovis or Warbatons brown bread. Hellmans Mayo, the only cheap one I've found that dosn't taste like vinegar is Tesco own brand, not value, so I buy that somtimes.

Nescalf Coffee

Heinz Beans, although we don't buy these oftern.

Persil washing powder to bulk out with cheapy, Asda's at the moment.
I used to always buy aerial but this didn't work so well as Persil on the bulking out.

Soda crystals, (can you get own brand soda crystals ? )

Decent Flour, not own brand.

belfastgirl23

Good extra virgin olive oil is always worth paying a bit more for since it 'dresses up' a lot of basic sauces etc. I do try to buy it on offer though And use basic olive oil for everything else. good balsamic vinegar is worth paying for too.

wildthing666688

A while ago I was making sweet & sour and the grandson wanted chicken dippers so as I had diced the chicken and made a batter I gave him some of them and he refused to eat them because they where not the pre-prepared that his mother gives him.
Years ago everything we bought was value stuff as been a carer and money been very tight it was all we could afford proper meat was only about twice a week once been the sunday roast. Now I will buy fresh meat rather than the cheap pre-prepared stuff as that little bit extra is worth it in my view.

cupid_s

Only thing I'm really fussy about is coffee. I wont drink instant at all - it's horrible! A few months ago though asda extra special roast ground coffee was on BOGOF so I bought 40 packs of the stuff, and I stocked up on bargain blue mountain when I was in jamaica and still have some left.

I wont buy value sausages or frozen meat.

And we only buy premium cereal. But again buy it when it's on offer.

DKLS

cupid_s wrote: »

Only thing I'm really fussy about is coffee. I wont drink instant at all - it's horrible! A few months ago though asda extra special roast ground coffee was on BOGOF so I bought 40 packs of the stuff, and I stocked up on bargain blue mountain when I was in jamaica and still have some

You jammy so and so, have just run out of Jamaican Blue Mountain, and had to resort to Nescafe this AM.

Cant give up good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, and defo cant give up M&S ready meals, I tried the Asda range which is rank.