What premium stuff is worth the extra

liney

Instant coffee must be Nescafe - i find others smell like wet dog.
Cheap washing up liquid doesnt last 5 minuites
Must be lean steak mince.
Decent bacon which doesnt shrivel, and produce strange white gunk.
Shampoo and conditioner must be particular brands or we get itchy scalps(.

spiddy100

Our meat is nearly all from the farm shop and most of our veg comes in the organic box.
Coffee,tea, bananas and sugar all fair trade.
Squash - tried value once and it was dreadful!
Toiletries usually branded but bought on BOGOFs so as cheap as own brand.

In fact, I'll buy most things branded if they're on BOGOF or another offer which makes them cheaper than the alternatives. Generally though we're not fussy

Fivenations

My parents taught me it was better to have a little of something good than a lot of something that didn' taste good. So while my fellow students went to Mc D's (plus bus fare) I spent the same amount of money on a good piece of steak!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pasta - I can tell the difference!
Rice - Tried cheapo own brands but keep coming back to the good stuff, especially Basmati which I buy in large sacks
Fresh Parmesan - a little butter and parmesan makes a filling meal out if a bowl of boiled rice or pasta.
Meat - I never buy cheap mince
Free range eggs and organic milk
Frozen veg - Ok, fresh is better but I have been using more frozen veg as a result of wrist problems and have found many cheap brands not very good. ( eg. Waitrose frozen peppers are much better than Asda's or Iceland's.)
Tinned tomatoes/passata - cheapo OK for curries etc but I use good quality for pasta sauces and pizzas.
Coffee
Fairy liquid original- anything else brings on a rash
Persil non bio - delicate skins
Ready meals - I keep the odd one for days my hands are bad and no one wants to cook. M&S lasagne not bad. Not like Mamma's but best of the bunch so far.

Barcode

- Organic food. There is an organic store literally round the corner from my flat. I can go in and get a slice of homemade quiche, fresh bread etc. I like to know *exactly* what is going into my body, and don't want to turn into a cancer timebomb because I ate too much processed microwaved junk.

- Bathroom stuff. No cheap toothpaste, shampoo or deodrant.

- Coffee and tea.

- Coke (need to cut down on this one ...)

Solomon_Broad

The only thing I refuse to buy cheaply is chocolate. It has to be Green & Blacks. Cadbury's tastes mass produced, and Tesco's own brand is like eating candle wax.

Ooh, forgot coffee. I only ever buy fairtrade stuff, because it's the only ground I've found that is decaffeinated. And I do get a warm glow thinking of the farmer.

poodlehorse

Right I am reading on and thinking I have left loads out now, bacon being the most obvious as I totally agree white gunk is gross. DH can be a 'mare when I buy organic or whatever because of the perceived extra cost but he always appreciates it more when it is on his plate.

Bin liners - I have a Brabantia bin (tall and very skinny not sure how many litres) and I always bought their liners (Makro was cheapest) but I couldn't get them once and ended up with Tesco own brand and they are fine, not quite as "perfect" as the real thing and they have these funny holes you push bits through to make the knot which are not as good as the drawstring bit but they do the job and are a lot cheaper. And I agree with the method the OP mentioned above, that is how we do it too and it works a treat. Although I still hate this bin and think I am going to replace it soon with something that holds more as I find it looks full until you prise the liner out and realise there should still be loads of room left, I hate emptying bins. Glad to say I did not spend silly money on mine though, Makro had a fab deal. I love Makro

sandieb

Poppy9 wrote: »

What does everyone use their kitchen roll for? If I spill something I used my microfibre dish cloth (which I clean every evening by putting it in the microwave with boiling water, bio powder and zapping for 3 minutes.

I do buy kitchen roll, Wilkinsons 49p for 2 pack. This is just used for wiping hands at the kitchen table and they last me for ever.

All sorts of things - some cleaning jobs - especially floor spills and very mucky jobs. I occasionally use them as emergency hankies and more than once have washed a pair of trousers with one in the pocket - they stay intact!

I use cloth table napkins at the table. Funny how we all have our different ways!